I know this sounds cheap and trivial (it probably is), but I’ve been using microfibre cloths for years and have always managed to wash and reuse them a few times before they become ineffective.
Recently however they seem to clean very poorly and once washed never give a decent shine.
I wash all our cars weekly and use microfibres to buff them off, I also polish the toys before each outing so I get through about a dozen cloths per week. They’re washed about once per month (no conditioner)
thoughts welcomed but please dont tell me I’m just tight and should just buy new cloths every week
Microfibre cloths vary hugely (and so does the cost) so I think it’s difficult to comment on whether your experience is reasonable or not. However, I watched this a long time ago to ensure I was caring for them properly and found it helpful: HOW TO WASH MICROFIBER TOWELS PROPERLY !! EASY !! - YouTube
Good video. It echoed what I was told, emphasised, years ago by a trader selling mf cloths etc at one of the Nationals.
We cannot use any of the usual liquid detergents/tabs (or fabric conditioners) because (last time I looked with big magnifier in supermarket) they all contain Methylisothiazolinone which brings up a big red rash on all of us in the family, even after double rinsing the clothing. No such problem with a dry powder.
Accordingly, when washing a batch of mf cloths I dissolve the right amount of powder in a small pouring jug, with an occasional stir, and wait until no sediment, and then pour this solution into the soap dispenser on the washing machine as usual.