The truth behind industrial cleaning cloths

HYGIENE AND cleanliness in manufacturing environments is often under-prioritised compared to food production or healthcare facilities. Often overlooked for cleaning needs, industrial workplaces come at the bottom of the lifecycle with hand-me-down or second-hand equipment such as reused microfibre cloths or laundered rags. 

With the rise in awareness around cross contamination and staff wellness as a happy consequence of improvements to training and developments, plus cost spikes and economic pressures, it is time to look more closely at how to keep industrial sites hygienic and fit for purpose as efficient workplaces.

Maintaining cleanliness in manufacturing plants is critical, not only to product integrity and equipment longevity but also to employee well-being, with the potential of impacted morale (tidy workspace: tidy mind) and the risk of sickness increase due to the spread of germs across spaces. Despite this, many facilities still rely on reused cloths or laundered rags, assuming these tools are clean and cost-effective.

However, a recent study by Kimberly-Clark Professional reveals that even freshly laundered cloths can harbour "too numerous to count" levels of bacteria and mould. Such findings prompt facility managers to reconsider what “clean” really means when it comes to industrial wiping solutions.

Many industrial workplaces turn to rags for their perceived cost efficiencies and sustainability in that they are giving a second life to cloth. But this approach overlooks key drawbacks. Rags are inconsistent in size, shape, and absorbency, and hidden costs like laundering, quickly add up. Even more concerning, dirty or worn rags can contain embedded contaminants, increasing the risk of cross-contamination and equipment damage.

Five reasons to switch to purpose-built wipes 

Kimberly-Clark Professional’s WypAll wipes are designed to address these limitations. WypAll Wipes are more hygienic as they are dispensed as single sheet, which reduces risks of cross-contamination and designed to be safe for surfaces, workplace and users.

Here are five key reasons from Kimberly-Clark for replacing reusable rags with purpose-engineered wipes, to help boost safety, efficiency, and overall workplace hygiene:

1. Superior Absorbency: WypAll wipes are engineered to outperform most cotton rags in both oil and water absorption. Their standardised size ensures effective cleaning, even in hard-to-reach spaces, while minimising lint left behind. 
2. Greater Consistency, inspiring confidence: Unlike bags of mismatched rags, wipes deliver the same size, strength, and absorbency every time; no more digging for a “good” rag.
3. Reduced Waste: As a consequence of consistency and absorbency, wipes result in reduced waste, where spoiled rags are heavy, accounting for approximately 10 times the cost in disposal.
4. Lower Maintenance Demands, saving time: Rags require time-consuming collection, laundering, and distribution. Disposable wipes are ready to use, saving valuable time and resources.
5. Space: One WypAll Brag Box of wipes is equivalent to 2x 10kg bag of rags (on average) in terms of absorbency. Stock space saving, ease of manoeuvrability and cost savings from reduced shelf space are key benefits for customers 

As industrial hygiene standards continue to rise, it’s time to rethink the tools we trust for critical cleaning. Purpose-designed wipes can help ensure cleaner, safer, and more efficient workplaces, including industrial settings which have been overlooked in regard to how cleanliness impacts on hygiene, safety and productivity.  

Transformed WypAll wipes deliver next level performance

Responding to the industry demand for improved workplace hygiene, Kimberly-Clark Professional has enhanced its WypAll product range in 2025 as part of its continual commitment to improving and advancing wipe technology and has introduced two industrial cleaning cloths with more absorbency and durability. 

Using material Kimberly-Clark’s science expertise and responding to consumer insights, the WypAll X70 Medium Duty Cleaning Cloths and WypAll X80 Heavy Duty Cleaning Cloths feature a new precision-engineered surface texture to improve wiping performance and value for industrial and manufacturing environments.

Both cleaning cloths offer enhanced absorbency and a nearly 10% larger-sized sheet in the popular Jumbo Roll and Pop-Up Box package formats, making them even better for soaking up spills to help reduce downtime for customers. 

The WypAll X70 Medium Duty Cleaning Cloths feature a new performance-engineered construction, ideal for use with solvents, that absorbs up to 20% more oil and water than before. The improved WypAll X70 is shown to be preferred by users more than the previous version for oil and grease cleaning performance.

Kimberly-Clark has also improved the WypAll X80 Heavy Duty Cleaning Cloths by adding a tough new surface texture for a durable and stronger feel and are also proven to be liked by users better than its predecessor.

Industrial and manufacturing customers can now benefit from even higher quality wiping solutions, giving them more confidence to undertake their business-critical cleaning tasks.

Catherine Grinstead is UKI customer marketing manager at Kimberly-Clark Professional

For more information: 

www.kcprofessional.com

Tel: 0800 917 9908