Having a gun is not just about using the piece; it’s also about maintaining it. We always want to use the best equipment to take care of the tools and equipment we love.
If you are passionate about your firearm, you need to maintain and keep your firearm in the best condition. Guns have different parts, just like any other mechanical tool, and they operate as a whole. If one part does not function, the gun will not work.
Experts believe that the ultimate performance of a firearm depends on how well it is maintained. For your gun to function properly, it has to be cleaned and well-maintained.
The tricky part is knowing what tools to use. There are many tools you need for cleaning a gun, and one of them is gun cleaning wipes or clothes. You can use a piece of your old towel or T-shirt, but it might not be the best choice of cloth to clean your gun.
It is a cheap way to go, and it seems like a good idea, but they will not be as efficient as gun cleaning wipes and clothes. You might get the dirt out, but you will miss some of the nitty-gritty stuff like grime and small dirt particles.
The tricky part is figuring out which cleaning clothes or wipes are the best to use. Here are some of the best gun cleaning wipes and clothes in the market to get you started.
As a gun holder, what do you look for when looking for a gun cleaning cloth/wipe. Is it the material, the price, or the thickness?
As it happens, all these are factors matter when selecting a gun cleaning cloth/wipe. There are plenty of cleaning clothes and wipes on the market, and it is not easy to figure out which one is the most ideal for your type of gun.
Top Pick
Hoppe’s No. 9 Silicone Gun and Reel Cloth
- Protection from corrosive acids
- Polishes and coats with a protective finish
- Pre-treated with silicone lubricant
Hoppe’s No. 9 silicone gun and reel cloth is a gun cleaning cloth imbued with a silicone lubricant that polishes, cleans, and coats the surface of the equipment being cleaned.
Gun Cleaning Wipes/Clothes Comparison Сhart
Image | Product | Price |
---|---|---|
Hoppe's No. 9 Silicone Gun and Reel Cloth Material: Cotton Sizes: 11" x 14" (27.94 x 35.56 cm) Quantity: 1 | ||
Otis Technology Microfiber Gun Cloth Material: Microfiber Sizes: 12" x 8" (30.48 x 20.32 cm) Quantity: 3 | ||
Boosteady Professional Square Gun Cleaning Patches Material: lint-free Sizes: varied (choose your size) Quantity: 1000 | ||
The Professional's Choice Pistol/Rifle Cotton Gun Cleaning Patches Material: Cotton Sizes: 3¼" dia. (8.26 cm dia.) Quantity: 400 | ||
Hoppe's No. 9 Gun Cleaning Patch, .270-.35 Caliber Material: It's not lint-free Sizes: .270-.35 caliber Quantity: 650 |
5 Best Gun Cleaning Wipes/Clothes (as of October, 2024):
1. Hoppe’s No. 9 Silicone Gun and Reel Cloth Gun Cleaning Wipes/Clothes – Review
Passionate gun users and gun collectors know that the maintaining of firearms can be tiresome and time-consuming if you have to clean more than one gun. You have to disassemble the firearms, clean them, lube them and then reassemble them for storage.
You need products that can help ease the process while being efficient. One of these products is Hoppe’s no.9 silicone gun and reel cloth cleaning wipe.
Hoppe’s No. 9 silicone gun and reel cloth is a gun cleaning cloth imbued with a silicone lubricant that polishes, cleans, and coats the surface of the equipment being cleaned.
The cloth is multipurpose. You can use it for cleaning a wide variety of equipment, including fishing rods, tools, and knives, just to name a few. You can also use it as a storing cloth due to its pretreatment of silicone, which keeps your gun or equipment moisture-free.
In summary, it is an efficient cleaning cloth that removes grease and fingerprints while leaving a nice glossy layer of silicone lube on your gun.
Pros:
- Versatile and efficient
- Impregnated with silicone lubricant
- Used for cleaning and storing your firearm
- Easy to use
- Reusable
- Covers the gun or equipment with a protective finish
- Comes in a resealable bag
- It does not expire and its scratch-free
Cons:
- It is not lint-free
2. Otis Technology Microfiber Gun Cloth Gun Cleaning Wipes/Clothes – Review
Otis technology microfiber gun cloth is a non-abrasive material cloth used for cleaning guns, tools, knives, optics, and almost every surface. They are uniformly woven, and they do not produce lint.
They come in a size of 12 by 8 inches, and each park contains three cloth pieces, and each piece is washable and reusable. The cloth is well embroidered on the edges; this ensures no flaking even when tossed with other clothes in the washing machine.
They are thick but flexible enough to use on optics, which are usually cleaned using a soft microfiber cloth.
Pros:
- Reusable and lint-free
- Versatile
- It does not scratch your firearm/equipment
- Easy to use
- Extremely absorbent
Cons:
- Due to its thickness, it can be challenging to use in tight places
3. Boosteady Professional Square Gun Cleaning Patches Gun Cleaning Wipes/Clothes – Review
Boosteady Professional square gun cleaning patches are made with a durable, soft, and thick material that’s uniformly woven. In other words, the threads are closely intertwined to ensures that no lint is left behind after usage.
They come in a carbon box containing 1000 precut cleaning patches, and they are great for cleaning rifles.
All in all, these patches have superior structural quality. They are great for removing fouling, grime, and leftover lubricant. So if you need a more efficient gun cleaning patch, this is a great alternative.
Pros:
- Highly durable
- Highly absorbent
- Lint-free
- Come precut
- Provide excellent cleaning
- Reasonably priced
- Come in a pack of 1000 pieces
Cons:
- The patches are not thick enough; you might need to use several patches
4. The Professional’s Choice Pistol/Rifle Cotton Gun Cleaning Patches – Review
The Professional’s Choice Pistol/Rifle cotton gun cleaning patches are highly absorbent and do not fall apart easily while being used. Most cotton gun cleaning patches are made of thin regular cotton, and just like a normal cotton shirt, they fray at the ends after extended use, and they are not highly absorbent.
This is not the case with these gun cleaning patches, as they are highly efficient and durable. The patches are 100% cotton flannel, and they are beefier than many other cotton patches. Therefore, they pick up more dirt, debris, and powder residue since they can soak up more gun cleaning solvent or oil.
These patches can also be used to coat oil and apply solvents to your firearm, and since they are super absorbent, you don’t have to deal with the mess of dripping oils and solvents.
Pros:
- Highly absorbent
- Thick and durable
- Stretchable
- Scratch-free
- Highly efficient and economical
- Reasonably priced
Cons:
- Not ideal to use with cleaning jags
- It’s not lint-free
5. Hoppe’s No. 9 Gun Cleaning Patch, .270-.35 Caliber (650 Pack) – Review
These Hoppe’s No. 9 gun cleaning patches are thick and highly absorbent. They come precut into square shapes, so there is no need to cut them into usable sizes.
If you have rifles, these would be the ideal cleaning patches as they are pretty thick and can hold plenty of gun cleaning solvent or oil. They are also suitable for cleaning pistols and shotguns.
The only downside to these patches is that they are not lint-free, but this is a great gun cleaning patch for your firearms if you are comfortable with lint. They are 650 pieces in a pack, which makes them highly economical. Plus, they are super affordable.
Pros:
- Thick and durable
- Highly absorbent
- Ideal for cleaning shotguns, rifles, and pistols
- Highly economical
- Come in a pack of 650 pieces
- Ideal for deep cleaning
- Budget-friendly
Cons:
- It’s not lint-free
Buyers Guide
Here are several factors to consider when looking for gun cleaning clothes or wipes to make this less challenging.
Materials
When choosing gun cleaning clothes or wipes, you need to consider the material it’s made from. Most of them are made of cotton or microfiber. When you compare these two materials, you might notice some key differences.
Cotton gun cleaning wipes/clothes are highly absorbent and thick; therefore, they do an excellent job removing powder fouling and dirt from your firearm. They are also easy to use and highly durable.
Microfiber gun cleaning wipes/clothes are more versatile and durable than their cotton counterparts. But they are also more expensive and less absorbent than cotton wipes/clothes, and they don’t do an excellent job at removing excess oils or even fingerprints.
In light of this, choosing which one works for you depends entirely on you.
Thickness
Good quality cleaning patches should be thick and sturdy. They should be able to remove fouling, grime, and dirt with ease. But not all cleaning wipes/clothes are the same. Some cheaper options are of poor quality. They are thin, and that should tell you two things: they cannot absorb gun cleaning solvents and oils well, and they cannot do a good job at removing fouling.
For these reasons, stay away from cheap patches. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the quality of the patches if they come as part of a kit. The best way to avoid poor quality patches is to avoid cheap gun cleaning kits.
The caliber of your firearm
Believe it or not, but there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to gun cleaning wipes/clothes. It would be best if you bought wipe/clothes that can snugly fit the barrel of your gun to remove all the dirt and fouling.
If the cleaning patch or cloth is too thick, even if you use a cleaning jag, you are going to find it a challenge pushing it through your barrel if the barrel of your gun is too small. You will also have a problem cleaning hard-to-reach places because the patch is too beefy.
If the patch is too small and thin, you will find it challenging to clean your gun, particularly if it has a large barrel. The best solution is to buy gun cleaning wipes/clothes specifically designed for your firearm’s caliber.
Generally, gun cleaning wipes/clothes are not expensive, but of course, some cost more than others. Cleaning patches or clothes that are expensive tend to be of supreme quality. However, they are some that are not too expensive, and they are just as good.
It all depends on what you can afford and the caliber of your firearm. Cleaning patches for rifles or other large, high-powered guns are more expensive than those designed for small weapons like pistols.
It would be best to avoid cheap gun cleaning patches/clothes as they will not do an excellent job at cleaning your gun properly. Also, consider buying packs that contain many gun cleaning patches/wipes as it would be more economical and cost-efficient.
Conclusion
It should not come as a surprise that many gun owners use old t-shirts or other pieces of cloth to clean their guns. While there is nothing wrong with this, these types of clothes are not designed for cleaning guns and therefore will not do an excellent job at all.
Gun cleaning wipes/clothes are not expensive, and to properly clean and maintain your firearm, you must use the appropriate cleaning materials. Use the guide we have provided to help you find the right cleaning wipes/clothes for your guns, and don’t be afraid to spend a little money. Not cleaning your firearm thoroughly or adequately can cause you a lot of problems.