Detergent Chemistry Review:

Detergents are, generally speaking, synthetic versions of soap. Detergents use an ionic-charged component called “surfactants” to produce a solution that reduces natural water tension, and draws water and other particles together. Sounds pretty good, right?

What is in an ion?

In this case, what ions are doing is carrying and transferring very small magnetic charges from one particle or substance to another, and once bound, they are very difficult to break away. Ionic charges may be innate to a chemical compound, or they may be produced by mechanical action – in this case – friction. Click HERE to read more on ionic surfactants.

What does this have to do with Microfiber?

Microfiber, because of its extruded fibers, which use friction and mechanically produced magnetic attraction to powerfully attract soil to its increased surface area, most detergents do more to detract from this tool than enhance its performance.

In short, many general purpose cleaners will repel microfiber from surfaces, so that it cannot scrape soil from the surface, capture and contain it for removal; and ALL detergent-disinfectant (quaternaries) will fill the extruded surfaces with a coating of residue that will fill and kill the cloths ability to do its job.