That’s because they are sold new as sterile towels, usually by medical suppliers. They would be thinking of them for their original use–to wipe doctor’s hands and medical tools–after which they are no longer sterile, hence single use.
With washing they can certainly be reused; just not for their original purpose.
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Brought some time ago, Nano Towels by Nanolon*fibre. $45 for 4 squares (not bath towels) so I thought expensive but it was buy one get one free. I brought them as I was using wax covers instead of cling wrap and also recycling all that I could. They clean with only water, no chemicals, picks up water very easily, I am very happy with them and don’t know what I would use if not for them.
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Sorry Jen but no. I asked them all if they can be washed and they all told me one use only.
If they sell them as one use then you buy more and they make higher commission or they are clueless.
To clean windows, bathroom, kitchen etc they don’t need to be sterile. I told them that I’m a home user and told them why i wanted to get them.
Are they recyclable?
Thank you Jen, but scroll up, I’ve found the towels.
That’s great @annaa63. $5 for 5 is excellent–I can’t see that on their website. The smallest pack I can see there is 10 for $23 (incl postage). Where did you find the 5/$5 pack?
I like that they’re being reused. Hospitals are one of the worst culprits for waste!
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I can’t find much info in these… there’s no patent for Nanolon, only a trademark application which says they are plastic and polymer. They sound like a thicker/fancier microfibre cloth from what I can see.
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It was in one of the videos… the postage wasn’t mentioned. Cheaper to buy 10 then 5
I use diluted liquid castile soap as a cleaner in a recycled spray bottle and added a couple of drops of essential oil. Works great!
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Instead of Windex try using your own homemade glass and surface cleanser.
Simply use a empty 750ml spray bottle and add:
1 Cup Methylated Spirits
2 Cups Distilled Water(Distilled Water avoids any mineral residues from using Plain Tap Water but Tap Water will suffice in a pinch)
1 or 2 DROPS of Dishwashing Liiquid.
In my experience this cleans better than any store bought Window/Glass cleaner and leaves no streaks or residue.
Plus it’s safe to use on most surfaces.
An alternative Window/Glass cleaner formula is:
1 Cup Methylated Spirits
1 Cup White Vinegar
1 Cup Distilled Water or Tap water
2 DROPS Dishwashing Liquid
I would like to add my vote in favour of using Microfibre cloths, they are good for cleaning anything imaginable and are very durable.
My Microfibre cloths are over 7 years old and still look like new. I use them daily and when soiled I wash them with my clothes or if badly stained soak them in Oxy type of bleach.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that 100% Cotton cloths are enviromently benign simply because they are biodegradable.
Cotton production is very damaging to the enviroment due to the large amounts of water the crops need, plus copious quantities of artificial fertilizers which can contaminate water sources and then there is the need to spray on a regular basis with pesticides and fungicides.
I do concede that the probem of microplastic shedding is a issue of concern for many people.
But the plain and simple fact is that most people wear clothing which is made from a mix of natural and synthetic fibres and many clothing items and washable household items are made with 100% synthetic fibres and with each and every wash load these microplastics are released.
I also tried using 100% Cotton Cloths for cleaning but found even the thickest cloths wore out in a matter of months and the cost replacing them on a regular basis meant they were costing me far more than using the very durable Microfibre cloths which are still going strong after 7 long, long years of heavy usage.
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Wish you all the best in finding a beautiful job, and being able to buy all the microfibre cloths you want!
In the meantime here’s my tip for cleaning windows:
Dip a crumpled page of a newspaper in a water/vinegar solution to clean windows, glass, mirrors. Polish with dry newspaper.
Apparently it’s the ink on the newspaper that does the trick of cleaning and polishing without leaving any streaks.
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not throwing out what I already have…
I have used 50/50 citrus vinegar and the windows look spotless.
Fantastic tip.
At last there is a useful purpose for Murdoch’s rags in the modern age.
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problem with murdoch rags is that ink leaves your fingers with stains… time to use cotton.
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Time to use rubber gloves, disposable or otherwise, when cleaning, to avoid staining, and possible irritants to come in contact with skin. .
You can buy microfibre from automotive stores packaged for car mechanics in boxes that dispense like tissues. We us them all over the house and they are just the same as the more expensive packaged supermarket ones. They can be laundered.
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After using a microfibre cloth to clean the inside of the car windscreen I noticed lots of shiny speckles when driving into the sun, which turned out to be microfibres from the cloth. I don’t like the thought of the pollution caused by them or indeed breathing the microfibres. Will not use again.
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Like any synthetic or other natural materials, they loose fibres over time.
Before use it is also best to give them a good wash as they may also have residues from their manufacturer.
The microfibres are a concern as microfibre cloths are made using synthetic materials and could contribute to microplastucs in the environment.
This is something one has to weight up their benefits as well as their potential impacts.
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I’m a domestic cleaner, and i won’t use anything else, I wipe all surfaces down with a damp microfibre cloth, and then dry them with an old face washer, as they are more absorbant.
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This is true, cotton is not sustainable. Hemp, flax/linen and bamboo are better options from that point of view. Or newspaper (combined with meths, this was the only way my grandparents would wash windows).
Not you? Just interested in different viewpoints 
Not me. I can’t wear synthetic fibres without sweating profusely. And they make my skin itch.
I’ve heard of washing machine filters to stop microplastics getting into the wastewater system/ocean. It would be interesting to know whether any of these work.
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