Long time readers will know that when it comes to cleaning products I love to keep things simple, avoid toxic chemicals, and save money. It's for those reasons that I end up making most of my cleaning products.
Well, now I've found some tools that meet all my requirements and save me some of the time it takes to make my own cleaning products. Norwex cleaning cloths are amazing!
Norwex is a company committed to preserving quality of life while reducing chemical exposure in the home and on the body. They produce high quality microfiber cloths and a few other helpful cleaning items, too. Some things I've learned about Norwex cloths:
- Most Norwex cloths have silver in them. The super-fine microfibers pick up all the dirt and bacteria and then the bacteria cannot live in a silver environment. It dies inside the cloth. Also, the microfiber dries really quickly to prevent any bacteria growth inside the cloth.
- The silver is added to the micro-fiber while both the silver and the microfiber are in a liquid state. Unlike nano-silver, it will never wash out. As long as the cloth lasts, the silver will be killing bacteria, too.
- Microfiber cloths that you can buy at Target or Walmart are made of fibers that are as thick as a human hair cut 6-8 time lengthwise. Tiny right? Well, Norwex microfibers are as thick as a human hair cut over 100 times lengthwise. This means that the Norwex cloth is much more "grabby" and will pick up a lot more than a regular micro-fiber cloth.
Here's a video showing how the Enviro Cloth cleaned up raw chicken juice and left no proteins behind:
The Enviro Cloth is the basic cleaning cloth. So far I have used it to clean nearly every surface in my home and car. It leaves zero residue behind and even easily cleaned up sticky messes and a spot on my counter top which Miles marked with a Sharpie!
I used it side by side with a micro-fiber cloth I picked up at Target. The Target cloth basically pushed dirt and hair around. It was really gross. But the Norwex cloth picked dirt and hair up. It actually cleaned my surfaces rather than just smearing stuff around on my surfaces. My counter tops are squeaky clean and it made my stainless steel refrigerator sparkle! It is now my favorite tool ever for basic cleaning. Talk about keeping things simple--this one little cloth can pretty much clean my whole house!
Window Cloth
The Window Cloth is thinner and smoother in texture than the Enviro Cloth. I think of it more as a polishing cloth. I've used it after using the Enviro Cloth to polish my windows, computer monitor, mirrors, and glass stove top. It is so fast and easy and the results are incredible. No lint, no residue, no streaks. Just clean, shiny surfaces. Love!
Check out this video on how this lady used the Enviro Cloth and the Window Cloth to clean a window that was smeared with butter:
The Body Cloth is what surprised me the most. It's much softer than the Enviro Cloth, and basically, I can remove makeup, clean my skin, and gently exfoliate all with just water. Washing my face at night is something I've always hated because I don't know how in the world to wash my face without water running all down my elbows and completely soaking my shirt and sleeves. So I fell into the bad habit of only washing my face in the shower in the morning. But with the Norwex Body Cloth I just get the cloth went, wipe away all the makeup and gently clean my skin. I've noticed that my skin is softer and the embarrassing blackheads around my nose are gone. When I'm done I just rinse out the cloth and hang it to dry. It's all ready for me to use the next night.
Another awesome thing is the healing properties of silver. Noah suffers from extreme eczema and one night after a bath I had him hold the damp body cloth on a really bad patch on his leg for about half an hour. The next morning there was noticeable improvement. For me, I noticed one night that a zit was growing under my skin, you know how you can feel a little hard spot and it kind of hurts? Well, I washed my face with my Norwex cloth and the next morning that hard spot was gone and the little zit never came to the surface.
How to care for Norwex Cloths
After I use my Norwex cloths I simply rinse them in warm water with a tiny bit of dish soap. You'll want to make sure your dish soap is free of any perfumes or fillers that could clog up the microfiber. Then I hang them to dry for re-use. After several uses (or if I've cleaned up something really gross like raw chicken juice) I'll just toss them in the washer. Just like with the dish soap, you'll want to use laundry soap that is perfume and filler free, too. Also, you don't want to wash your Norwex cloths with a load of towels or other linty items. It's important for them to stay lint free.
Norwex has its own laundry soap which I've been trying out. I noticed that it really does get the Norwex cloths cleaner than my own laundry detergent but I can't say that I've noticed a difference with how it cleans clothing vs. my regular detergent. However, it did get out a HUGE grape juice spill on one one of my couch slipcovers and I'm not sure my regular detergent could have done that.
Kid Friendly
Norwex meets all my criteria for simplicity, chemical free, and money saving (which I'll talk about in a little bit) but what I also really love about these cloths is that I can feel totally comfortable handing a Norwex cloth to even two year old Miles and telling him to go at it. I don't have to worry that he'll try to lick the Windex bottle or even that he'll spill anything and make a bigger mess!
Where to Buy
Norwex is a multi-level company so you have to purchase through independent consultants. Unfortunately, they are not available in stores. You can, however, purchase them through consultants online. Seeing the initial prices of these cloths may induce some sticker shock. The Enviro Cloth is $15.99. But when you remember that you won't have to purchase cleaning products and that the cloths can be used over and over and over you can see how they save you money in the long run. All Norwex products come with a 60 day money back guarantee and have a two year warranty. While doing some research I read that the life expectancy of a Norwex cloth is 7-8 years.
Norwex seems to have one of the most generous sets of rewards for hosting a party, too.
Here's a link to a Norwex consultant that I "met" through blogging.
Suzanne Holt.
And here's a link to a Norwex consultant who lives in my area in case any of my local friends would like to host a party or support a local business.
Arlene Pierce.
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