Lint free cloths - what do you use?

[mswood]

Just interested what everyone uses for applying finishes that suggest using a "lint free cloth". I've bumped in to people using everything from old socks to expensive purpose made products from companies like 3M. So what do you use?

[crowie]

Any 100% cotton, shirt, singlet, t-shirt, tea towel, sheets, etc, etc....

[Optimark]

https://www.spotlightstores.com/sewing-fabrics/dress-apparel-fabrics/woven-apparel-fabrics/flannelette/premium-flannelette/p/BP80264183

I've been using this for a couple of years now. I was at Timbecom in Melbourne at the opening of their new store (previous store to their current new store) Ubeaut, our forum owner was demonstrating their polishes, waxes and I asked what was the material he was using. I cannot be 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure Neil said flannelette. I went to my local Spotlight store and ended up with a metre. This worked so well that when I'm getting low I just pop in and get another metre or two.

I cut it up into about 150mm by 150mm squares, fold it to almost two fingers width and rather stingily use small portions at a time. I have had other people suggest I should use paper towels; tried them, went back to flannelette.

Mick.

[Chesand]

(Quote) I cannot be 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure Neil said flannelette.


Mick.[/QUOTE]

I have also heard him say flannelette during a demo

[China]

As above a high quality Flannelette

[Robson Valley]

Cotton fibers in flannelette are orders of magnitude longer than the wood fiber (usually conifer is best) in any brand of paper towel.
Thus as Crowie suggests (#2), just about any well-thrashed cotton garment will be good. I use worn out underwear for clean dusting.

[rob streeper]

Dense cheesecloth

[jmk89]

Used 100% cotton T-shirts, business shirts, bed sheets, underwear....Once they get to the 'rag bag' stage they are really soft and have had all the lint washed out of them:)

[Optimark]

While I certainly agree with using old 100% cotton clothing, be they shirts, underdacks or G strings, I don't go through enough to be able to keep on turning and polishing. I literally go for years before I wear out clothing; being the sensitive new age guy that I am... :rolleyes:

Mick.

[FenceFurniture]

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=flannelette&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b&gfe_rd=cr&dcr=0&ei=S7OCWpK6Huvc8wftj4GYDg

So I wonder if "napped" means brushed?

No mention of microfibre cloths so far. I'm just about to go back to polishing a car (first time in a decade) and the recommendations seem to be microfibre. I bought a MF mitt and it's certainly nice and soft, but I'll have to check the other MF cloths I have.

[FenceFurniture]

While I certainly agree with using old 100% cotton clothing, be they shirts, underdacks or G strings, I don't go through enough to be able to keep on turning and polishing. I literally go for years before I wear out clothing; being the sensitive new age guy that I am... :rolleyes:

Mick.How long does a G-string last you?

[Simplicity]

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=flannelette&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b&gfe_rd=cr&dcr=0&ei=S7OCWpK6Huvc8wftj4GYDg

So I wonder if "napped" means brushed?

No mention of microfibre cloths so far. I'm just about to go back to polishing a car (first time in a decade) and the recommendations seem to be microfibre. I bought a MF mitt and it's certainly nice and soft, but I'll have to check the other MF cloths I have.

You may also need to watch Karate kid the original version Brett.
Wax on wax off grasshopper.

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Yes, old, worn out, lint-free cotton items serve me well.

The issue I have found with old sheets, which are torn into squares then folded, is that any loose edge that comes unfolded near the work will throw as many threads into the polish as they can. Sometimes I tear them up, then re-wash them and put them through the tumble drier to get the threads off. At the moment I have a good supply of very worn out cotton serviettes from clearing out my parents' place. When they're gone I have their hand towels to go through. We donated their copious supply of sheets and bath towels to a womens' refuge so I don't have them.
I haven't tried microfibre for polishing as it doesn't seem very absorbent to me, but i do use it for wiping away dust.

[BobL]

. . . . which are torn into squares then folded, is that any loose edge that comes unfolded near the work will throw as many threads into the polish as they can. Sometimes I tear them up, then re-wash them and put them through the tumble drier to get the threads off.

I also use this method.

[cava]

I literally go for years before I wear out clothing; being the sensitive new age guy that I am... :rolleyes:

Mick.
Yeh, I've heard about that when people go commando... :rolleyes:

[ubeaut]

For French Polishing (making and using a rubber) I prefer to use worn cotton or linen sheet/material (ideally white).

For friction polishes on the lathe and all waxing etc I prefer to use flannelette sheet.

I buy new, white, brushed, flannelette sheet by the metre from Spotlight. Because the flannelette is brushed it very seldom leaves threads or anything else in the finish and for the same reason it will not leave any marks on the finish due to the weave of the material.

I never tear the material. I have a big guillotine (printers one) in the factory and cut the flannelette on that as many as 20-30 sheets thick per cut. I can't ever recall having a problem with raggy edges or leaving threads in the surface of the work.

I have never used micro fibre but would think it wouldn't be too god for waxing as it probably wouldn't remove the wax from the surface but just keep pushing it all over the finish. As I said never used it for polishing. Have had some for dusting furniture but but have my doubts about polishing with it. That's just my impression of it. If anyone has tried it and found it to work really well I'd be interested to hear adout it.

Cheers - Neil :U

[Bob38S]

The one thing not mentioned is storage, not sure about your shed but mine gets dusty and unfortunately, I have issues with geckos.

Many years ago I bought a large plastic rubbish bin with a clipped lid, all of my “rags” are cut up and stored in the bin, kept clean and easily accessible when required.

[Christos]

I had a friend toss out heaps of his cotton shirts which are pretty much used for everything from cleaning glue drops on the bench top to applying finish. Cut to smaller pieces and stored in a sealed tub ready to be used. As for the dust rags are about half the shirt size and kept in a another sealed tub.

When applying finish I always fold them within themselves to avoid any edges contacting the surface that is receiving the finish.

[mswood]

Hey thanks everyone for the feedback - looks like flannelette and used cotton clothing is the go. Time to raid the kids clothes and see what T-shirts they've grown out of I reckon ;)

[FenceFurniture]

I used some Microfibre cloths this week to rub in some water based grain filler, oil, and then also to do a bit of a buff. Not sure about the buffing, but for rubbing stuff in they were just fine. Certainly didn't leave any lint/fluff behind (except for one loose bit from the packet). I wish they wouldn't seam the edges though.....