I am looking for a new cleaning cloth for my daughters flutes. The one came with one but I don't think just 1 will do for 2 flutes especially if I play with her. I need another rod but I had a question about what type of cloth to use? Can it be cotton or what should it be to clean out the inside of the flute. I know the craft stores sell small squares of the cotton fabric, can I use that or does it have to be a special kind of cloth.
Thank you

i use cotton for my clarinet.

Microfibre cloths would be fine too.

As far as I have understood from more experienced players you should avoid any cloths with silver cleaning chemicals for the daily use, and you would of course like a cloth that does not scratch the flute.

There is a difference in poly-cotton to pure cotton, is the poly cotton bad for the flute? Just wondering since I am almost sure they are not pure cotton but poly cotton at the craft store and was wondering if that would scratch the flute or what it would do if it was poly cotton?

most people say just a lint free cloth, i use a yellow duster cloth to polish the outside and a kind of silky cloth for the inside but any kind of cotton cloth should do it as long ad it absorbs the moisture and doesn't leave fibres and lint inside the flute(so ensure the edges are overlocked, looks like a zigzag across the edges like the inside seams of clothes)
but there is no reason for another cleaning rod as you can share that surely. but if you do need one the are pretty readily available for a couple dollars.

To clean the condensed moisture out of the inside of the headjoint, I use a small silk cloth.

Perhaps a fabric store would have a 10" square or so, for free or cheap, or Goodwill might have a scarf for a dollar or so.

To get ALL the moisture out, stuff some of your rag into the headjoint, without using the threaded eye of the cleaning rod. I stuff just enough so that I can essentially pack the top of the headjoint full of scarf- but the whole scarf/cleaning rod will still turn around inside. The idea is to pack/stuff enough cloth in so that the whole end of the headjoint is filled with cloth, and no wet spots will be missed as you push slightly (to get it snug against the very end of the flute) and turn.

I prefer silk because it picks up moisture instead of pushing it around.

Moisture inside a brass instrument (trumpet, french horn, etc) is spit, but the moisture inside a flute is not spit but condensation. (Unless you are learning to flutter-tongue!)

I use a Selvyt cloth for the outside of mine, and the cotton cloth that came with the flute for the inside,,it do's the job..