Norwex cleaning

I'm sure from this entry one would think I am profiting from my blatant promotion of Norwex cleaning products. And although my good friend is our local rep, I in no way receive anything as a result of sharing about this new, wonderful product I have discovered.

I have spent years trying to find good, clean, environmentally-friendly, non-toxic ways of cleaning my home.

I first jumped on the band-wagon of "environmentally clean." Everyone knows we need to protect the environment, right? So the thought of dumping all those toxic cleaners down my drains wasn't a thought I wanted to entertain. My next trip to the store involved picking up cleaners that advertised as being "eco-friendly" or "green." On closer reading of the bottles, however, I discovered that most were still toxic.

Once my oldest child started crawling, I started thinking of all the things he was touching that had been "cleaned" with toxic cleaners. Suddenly, no matter how much I wiped up afterward, I kept imagining Colin's little fingers coming in contact with a toxin, then finding their way to his mouth.

Out went the green cleaners, and in came the natural cleaners. I stocked up on lemon juice and vinegar and baking soda. I bought spray bottles and had a veritable science lab in my kitchen as I mixed up various cleaning potions for various uses. For several years this is how I cleaned my home. But the smell of vinegar floors or mouldy lemon mixtures made me wish there was an easier way.

This past fall, I finally found it. Norwex is a cleaning company originally started in Norway. Their products clean with antibacterial microfiber. The basic science behind it is this: a microfiber cloth picks up bacteria and viruses from the surfaces, and then an antibacterial silver-based agent (embedded in the cloth) destroys those bacteria and viruses it picks up. Basically, silver is a poison for bacteria and viruses, so once the two come in contact, the germs are killed. After a couple of hours, all the bacteria picked up in the cloth is dead. A test of the cloth would show it completely clean. And so: voila! No more need for any cleaners at all!

I originally purchased a cleaning cloth, a polishing cloth (for windows and mirrors), a dusting mitt, and a face cloth.

Cleaning items: there are two major advantages I have found. #1: the fact that I don't have to buy/mix any more cleaners, and there is nothing toxic in it at all. #2: the ease of it! Somehow I had this mental block to cleaning when I had to get out gloves and cleaner and cloths, then wash and rinse and dry the bathroom, kitchen, etc. More often then not, things got a quick wipe with a wet cloth (or piece of toilet paper!) to give the appearance of being clean. Now, when I grab my wet Norwex cloth and give it a quick wipe, it's actually getting clean as well!

Face cloth: this is a most amazing product. Since I started using the face cloth, I have not needed to use cleanser, exfoliant, toner or make-up remover. This cloth wipes the make up away and cleans the bacteria and dirt from my face. Most amazingly, I have had 100% clear and smoother skin. I know I sound like a TV commercial, but I can't help it. The stuff is amazing!

And so I have a catalogue on my table, with various highlighted items throughout that are on my wish list. The initial cost is expensive - enough to have made me gulp when I first flipped through the different items. But now that I've started using these products that make such a wonderful use of nanotechnology (that's what using the silver in the cloth is called), I'm a complete convert. It will be interesting to see how this kind of product takes off in the future, as more and more people are introduced to this new way of cleaning!