This Is the Only Cloth I Use for My Glassware (and My Glasses)

Welcome to Clean Enough, a new kind of cleaning column for busy home cooks who have better things to do than scrub and sanitize around the clock. Every other week, neurodivergent writer and mom Emily Farris shares tips, tools, and products that can help you stay on top of the dirtiest spots in the kitchen while also dispelling a few cleaning myths and cutting down on clutter. 

My desire for impeccably spotless glassware started out reasonably enough. My city has fairly hard water so I always kept the dishwasher full of rinse aid. When I had the time, I’d also give clear glasses an extra wipe down with a lint-free kitchen towel before putting them on the shelf.

But my mild intolerance for spots and streaks morphed into a full-blown hyperfixation about a decade ago when I started photographing wine and cocktails. I quickly learned that even when a drinking glass looks perfectly clean to the naked eye, the camera will pick up the slightest imperfection and then magnify it, like, 10 times on the screen. I did my best to get the glasses truly picture-perfect, but I usually had to edit out tiny imperfections after the fact.

Then, in late 2020, I realized I was probably going to spend the rest of my life at my desk, so I ordered a fancy external computer monitor with a high-resolution display. And because I absolutely cannot focus on my work if there’s a fingerprint or smudge on my screen, I started searching for the best screen cleaning cloth available online.

I eventually settled on a six-pack of Mr. Siga Ultra Fine Microfiber Cloths. They didn’t look like typical microfiber—they were woven, not shaggy—and they weren’t specifically marketed as screen cleaners, but reviewers loved them for that purpose and I hoped I would too. Plus, I figured if they weren’t great for my screen, I’d find other uses for them.

Mr. Siga Ultra Fine Microfiber Cloths for Glass, Pack of 6

The best microfiber cloth for glass. 

Well, they were great for polishing my screen, and within a week I was using them for even more: windows, mirrors, and even my eyeglasses. I had finally found the best microfiber cloth for glass.