I use wasted (but not used) surgical sponges.
Do surgical sponges have an advantage over typical microfiber cloths or chamois? More absorptive, or more gentle?
The idea of something gentle enough to be medical dressing is very appealing. I baby my blades, and don't want scratches, or dulled edges. But I don't want to spend extra if if it has no advantage.
If
this Wikipedia article is correct, I guess they are the same thing as a "gauze sponge". AFAICT, they are not made of any specific material, though many are cotton or coated cotton. But
gauze seems to be a "stabilized" fabric weave, which means the fiber structure is stabilized, maybe with a little extra space between the fibers - does the stabilization make it more absorptive?
I assume you do
not mean gauze sponges that are impregnated with a medically useful material, such as zinc oxide and calamine? I assume since zinc oxide, under some (basic) conditions, is an oxidizer, it would not necessarily be good for steel blades, though I'm not sure even relatively hard water is basic enough to activate its oxidizing properties. (Possibly unless we are talking about an outdoor pond or lake, in which case being gentle on blades may be a lost cause.)
AFAICT, cotton gauzes primarily absorb water, whereas
Microfiber absorbs water and dirt (e.g., oil). Sometimes dirts and oils get onto the ice surface (tracked in from outside, or from the Zamboni), so I think a mild cleaning, from the microfiber, could only be good, as long as it doesn't scratch the blade or dull the edge. Except - I often use a separate oil cloth after drying, to keep out moisture.
I assume in neither case would you want to leave the drying cloth in contact with the blade during storage, because the water is still there?
I confess I sometimes just use paper towels from the rest room, then throw them away. That's probably a terrible idea - potentially more abrasive than any of these ideas. But then I don't have to carry anything.