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A Guide to Purchasing Manufactured Wipers and Cloth Rags New to SupplyTime.com? Welcome! Use coupon code 10offSpecial at checkout to receive 10% off your first order! Manufactured Wiper Types
Wipers are generally separated into the following main categories: Cleanroom (Lint Free), Delicate Task, Low Lint, Extended Use, Foodservice, General Purpose, Hygienic/Personal (Disposable Bath & Wash Cloths, Limited Use, Specialty, and Glass/Auto Windshield. Remember you can’t use any wiper for any application some will leave residues, lint and scratch, harming your surface. Manufactured Wiper Grades Light Duty Wipers- Besides general purpose, light duty wipers are also designed for precision and delicate tasks. The delicate tasks light duty wipers can be absorbent, low linting or lint-free and some anti-static. Some delicate tasks wipers are solvent resistant and some contain no binders, or surfactants that could harm delicate surfaces. Cleanroom and critical tasks environments, aerospace, labs, healthcare, pharmaceutical, medical device and electronic industries are just a few examples of where you might use a delicate task wiper. Some examples of delicate task wipers are the Kimberly Clark Kimtech Prep, Kimtech Pure and Kimtech Science. Other light duty wipers for more general purposes include Kimberly Clark’s Wypall L10, Wypall L20 and Wypall L30. Medium Duty Wipers– Medium duty wipers are typically for general purpose industrial, commercial and at home cleaning and wiping. Most are very absorbent and strong and durable. Medium duty wipers are designed to have limited or single use. Medium duty wipers, includes such brands as Kimberly Clark’s Wypall L40, Wypall X50, Wypall X60, Kimtech Prep, and Georgia Pacific’s Brawny Industrial. Heavy Duty Wipers – Heavy duty wipers are used for heavy industrial wiping and prepping that may involve solvents, grease, grime, oil and rough surfaces. Most are highly absorbent and absorb oils and water quickly. Because the heavy duty wiper is so absorbent, the wiper has extended use, which can reduce waste. The heavy duty wipers are very strong and durable and can replace and outperform cloth rags. Heavy duty wipers are ideal for the toughest industrial jobs. Examples of heavy duty wipers are the Kimberly Clark Wypall X70, Wypall X80 or Wypall X90. Manufactured Wiper Materials
Manufactured paper based wipers have different fibers and technology that are designed for specific tasks, absorbency, strength and durability. There are wipers designed specifically with no binder or adhesives so there are no residues after wiping and cleaning. Airlaid Bonded Cellulose – wipers are soft, absorbent and tough. They can easily replace cloth wipers. The airlaid bonded cellulose material is a better wet wiper than the DRC (Double Re-Creped) wipers and equals DRC wipers when it comes to wiping up oil and grease. They feature good bulk and are ideal for machine maintenance wiping and cleaning. They are ideal for grease, grime, and absorb water and oil easily. Some are ideal for patient care as a washcloth; the “springy” material makes it easy to open when rinsed and squeezed out. The Georgia Pacific Brawny Industrial® Lightweight General Purpose Airlaid Light Centerpull Wiper and the Soft-n-Fresh® Disposable Airlaid Medium Wiper are some examples. Best Use: Oil, Grease, Grime, Water, Patient Hygiene. DRC (Double Re-Creped) – DRC wipers have a sponge-like inner layer and a soft surface. The heavier duty DRC wipers easily absorb liquids, oils and lubricants. They are general purpose wiper used for a wide range of uses, from routine industrial cleaning and maintenance to wiping your hands and face. Lighter grades use a lighter weight paper for a more economical price. They are used for light duty general cleaning, janitorial and maintenance wiping, and healthcare. DRC wipers have some solvent resistance and good wet strength when wiping wet surfaces. Some examples are the Kimberly Clark Wypall L40 and Wypall L30 and the Georgia Pacific Brawny Industrial 20077 and goRag 20065 and 20035. Best Use: Liquid Spills, Oils, Lubricants, Water, Personal Hygiene. HEF, Hydro Entangled - HEF is a premium material with pulp fibers that are absorbent and tear resistant, standing up to tough industrial cleaning and wiping. They are soft, low lint, durable, reusable, and stand up to cleaners and solvents. Hydro entangled wipers feature excellent wet strength and are an economical alternative to cloth shop rags. HEF wipers have no adhesives or binders, leaving no residue. They quickly absorb water, oil, grease and paints. One example is the Brawny Industrial® Heavy Weight HEF Disposable Shop Towel. Best Use: Oil, Grease, Water, Paint, Glass, Windows, Low Lint Applications. Hydroknit – Kimberly Clark’s patented Hydroknit material is very strong, highly absorbent and soft to the touch. The Hydroknit material is manufactured with no chemicals or adhesives by bonding soft pulp fibers into a very strong polypropylene base. The Hydroknit wipers come in three basis weights: 45 gsm, 54 gsm and 64 gsm for different applications. They have good wet strength and durability. They are also tear resistant, low linting, and have a cloth-like appearance. Applications range from heavy duty industrial cleaning and wiping, replacing cloth rags, to foodservice towels and personal hygienic wipers. Some examples are the Wypall X80, Wypall X70, Wypall X60, and Wypall X50 and Wypall Foodservice towels. Best Use: Rough Surfaces, Thinners, Solvents, Lubricants, Oils, Grease, Grime, Liquids, Glass, Foodservice, Personal & Patient Hygiene. Meltblown Polypropylene – Meltblown polypropylene wipers are low lint and are designed to wipe light or heavy oils, grease, solvents and water. They are reusable, strong and solvent resistant. The low lint polypropylene construction is ideal for critical tasks in the printing, automotive, mechanical, chemical processing, aerospace and painting industries. They are great cleaning and prepping surfaces and parts. The Kimberly Clark Kimtech Prep Kimtex wipers are an example. Best Use: Oils, Grease, Solvents, Water, Low Lint Applications. Multi-Ply Paper – Multi-ply paper wipers are for single use, light duty tasks. The paper material ranges from one to four ply paper thickness. Some are softer than others, some are textured and some have no binders or glues. Ideal for general purpose light cleaning and wiping; some are specific for glass cleaning. The Kimberly Clark Wypall L10 and Wypall L20 are examples of this type of wiper. Paper wipes are great for glass and windows. Best Use: Light Duty General Purpose Cleaning & Wiping, Glass, Windows. Rayon Treated – Rayon treated cloths are used for dusting. They are manufactured specifically to attract dust for quick effective dusting. Most are treated with a mineral oil to attract dust so you are not just spreading the dust around. Examples are the Georgia Pacific Brawny Industrial® Dusting Cloths and the Chix Stretch n’ Dust Dusters. Best Use: Dusting Scrim – Scrim wipers are made from 4 ply nylon scrim reinforced material to provide the best balance of strength and superior absorbency. They are soft, low lint and tear resistant. Ideal for heavy duty jobs in the automotive, manufacturing, janitorial and maintenance industries. The Georgia Pacific Brawny Industrial Srim Wiper, Hospeco’s Toughworks and TaskBrand wipers, and the Chix Chux wipers are some examples. Best Use: Heavy Duty Industrial / Maintenance Low Lint Cleaning & Wiping. Spunlace – Spunlace wipers are low linting, very absorbent, strong and durable, solvent resistant and contain no chemical binders. They provide a cloth-like softness with the non-woven rayon/polyester/cellulose blends. Spunlace wipers can either be creped or smooth. Spunlace wipers are ideal for critical task environments like the electronics, computer, aerospace, printing and hydraulic equipment industries, and clean manufacturing. So durable you can rinse, squeeze and reuse them. A few examples are the Kimberly Clark Kimtech Prep Scottpure, Mercantile Atlas Creped, ProSeries Super Rag, and the Controlwipe. Best Use: Low Lint Critical Tasks. Tacky Adhesive Polyethylene Film – Tacky adhesive polyethylene film is usually in the form of a floor wiping mat. The tacky adhesive mat is tacky to the touch so when you step on it the mat removes dirt particles from your shoes or from wheels on carts and machinery before entering a cleanroom environment or an office from a warehouse. The back of the mat has an adhesive to secure the mat to the floor surface. Some tacky mats provide antimicrobial protection also. There are many brands, styles and qualities to choose from. There are those that are specific to cleanroom environments. Best Use: Floors -Trapping debris before it enters a room. Tissue – Tissue wipers usually range from one to three ply. They are for single use light duty delicate or precision tasks. Tissue wipers are used in laboratories for wiping surfaces, parts, instruments and lens cleaning. They are low lint, absorbent, and soft, non-abrasive and won’t scratch delicate surfaces when used wet. Some are made from 100% virgin fibers for purity and some have a mix of virgin and recycled fibers. Kimberly Clark’s Kimtech Science Kimwipes and Precision wipes and the Georgia Pacific AccuWipe are some examples. Best Use: Low Lint Delicate, Precision Wiping Tasks. Cloth Rag Types
Cloth rags are generally used for cleaning, wiping, polishing, painting, dusting, staining, and straining. They come in various types of cloth materials. You would want to use a low lint cloth especially if you are staining wood. Cloth rags are normally new washed or reclaimed (recycled). If they are reclaimed t-shirt rags, the sleeves and collars are normally removed. New washed cloth rags are a premium, soft clean rag. Cloth rags can be laundered and reused, in most applications. Just remember with cloth rags it can get expensive if you have to pay for a laundry service. Cloth rags increase your maintenance time washing and drying. And don’t forget the cost of laundry soaps and electricity. If you are using harsh chemicals and solvents you may want to dispose them; make sure you dispose them in the proper way according to federal, state and local guidelines. Cloth Rag Grades Light Duty Cloths – You might use a light duty cloth for example if you are doing general cleaning, dusting or straining. Light duty cloth rags can include materials such as: Cheesecloth, Viscose, Diapers, Balbriggan, and some cotton blends. Medium Duty Cloths – Medium duty cloth rags can be used for most general purpose cleaning, wiping, polishing, painting applications, dusting and staining. But for low lint applications choose a low lint material. You don’t want lint all over your product or furniture after all your hard work. Medium duty cloth rags can include materials such as: Reclaimed T-Shirts, Cotton Knits, Cotton/Polyester, Ribbed Cotton Terry, and Cotton Thermal Knits. Heavy Duty Cloths– Heavy duty cloth rags are for more industrial applications where you may be using solvents and wiping rougher surfaces. Heavy duty cloth rags can include such materials such as: Corduroy, Sweatshirt Fleece and Flannel. Cloth Rag Materials
Cloth materials differ in fibers, colors, softness, thickness and lint. You want to use the appropriate cloth rag for your cleaning and wiping tasks. Balbriggan - Balbriggan is a fine, unbleached knitted cotton fabric, typically used for stockings and underwear. New washed white balbriggan knit wipers are ideal for wiping small smooth parts leaving them shiny and clean. Best Use: Wiping. Cheesecloth – Cheesecloth comes in different grades, thread counts, and yarns. Cheesecloth is typically used for wiping, staining and straining. Cheesecloth is soft, eco-friendly, and absorbent. Grades will be described as light duty, grade 40, grade 60, industrial and so forth. The industrial grades are normally compatible with cleaning solutions and solvents. Cheesecloth has the appearance of a mesh weave and varies in thread counts such as 24 x 20 which would be a grade 40, 32 x 28 which would be a grade 60 industrial, and 24 x 20 a light duty grade. Cheesecloth can be purchased washed, bleached or unbleached. It is reusable and washable. Yarns vary but many are made from 100% cotton that is typically lint free. Cheesecloth is even used in the food industry for stuffing foods, straining stocks, canning, and cooking, wrapping food and wine making. Best Use: Wiping, Staining, Straining.
Cotton Blends – Some cotton blends come from recycled sheeting like sheets and pillow cases. They are a mix of cotton and cotton blends. They are a low lint lightweight wiping cloth which is ideal for painting and furniture industries and other various applications requiring a low lint cloth rag. They weigh less than heavier duty rags so you get a lot of wipers per pound at a good price. Best Use: Low Lint Wiping.
Cotton Knits – White cotton knits generally come from recycled T-shirt material. T-shirt material is soft, light weight and has good absorbency. It one of the most popular of cloth rags, and the cloth rag industry considers it the best all purpose rag. Colored T-shirt material is another option. White cotton knit sheets are lint free and also soft and absorbent. They are ideal for applications used in painting and for furniture and cabinet manufacturers. They are great for cleaning small tight areas. Best Use: General Purpose Cleaning & Wiping.
Cotton/Polyester – Cotton/Polyester cloth rags are okay for some polishing and wiping applications. The more cotton the better they absorb. Polyester alone is not that effective. Best Use: Wiping, Polishing.
Cotton Thermal Knits - Cotton thermal knits are usually from cotton thermal blankets. They have a cotton open weave which is very absorbent. The rag is strong, medium to heavy weight and very durable. If you want high absorbency this is a good choice and an alternative to cotton towel rags. They can be white or colored. Best Use: General Purpose Cleaning & Wiping.
Corduroy – Corduroy cloth rags are a soft shop towel used by many oil companies. They are absorbent and inexpensive. The colors are mixed. Best Use: Shop Rag for Wiping Oils & Liquids.
Diaper – Recycled diapers make great dusting rags. They are great for polishing and dusting. They are very absorbent also. Best Use: Dusting, Polishing, General Cleaning.
Flannel – Flannel cloth rags are soft, heavy weight, and absorbent. They are recycled from flannel shirts and pants. The colors come assorted. They are a good size for a shop rag and used by contractors, and industrial facilities to clean and wipe up large spills like oil and other heavy fluids. But do not use flannel if you if you require a low lint cloth rag. Best Use: Shop Rag for Wiping Oils & Liquids.
Microfiber – Microfiber cloths are reusable and launderable (But use regular detergents, not oily self-softening, soap based ones, and don’t use fabric softeners. The oils will clog the fibers and make it less effective). The microfiber material can be 100% polyester or a polyester and polyamide blend. Many also feature antimicrobial protection. They can be used wet or dry, and are lint free. Their electrostatic properties allow them to attract dust easily. The microfiber cleaning cloths are soft and bleach safe. They absorb oils, grease and fats quickly. Microfiber wipes come in different colors to prevent cross contamination. They are ideal for cleaning commercial buildings, institutional facilities, hotels, schools, car dealerships, and household cleaning. The microfiber wipers are light weight but durable and are great for general cleaning, wiping, dusting and polishing. Do not use on sensitive surfaces since they may retain some dirt particles from use; or use a flat, non-rugged, clean microfiber cloth. There are many brands to choose from some of which are: Rubbermaid, Unger SmartColor, and Kimberly Clark’s Wypall Microfiber Cloths with MICROBAN* protection. Best Use: Dusting, Polishing, Wet or Dry General Purpose Cleaning & Wiping.
Ribbed Cotton Terry – 100% Cotton Terry cloth rags are normally recycled white hand towels or wash cloths. They can range from lighter to heavier weights. They are very absorbent and can be rewashed many times. The cotton terry rags will absorb water, oil, and grease easily. Cotton terry material is ideal for all purpose general cleaning and wiping. They are strong, durable and popular for the janitorial, industrial and marine industries. Best Use: Oil, Grease, Water, General Purpose Cleaning & Wiping.
Sweatshirt/Fleece – Sweatshirt material comes in either white or mixed colors and is a blend of mostly cotton and a little polyester. It is an economical heavy duty cloth with good strength and durability. However it only has average absorbency. It will absorb oils and grease but is slower to absorb water based fluids. It will lint somewhat, best use is for dry wiping in industrial tasks. Best Use: Dry Wiping.
Viscose – Viscose cloth rags or towels are soft, reusable, very absorbent, washable (follow manufacturers’ recommendations) and some are biodegradable. They are strong and are a good scrubbing towel. Viscose is made with a wood pulp, some manufacturers use bamboo. The wood pulp is normally treated with different types of chemical baths (such as caustic soda), processes vary. It is actually a main ingredient in the making of rayon. They are used by automotive shops, households, commercial / restaurant kitchens and bathrooms, office cleaning, and others. Best Use: General Purpose Cleaning, Wiping, Scrubbing.
Personally Speaking
I know this is a ton of information but hopefully you read at your leisure and found it very helpful. I prefer the manufactured wipers for cleaning my bathrooms and kitchen. I feel it is more sanitary. I don’t want to be bothered with rewashing cloth rags, although I do use cloth diapers and used terry towels for dusting and washing walls and kitchen cabinets. It is all what you prefer, your budget and your applications. Hope you visit often and let me know if you have any questions!
Have a great day
Maureen
Your SupplyTime Product Expert
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