Microfiber cloths clean things beautifully through mechanical action, without unleashing toxic fumes, polluting the water supply, or accelerating the evolution of resistant germs and bacteria. So why aren’t they as popular in the US as they are in Europe?
We’ve been trained to look for bubbles, fumes, and guarantees of death to all bacteria.
Several lines of questioning, repeated over the course of two months, via approximately 100 phone calls and countless emails, uncovered several facts. First, large makers of household chemicals are very, very hard to reach and are unwilling to reveal their ingredients for fear of piracy. Second, they’re hell-bent on convincing customers to disinfect their premises using the strongest chemicals possible to annihilate bacteria and viruses, evidenced not just by the kind of products they sell and the scare tactics by which they’re marketed, but also by the corporate refrain I heard over and over: Okay, maybe microfiber can remove germs, but it does not kill them.
(To disinfect or sanitize, technically one must kill 99.999 percent of microorganisms in 30 seconds.)
Never mind that removing germs is likely to be enough for the average homeowner, assuming he or she takes the time to wash the microfiber cloth properly afterward. Never mind that new university research finds that “safe” household chemicals are proving unhealthy now that so many of them are building up and mixing together inside our hyper-sealed homes, then draining outdoors. Never mind that more scientists are predicting the rise of superbugs as over-disinfecting threatens to create invincible strains of bacteria and viruses.
Yeah, save a little elbow grease and KILL GERMS ON CONTACT! That’s the American Way!
(via Les)
Microfiber cloths are awesome, but the only place I’ve ever found them is in 3-packs at the auto parts store.d
Good to note. I’ll remember that next time I’m near the local Pep Boys.