Tired of cleaning products? Learn how I use a single cloth to clean my entire house!
Disclosure: I am a Norwex independent sales consultant. All opinions are my own.
After I wrote all about the wonders Norwex’s EnviroCloth has worked on my windows in yesterday’s post, I thought I should specify that it does a lot more than just clean windows.
Used as a dry cleaning cloth, the microfiber in the EnviroCloth has an electrostatic charge that attract dirts and dust.
Used wet, the EnviroCloth lifts and holds dirt, grime, and dust. And once the dirt is there, the silver in the microfiber starts a self-cleaning process.
If you have a washable surface, you can clean it with the EnviroCloth. Wash your walls, floors, counters, appliances, mirrors, wood surfaces, bathtubs, sinks, cars, fan blades, window blinds, switchplates … and your windows.
How I’ve been cleaning
Since owning an EnviroCloth for the past two months, I’ve used it a lot. Actually, I’ve gotten rid of all of my old cleaning rags and liquid cleaners and have exclusively cleaned with the EnviroCloth.
In my kitchen, I use it to wipe down my stovetop and countertops. The silver in the antibac Norwex Microfiber removes and holds protein, dirt, and grime from my counters. Since bacteria grow rapidly with a food supply that’s high in protein, I like to safely and effectively clean my kitchen work space.
Typically, I wipe down the front of my stainless steel refrigerator with my EnviroCloth and remove all the smudgy fingerprints. Then I quickly wipe off the shelves inside my fridge. I wipe off my cupboard doors, clean the inside of my microwave, and wipe off my switchplates. Once I’m finished washing dishes, I thoroughly wipe down my kitchen sink, rinse off my EnviroCloth with warm water, and hang it to dry.
Outside, I use my EnviroCloth to wipe down the table on our deck before we eat outside. I also use it to clean off our sliding glass door and door handles – along with every single window and door.
Inside, I use it to clean my dryer’s lint trap. I’ve mopped floors (on my hands and knees) with it, and I’ve heard that people insert it onto their Swiffers.
I also completely clean my bathroom with my EnviroCloth. Once I’m showered, I rub my EnviroCloth on my shower walls and floor, getting rid of soap scum. I then wipe down the bathroom mirror, the bathroom countertop, and in our sink. If our windows, blinds or windowsill need cleaned, I’ll wipe them down. If the floor looks a little dirty, I’ll quickly touch up a spot. And then, once everything is cleaned, I wipe down the toilet – including toilet lid and toilet seat – with the EnviroCloth.
Then I let the EnviroCloth air dry for 24 hours, where the silver self-sanitizes the cloth, and promptly toss my EnviroCloth in my laundry pile.
Cleaning details
I know the EnviroCloths are completely clean when laundered, but personally I feel a little funny about using my bathroom EnviroCloth in the kitchen. So I use a color-coded EnviroCloth system in my home. That way I have a little peace of mind.
It’s important to note that you don’t have to launder your EnviroCloth after every use. Usually you can thoroughly rinse it out with warm water, air dry it for a day, and keep reusing it for at least a week. (Once my EnviroCloth cleans our dirty toilet, though, I make sure it’s thoroughly cleaned before reusing it.)
When you wash your Norwex cleaning cloths, use environmentally-friendly laundry detergent. No bleach. No optical brighteners. No phosphates. And no fabric softeners. Hey! It’s an Accidentally Green kind of laundry routine!
If, for some reason, your EnviroCloth has a stain or odd smell that just won’t come out in the wash – or even if it doesn’t seem to have as much cleaning oomph – deep clean it by adding it to a pot of boiling water and simmering for 10 minutes. (Watch to make sure the water doesn’t evaporate!) Chances are, your cloth has some sort of buildup, and the boiling water will solve the problem.
And that’s it! After trying so many cleaning methods for years, it seems strange to use a single cloth to clean my whole house. But it works.
(Editor’s note, March 2017: I’ve been using Norwex EnviroCloths to clean my entire home for the past four years. I love them as much as I did in 2013!)
If you own an EnviroCloth, how do you love to use it in your home?
Latest posts by Hilary Kimes Bernstein (see all)
- The Day I Realized Healthy Choices Don’t Guarantee Health - July 21, 2015
- Avoid Synthetic Bug Sprays with All-Natural Repellents - July 16, 2015
- The Day I Learned I Could Cook Real Food - July 13, 2015
Catharine says
I cloth diaper, and I have to say that microfiber has a funny way of wanting to hold onto dirt (or, what you will) despite thorough laundering. What is your laundry routine with these? Do you ever have to strip them?
Hilary Kimes Bernstein says
My laundry routine has been to wash them with my regular loads of laundry, and they look like new, work like new, and haven’t had any noticeable wear and tear. Granted, I’ve only used them for three months. While you can rinse and re-rinse them, I do launder them pretty regularly (a couple times a week) because I want to after I clean the bathroom with them or wipe up protein juices in the kitchen.
I haven’t had to strip them yet, but know that it can be done just by boiling water on the stove and simmering the cloths for about 10 minutes. Much easier and quicker than stripping cloth diapers! (I know from experience. :)
Catharine says
Not bad at all! Thanks!
Shonda says
I have one, but I need to get a few more. I really like them. I can see this being so simple! Thanks for sharing.