Microfiber material works in two ways:
First of all microfiber is a real dust magnet. Small dust particles have a negative charge. They are attracted by microfiber because it has a positive charge.
Secondly, microfiber is highly absorbent. To capture water and dirt in the most efficient way, the ultra thin microfiber’s polyester core is individually split into ultra-fine filaments that are 1/100th the diameter of a human hair or less. During this production process, longitudinal wedge-shaped voids are created in the polyester core. These are filled with polyamide. Premium microfiber cleaning towels generally consist of 70% polyester and 30% polyamide, called a “70/30 blend”, while most cheap microfiber towels are low grade none-split microfiber or only. A 70/30 mix is the perfect combo: the polyester core provides structural strength for the polyamide inserts that are highly absorbent. A premium microfiber towel holds up to 10 times their own weight in moisture.
That’s why microfiber towels are much better at collecting dust, water and grime than conventional towels. They are more durable too.
A cross-section of a single fiber under high magnification looks like a “stuffed” asterisk. The asterisk core is polyester material while the “stuffing” that looks like slices of pie is polyamide. (see drawing)