I don't have an answer because I have had the same experience as Teresa. I find the microfibers I have used to be just as linty and streaky as anything else. I too have wondered if I purchased the wrong thing. Mine were from BBB as well.

Totally Confused

I've tried 3 different brands and my favorite is the one I bought at my supermarket - it's by 3M and it's a very tight weave. If my counters or cooktop have splattered cooking oil or spilled juice I wash them first with a little dish soap and then wipe dry with the microfiber. Other posters have recommended that you wash them separately - not with towels because they will pick up lint from the towels. And I hang them up to dry.

I got mine from the auto section in target. It was a pack of 10, some whiteand some gray. They work great. When you get the streaks are you following the wet cloth with a dry one? That's what I do.

I'll echo what mcmann said about washing them separately. They are real magnets for lint, which makes them so useful, but they will keep on absorbing lint in the washer and dryer and so, over time, lose their effectiveness. There is a brand called Trade Craft sold in larger packs at Costco (the pack here is a mix of white ones and light blue ones, if that matters to you). The Christmas Tree shop in our area also sells them individually as kitchen towels in many colors, and they're only a dollar apiece. I've tried those too, and they are pretty good.

also make sure you don't wash with fabric softener!

AHHHH fabric softener..... I thought about that after I posted yesterday. I am religious with not using fabric softener on all my workout clothes which are wicking fabrics but not the microfiber cloths AND I do wash them with towels. I think that must be the problem....

I also do not follow with a dry cloth. Thanks for the tip on that.

So, my next question is whether the ones I have are ruined and I need to buy new ones or if a couple times through the washer will take out the fabric softener and lint to allow them to "work" again.

Thanks to everyone for your responses!
Teresa

I, use a wet one, with 50%/rubbing alcohol/50% water. and than ripe with a dry one.I, do not think any wet cloth, will be streak free. My granite, look's wonderful after. I, bought my cloth's at costco. sharaz

I get mine at Sam's 25 pack for $10.00...use them for everything. I usually spray my stainless steel and granite with Sprayway Glass Cleaner..(no ammonia) and dry with a microfiber cloth or spray directly on the cloth and flip over to dry/buff. No streaking and no greasy film from SS/cleaners it always looks great. Also I never use fabric softner or sheets on them.

Ditto what Shar-AZ wrote. Same cleaner, same method, same Costco cloths ... same great look.

I would launder them by themselves a few times, warm water but using no soap, just a cup of vinegar each time to start dissolving the retained fabric softener. Run through the dryer each time to tumble out some of the lint. It might take four or five cycles (softener is hard stuff to get rid of!), but then I think you'd see better performance.

I don't know if the type of microfibre matters - mine are from the dollar store, lol.

Basically what I do is use a wet/soapy dishcloth (esp. soapy if there is actual dirt or oil, rather than just smudges). Wipe the area down, then follow with a dry microfibre cloth and use it to dry/polish. If it dries before you get to it, just use the wet cloth again.

I wash mine with sheets/towels, but I use vinegar instead of fabric softener and I hang them to dry (to avoid dryer sheet residue).

At this point, maybe I should just splurge on some new ones and start over making sure to wash them separately.

Thanks everyone for your help. Let's hope it is really the cloth and not just operator error:-)

FWIW, I bought mine at a trade show of some sort. I had this conversation with the guy that sold them:
"You don't even have to put them in the dryer!"
"But I will put them in the dryer"
"But you don't even have to"
"But I will
"DON'T put them in the dryer"
"Ever?"
"Ever."
Of course they did manage to end up in the dryer and never worked as well again! Maybe they're somehow different than the other brands...

Once you get lint on your microfiber cloths from other clothing from the washer or dryer, it will be difficult to get it out...I recommend starting from scratch with new ones. From the get-go, wash them separately and do not use fabric softeners or dryer sheets.

When cleaning your counters with clean microfiber cloths (i.e., no soap or detergent), wet vs dry is not as important as how you wipe down your counters...dry in a circular motion until the counter dries enough so you do not see streaks. Even if your cloth is wet, this will do the trick...it's what I do. By the time I get to the third or so section of counter, my cloth is usually pretty wet, but it works just as well as when it was dry...it just may take a few more circles to dry the counter. I have polished black counters and streaks are very obvious and I have found I get the best results with this.

[Generally though, I just wipe my counters down w/a soapy dish cloth and let them dry. Yes, I'll see some streaks, but they don't bother me...as long as I know they're clean. However, I sometimes want them to look "perfect"...when we have company or just b/c I feel like it. In these cases, I follow up the soapy dishcloth with Method granite cleaner/polish and wipe dry as I described above.]

[Note: this applies only to counters, not stainless steel. For best results, stainless steel surfaces need to be cleaned by wiping with the "grain"...not against and not in circles.]