Separate fibre, fabric and finished cloth
A useful specification has three levels. Fibre describes the material and its fineness. Fabric describes how the yarn becomes a textile, including construction and surface texture. The finished cloth adds dimensions, edges, colour, finishing and packaging. Two products described as microfiber may differ at every other level.
Polyester/polyamide percentages do not state fibre fineness or prove that splitting has been completed. Ask the supplier to identify those properties separately. If a technical definition or a measured fibre size is needed for a retailer specification, request the unit, measurement method and supporting document rather than relying on a marketing label.
What does split fibre tell a buyer?
Splitting separates components of a suitable fibre structure into finer elements. The relevant sourcing question is whether that process applies to the selected fabric and how the supplier checks it. A general factory capability is not a test result for every cloth in a catalogue.
Ask whether the proposed item uses a split construction, what supporting production information or examination is available, and whether the approved sample represents the production fabric. Do not use a diagram of hooks or a statement about static attraction as proof of stain removal, absorbency or hygiene performance.
Read actual catalogue examples
SM21001 is listed as a weft-knitted grid cloth, 80% polyester / 20% polyamide, 300 GSM and 30 × 30 cm. SM21005 is a waffle towel with the same published blend, GSM and dimensions. These examples show why composition and weight do not fully describe the construction.
The SM21 directory also contains other material families. SM21063 is a needle-punched roll listed as 70% viscose / 30% polyester; it should not be described as a 70/30 polyester/polyamide microfiber cloth. Quote the item code and full material names together.
Check the task before accepting a claim
For glass, compare visible residue, streaks and handling under the same lighting and wiping routine. For a general kitchen surface, specify the soil, cleaner and wet or dry use. For vehicle finishes, approve surface compatibility separately; microfiber is not a universal scratch-free guarantee.
A water-only cleaning claim needs a defined surface, soil, water condition and acceptance rule. An acceptable wipe on one surface does not establish disinfection, food-contact suitability or the same result on every coating. Keep those claims outside the order unless the supporting evidence covers them.
Questions to put into the enquiry
Request the item code, full fibre composition, fabric construction, finished dimensions, GSM where applicable, edge specification and intended use. Add the splitting verification question and ask which values will appear on the sample label and final quotation.
Keep an approved reference sample and the specification revision with the order. If a later delivery behaves differently, compare it with that reference using the same routine. This gives both buyer and supplier a defined product to discuss instead of competing descriptions of what premium microfiber should mean.
A practical glass-cloth enquiry
Suppose the brief is a retail cloth for mirrors, used damp and then dry. Start with SM21033 as a catalogue reference and request a second candidate with the same dimensions and declared composition. Ask the supplier to state the fabric construction, whether a split-fibre claim applies, the care instructions and how the sample relates to production. This is an example brief, not a test result for that code.
Approve a defined wiping finish and residue check on your actual mirror surface. Keep that approval separate from questions about yarn structure. A cloth passing the wiping check answers the application question; supporting fibre information answers the specification question. One does not replace the other.
Copy these fields into your enquiry or approval record
Please quote a cloth for [surface and soil], using [item code] as a reference. Confirm full composition, construction, size, GSM, edge, split-fibre claim and its supporting information, care instructions, pack, quantity and destination market.
Catalogue references and scope
The item specifications cited in this guide come from the linked SINOCLEAN catalogue entries. They identify the proposed products; they are not independent performance results. Sample routines and calculation examples are buyer guidance, not reports of completed factory or laboratory tests. Confirm the final specification and supporting evidence with the quotation.
- SM21001 — Weft-knitted grid cloth
- SM21005 — Waffle Towel
- SM21063 — Needle-punched cloth roll
- SM21033 — Glass cloth
Related reading: 80/20 or 90/10 microfiber: which blend should a buyer specify? and Which microfiber construction should I choose for glass, wiping or drying?.