Norwex Changes the Game/Ain't Nobody Got Time for Chemicals

I come from an illustrious line of neat freaks. My maternal grandmother and my father (both Virgos, curiously) instilled in me meticulous techniques for cleaning, a neurotic appreciation for routine, and an unbridled passion for cleaning products. Having allergies and sensitive skin make this kind of cleaning compulsion very beneficial for my quality of life, so it's just as well that I embarked on this journey through the filthy, disgusting world with some proper training.

There's always a monkey wrench though, isn't there. When my dermatologist advised me years ago to avoid ANY kind of fragranced product touching my skin, I promptly switched to Dove Sensitive Skin soap, started spraying my perfume on my hair/clothes, and started using fragrance-free laundry detergent. With excellent results. However, it's easy to forget that pretty much any kind of product that isn't a solid object generally has some kind of added fragrance or unnecessary chemicals. I'm talking everything from Pledge to 409 to Lysol to Comet... everything smells like SOMETHING and half the time burns your eyes pretty bad when you use it. There are a lot of new products coming out that are "green" or "enviro-friendly"... which is great, but they tend to be pricier, and aren't solving the problem of not wanting to coat surfaces with any potential cleaner-remnants.

Several months ago, my lovely sister-in-law and fellow sensitive skin victim Rebecca Roeper got turned on to this Norwegian company called Norwex, that makes antibacterial microfiber cloths fabled to completely replace every single cleaning product one could have in their arsenal. She quickly became a consultant for them because she was amazed at how Norwex simplified her cleaning experience and got her kids involved too (a welcome but unexpected side affect). They explain themselves better than I could...

Unlike cotton cloths that will simply spread the dirt, grease and other particles around, Norwex BacLockTM * Microfiber lifts these particles up into the cloth and away from the surface. Once inside the cloth, the Norwex MicroSilver in the cloth goes to work with self-purification properties against mold, fungi and bacterial odor within 24 hours, so that it is ready to use again.

Basically what happens is you dampen the cloth, scrub to clean, wrinse it out, let it dry, repeat. I've used it to get butter off my countertop, grease off the stovetop, toothpaste scuzz off the bathroom sink, etc. She hooked me up with a bunch of different cloths to start out with, eager to see if using these products would quell some of my skin issues. The purple one is for glass/windows (streak free! no Windex!), the pink one is the do-everything Envirocloth, the brown one is for your body - yes, showering and cleaning yourself without soap, and the blue mitt is for dusting.

I've tried them all, and the Envirocloth is the one I get the heaviest use out of. It definitely cleans without leaving residue of any kind. I can't totally convert to phasing out soap, but the body cloth is a nice alternative maybe a couple times a week if I want to have a more lo-fi shower experience. I feel more secure using these cloths around the house not just for myself but for my dog, who of course also has some sort of skin allergy. 

It's also pretty refreshing that Norwex doesn't just make these products to reduce the use of chemicals in people's homes; the company is also truly dedicated to protecting the environment and reducing the amount of chemicals that are produced just for the sake of going into a bottle to be sprayed on someone's counter. 

Listen... my mom was the queen of all Tupperware ladies back in the day, (legitimately the Empress of Tupperware), so I'm overly familiar and with the consultant-selling structure that companies like Avon, Norwex, those weird bags that come in different colors, diet stuff, etc. all employ. The soap box (excuse the pun) "This product will change your life!!!!" gets old, and I generally stay away from it. In this case though, it seems like Norwex has applied this type of selling structure in the US to nurture organic growth and enthusiasm for the brand. The results wouldn't be the same if they came to the US and stuck their products in Bed Bath and Beyond as much as developing a following based on user experience and word of mouth testimony. So for this, I respect them, and I'm willing to put my stamp of approval on these funky Norwegian cloths.

You can reach Rebecca, Empress of Clean, at simplygreencleaning@yahoo.com, or on her website.