Product Review

Product Review

Cheryle Mauthe, a Kootenay-based (BC, Canada) Independent Consultant with Norwex, approached me back in early December with a product review query. After hearing just a little about the products, I was happy to comply. As it happens, Cheryle resides nearby and she decided to deliver the products and samples to my door. It is unusual for me to come face-to-face with the people behind the products I review and it was a nice experience; she seemed passionate about reducing exposure to chemicals and is committed to a healthy lifestyle. 

I received (see pics) the "Household Package" which included: 

- Enviro Cloth (multipurpose)

- Window Polishing Cloth

- Dust Mitt

- Powdered Laundry Detergent Sample

- Powdered Dishwashing Detergent Sample

Cheryle also included a catalogue and a couple of informative brochures about the company. She explained that all we need to do is "simply rinse under warm, running water, wring out and hang to dry. The BacLock technology is silver woven into the cloths... as the cloth dries, the silver helps to inhibit the growth of bacteria - hence, no stinky cloths!" *Occasional laundering is required.

The products came at a perfect time. We had just come out of a mass of marketing activities and book manuscript development stages in the latter part of '21 and I found when I looked up from it all that the deep cleaning around the house had not been done in some time. So I really put this stuff to the test! 

I noticed that when dusting (using the Envirocloth rinsed in hot water) I could not see any leftover lint, pet hair or dust left behind, and it wiped so cleanly that there were no streaks either - just shiny surfaces.  Looking back, I think this was my favorite part of the trial. 

Now, I think it is important to mention here that I used to run a cleaning company (Incredibly Clean) before we embarked on our current business, and I ran that company for about 6 years or so using organic, eco-friendly products that I bought in bulk - none of my peers in the industry were doing this in that area back then. I have always made cleaning cloths out of old towels and I had already been involved in organic and natural living for most of my adult life, and was making my own hair spray, household cleansers etc. mainly out of citrus peel, baking soda, dish soap and vinegar - with some essential oils like lavender or tea tree. So cleaning with natural products and avoiding the use of paper towels was not unchartered territory for me. 

I had not, however had windows smeared with dog nose prints and greasy barbecue fingertips come clean the way Norwex cloths achieved. It was so easy, my shoulders were not even aching after doing the patio doors, so I went around the home doing most of the indoor windows, mirrors and pictures. I was quite impressed with how smooth the chore went. It works wonderfully for eyeglasses too.

I used the laundry sample as instructed - I had to double check: yep, only 1 teaspoon was required to do a load. Since I had several loads of hubby's work cloths and dog bed covers I decided to really give the soap a challenge. I did, however, use a slightly rounded teaspoon for each load. The cloths came out very clean, smelling like nothing (which is awesome) and feeling soft. I was very impressed with this. I wonder how they can get the soap that concentrated! The catalogue shares that the detergent is entirely made from plant and mineral ingredients.

My dishwasher, sadly, died before xmas and so I've been doing dishes by hand until the budget allows for a new purchase. Therefore I wasn't able to use the dishwasher detergent sample for that purpose. However I did find another use for it. My sink drain areas were looking grungy so I took an old toothbrush and worked a few granules of the detergent around the drain, the basket plugs and the strainer screens that I use for the kitchen sinks. I unscrewed the plug out of the bathroom sinks and scrubbed those too. They came out shiny and squeaky-clean!

The dusting mitt hasn't really proved overly useful for me yet - it just dirtied too quickly. Cheryle suggested that I "rub the fibres together in the mitt - this causes it to create a static charge".  A promotional video said to tap the dust off, or brush off, into a bin, but then there's dust in the air that drove my allergies insane. So don't do that. I did find the glove useful for wiping down books one at a time, for the deep clean chore on a bookshelf. 

Glancing through their catalogue I can safely say that I liked that they utilize one extendable wand for various tools, replacing heads or pads as needed for the required job at hand. They have a wide array of cloth products with special ones for kitchen, windows, general purpose and dusting. The catalogue also lists reusable items from bake ware to storage containers and shopping bags. The pet towel looked interesting to me, as well. Norwex has also considered personal supplies too, from hair to skin, from makeup removal to baby care products. 

The Norwegian-based company's mission is to reduce exposure to chemicals and inspire sustainability.  While these products come with a heavy price tag, the products are impressive. Most light cleaning can be done just with the cloth and hot water, instead of cleaning supplies. The cloths were shipped encased in packaging made from recycled paper fibre. As you can see from the pic, there wasn't much packaging; it is both recyclable and compostable. 

Microfibre as you probably know, is a blend of ultra thin polyester and nylon fibres - Norwex rags use fibres that are 1/6th the size of common microfibre cloth, which pick up more liquid, dust and debris. Norwex uses fair-trade materials and even considered end-of-life issues for their products. When the date on the rags reach 2 years old, cut off the tag and use as a normal rag - since the Baclock technology fades by then. The rags should last more than 10 years, and when they finally do begin to wear out the company will take them back for recycling. 

Drop in to speak with Cheryle directly here: www.CheryleMauthe.Norwex.Biz or visit the Norwex company online at: Norwex.ca

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