A crocus cloth is a soft piece of cloth that contains a layer of sandpaper on the surface. The sandpaper is made of natural minerals. The cloth makes this type of sandpaper very flexible in contrast to other types of sandpaper. Various grits exist for crocus cloth: fine, course and medium. Like other types of sandpaper, crocus cloth can be found in both sheets and rolls, ensuring that the right cloth is utilized for projects.

Crocus cloth is flexible in terms of use. It can be used by hand or attached to a sanding machine for larger projects. Crocus cloth is made to prevent damage to sensitive materials and surfaces, which is why it is used in industry to shape metal such as jewelry in addition to being used in the shaping and polishing of plastics. It can be purchased in hardware retail outlets for the average layperson, but crocus cloth is also found in jewelry shops, industrial metal machine factories and automotive shops to be used by the workers in these fields.

One process in which a crocus cloth is often used is metal cleaning. After the metal has been treated with aluminum oxide, the crocus cloth is used to smooth and polishing the surface of the metal. The cloth can do this because of the fine grains in the cloth. These fine grains also make it possible for the crocus cloth to bring out a deep shine in metals. A crocus cloth also can be used to repair scratches in surfaces by buffing them out.

Its polishing properties are why crocus cloth is the material of choice for use on precious stones such as gems. Using conventional sandpaper might pose a problem when working with surfaces that are contoured or hard to reach. Crocus cloth easily solves this dilemma by reaching these surfaces because of its flexible nature.

Depending on factors such as the thickness of the cloth used, crocus cloth can be extremely durable. Of course, this also depends on the type of project in which the crocus cloth is being used. If it is a tougher project, the crocus cloth might break down quicker than usual because of the intensity of its usage.