Saving Trees… One Cloth at a Time

Saving Trees… One Cloth at a Time

by | Nov 25, 2019 | Clean Living, Green Cleaning, Science for the Skeptic

Norwex Paper Towel Alternative

Once we learn something is important, it is impossible to keep it to ourselves!

Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. 

Teaching and educating is my passion! My desire is to stir a ‘proactive spirit’ in people regarding their choices and the danger of harmful chemicals.  Many people are not aware that what they are currently using is harmful to our environment.

University of Bergen Study

The University of Bergen in Norway recently performed a study of 6000 people over a 20 year period, who had regular exposure to cleaning products. It was found that their lung function had been significantly affected as much as a person who had smoked a pack-a-day for 20 years as well as put them at a 40% higher risk of developing asthma.

The study revealed was that “the small particles from the spray [cleaners] can remain in the air for hours after cleaning. The small particles can travel deep into the lungs and cause infections and ageing of the lungs” Dr. Svanes explains.   Dr. Svanes, the main author of the study, recommends “You [do] not need a lot of chemicals after all, when cleaning. Microfiber cloths may be just as effective.”

Norwex performed chamber tests to compare the number of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs or small particles) released by chemical spray cleaners and paper towel vs. Norwex Microfiber cloths and water.  The results were AMAZING!!!  Traditional chemical cleaners released 800 times the VOCs than Norwex products!  There is no need for dusting sprays, room deodorizers, artificial fragrances, floor cleaners, all-purpose cleaning sprays… when you have a Norwex EnviroCloth and water!

Problem: Paper Towel

Let me share some information about the truth about paper towel consumption in North America… and how Norwex provides a solution.

  • On average, a person uses and disposes of 2,400 – 3,000 paper towels every year.
  • Paper towels are used in 90% of households.
  • The average family of 4 uses about 26 rolls of paper towels a year. That’s an annual expense of approximately $91 for a single-use, throwaway item that is clogging our landfills!
  • Paper towel creates 13 billion pounds of waste every year! That works out to a whopping 3,000 tons of waste daily… comparable to the weight of 1650 economy cars!!!
  • Most are made from virgin tree fibre and used only once.
  • One paper towel is often not enough for many jobs, and some brands are even bleached with harmful chlorinated compounds—not good for your family or the environment.
  • Residential dwellings are the largest contributor to pollution, not industrial.
  • Long-term exposure to many of the cleaning products you use in your home every day has cancer-causing potential.
  • What does it take to produce just 1 ton of paper towels? Approximately, 17 trees and 20,000 gallons of water!
  • In North America, we have a huge paper towel habit.  3,000 tons of paper towel waste is produced every day and accounts for the consumption of approximately 51,000 trees and 60 million gallons of water!
  • Paper towels, even when made of recycled materials still produce an environmental impact. The recycling process still uses water, energy and chemicals.
  • If everyone cut back by one sheet of paper towel per day, it would save North America 571,230,000 pounds of paper towel waste, every year.  Now imagine, if, one-by-one, households began to eliminate paper towel waste altogether…what kind of impact would we see then?

Solution: 4 Norwex Cloths

Norwex is a company that provides solutions for problems like paper towel.  Let me highlight a few different eco-friendly Norwex products you could use to replace your paper towel.

EnviroCloth

The EnviroCloth is Norwex’s flagship product!!! The microfiber cloth has the ability to remove 99% of bacteria from a surface when following the proper care and use instructions. It contains Norwex’s exclusive Baclock™ agent – micro silver antibacterial agent – goes to self-purify and inhibits odours from bacteria, mold and mildew growth within the cloth within 24 hours so that it is ready to use again. The microfibers in the EnviroCloth are 1/200th the size of a human hair and if unravelled, have a maximum length of more than 3 million meters (10 million feet).  The splitting process that happens during manufacturing creates open spaces in the fibres and enables the cloth to lift away dust and dirt and absorb serval times its own weight in water. And it only needs water to clean; no cleaner, chemicals or sprays required.

Doesn’t that sound better than a disposable paper towel??Norwex Cloth

Window Cloths

Window Cloths are designed to be used with the EnviroCloth. Once you have cleaned a surface with an EnviroCloth, use a Window Cloth to polish it to a streak-free shine. No paper towel or window spray required. If you love clean windows, but hate how long it takes, the EnviroCloth and Window Cloth will take 50% less time to clean and leave you with better results. The Window Cloth or ‘polishing cloth’ is constructed of tightly woven Norwex microfiber with the self-purifying Baclock™ agent, is lint-free, traps dust and grime in the cloth so your surface is cleaner, only needs water so there is no “chemical muck” left behind. This cloth will change your cleaning regime.

Counter Cloths

Norwex Counter ClothNorwex introduced Counter Cloths as a great alternative to paper towel.  They are the same size as a half-sheet paper towel, come in beautiful colours, are made from 50% recycled materials, have a super-absorbent unique new weave for quick spill clean up. These beauties are perfect for your kitchen and bathroom.  They even have Norwex’s self-purifying Baclock™ agent in the cloth. Seriously, with these handy little cloths, you won’t ever grab for a paper towel again!

Napkins

Norwex NapkinsFor anyone who loves to use a half-sized paper towel as their dinner napkin, Norwex has an alternative for you too. On average, a family of 4 uses more than 3000 paper napkins/paper towels a year.  The Napkins are made from 50% recycled materials (5 plastic bottles per set of 4) and are lovely. They come in either charcoal or peacock blue, the microfiber also has Baclock™ agent so you can use them more than once before laundering, they are quick-drying and very absorbent, plus they make your dinner table look pretty. Saving trees and dressing up dinner all at the same time… not bad.

So, what can you do?

Let me give you a challenge! Next time you start a new roll of paper towel, take a pen and write in the date inside of the roll.  First, try if you can go 4 months with one roll, then 6… then try if your family can stretch one roll of paper towel to last an entire year!  You can do it!  Other customers have done it, I know you can do it too.  Imagine with me the impact that would be realized by simply changing the way we use paper towel.

Become an Educator

Since I started my Norwex journey in 2006, thousands of Consultants have been working with me to spread the word about these amazing products.  I believe Nelson Mandela’s statement about the power of education… which means, we have a lot more educating to do!  Every grocery and department store has at least one aisle stocked with toxic cleaning chemicals.  Only 2% of North American homes use Norwex products… we have a lot of people to educate! Join my team, become an educator and help Norwex make a difference.

Are you going to take the paper towel challenge? Leave a comment about how it went.  Was it easier or harder than you thought?

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Resources:

https://www.uib.no/en/news/115228/household-cleaning-can-be-bad-smoking-lung-function

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Delores VandenBoogaard is an Independent Norwex Sales Consultant from Edmonton, Alberta Canada with customers and consultants throughout Canada and the United States including; New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, North West Territories and Ontario. She also has customers and team members in; Michigan, Texas, California, Massachusetts, Florida, Arizona, Missouri, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, Idaho, Washington, New Hampshire, Iowa and Maine.

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HELP: Sweat Stinks!

HELP: Sweat Stinks!

by | Oct 26, 2014 | Controlling Odour, Enzyme Cleaning, Science for the Skeptic

The smell of sweat is not attractive! Do stinky, smelly sports gear and clothing intrude on your senses?  What about smelly shoes that have been on sweaty feet all day?   Norwex has an amazing enzyme-based product, Sportzyme, which eliminates organic odor from shoes, high heels, work boots, equipment bags, shoulder pads, knee pads, skates, cleats, helmets, air casts and more.

The special bio-active formula in Sportzyme contains dormant, non-pathogenic, fast-acting microbes and enzymes that break down and eliminate the organic residues which cause odours.

When sprayed on a surface, these microbes feed off food sources such as sweat, urine and other organic matter present on sports or work equipment, clothes, footwear, or other gear.

These microbes release enzymes that break down the organic matter into smaller particles, which allows the microbes to digest the organics and convert them into water and carbon dioxide.

Key Features:

  • Destroy organic odours completely.
  • Based on natural enzymes.
  • Formulated with enzymes that target organic odours.
  • No animal testing.
  • Non-aerosol pump.
  • Container is recyclable, HDPE #2.

TO USE:

  1. Shake well before using.
  2. Spray over the entire surface where the odor is present.
  3. Apply heavily for the first application.
  4. Allow time to work.
  5. Reapply after 48 hours if needed.

Sportzyme is regularly used at our home! From hockey equipment, the girls’ basketball shoes, winter boots… everything gets a good spray to eliminate the odour!

I once did a presentation for a lady who jokingly told me that the Norwex Sportzyme saved her marriage.  Her husband had played hockey for years.  He had a routine after each practice or game which involved placing his hockey gear, including the gloves, on all the heat registers around the house.  YES, it REALLY STANK!!  The whole house was rancid.  She purchased a bottle of Sportzyme which her husband now uses faithfully after each game and, to their delight … his gear is odourless!

Do you have a stinky shoe closet?  Leave the Sportzyme bottle on the top shelf of your closet for easy access.  Give your footwear a quick spray and in the morning your closet will be scentless.

Many are skeptical about this product, until they try it.  At my parties, I state that I’d stick my head into my husband’s hockey bag… without hesitation!  There is NO odour!

Did You Know?

Enzymes are biological molecules (proteins) that act as catalysts, capable of speeding up chemical reactions, which help complex reactions occur everywhere in life.  They bind to the reactants in a chemical reaction and assist in the reaction without being changed at all themselves.

Science has been able to identify approximately 3,000 enzymes in the body, and each one of them carries out a very specific task. Most enzymes are used for the body’s normal metabolic processes (digestion, breathing).  Certain enzymes ensure that, in the case of injury, the blood coagulates and the wound heals, while other enzymes control the production of important hormones in the body. Enzymes also destroy environmental toxins and disease-causing free radicals and can kill intruding pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and fungi.

Resource: http://www.mucos.com/en/home/enzyme-therapy/how-do-enzymes-work/

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Delores VandenBoogaard is an Independent Norwex Sales Consultant from Edmonton, Alberta Canada with customers and consultants throughout Canada and the United States including; New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, North West Territories and Ontario. She also has customers and team members in; Michigan, Texas, California, Massachusetts, Florida, Arizona, Missouri, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, Idaho, Washington, New Hampshire, Iowa and Maine.

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Oops, I Ruined That Cloth…

Oops, I Ruined That Cloth…

by | Aug 22, 2014 | Care Tips, Laundry

My oldest sister was the first person to officially introduce me to Norwex, she blessed me with my first Window Cloth.  It didn’t come with instructions so, uninformed, I proceeded to use it with Windex.  I was under the impression that the cloth was intended to replace your paper towel…  So, I was terribly unimpressed with the job it did.  Between using it with a cleaning solution and laundering it incorrectly, I ruined the cloth and ultimately gave up.

However a year later, I watched my other sister who’s nine years older than me remove her makeup with a Body Pack cloth and water.  I told her jokingly that she looked my age and that I needed to learn the secrets of her skincare regimen, so I could stay looking younger than her.

She then explained she had originally purchased the Norwex Body Pack cloths for her teenage son for use on his acne-prone skin, but they seemed to serve a double purpose.  Not only did the cloth improve his teenage skin; it removed all of her makeup including the waterproof mascara! I was impressed… and I needed a set of these cloths!

Shortly after that encounter, I got my first-ever Body Pack cloth and this time I asked some questions to learn the care tips.

Proper care is very important to enjoy your cloths for years to come.  Here is a quote from a faithful customer of mine since 2006:

I follow Delores’ laundering instructions, and my cloths have always smelled fresh and clean.  No smelly cloths at my house.  ~ Michelle Kool, Edmonton, Alberta

To Properly Care for Your Microfiber:

  • Launder in the washing machine and dryer
    • The washing machine has a strong spin and rinse cycle to remove all of the excess soap from your cloths, so that no residue remains in the fibers.  The dryer perks up the ‘spokes’ in your microfiber, making them ready to work hard for you again.
  • Launder in hot water with a scent-free detergent
  • Lint-free laundry only!
    • The lint from your regular laundry will get stuck into the perky ‘spokes’ of the Norwex microfiber and will reduce the cloth’s effectiveness.  The best suggestion is to launder microfiber items separately.  If you are just starting your collection, and have only a few items, launder your cloths with high Lycra fitness clothing or other lint-free items.
  • No fabric softener or bleach
    • Do not use any chemicals with your Norwex products!  For a fabric softener alternative, try the Norwex trio of Fluff and Tumble Dryer Balls.  They will reduce your drying time by 25%.  If you love the scent of fabric softener, add some essential oils right to the wool dryer ball.
    • Some customers like to add a cap full of  Odour Eliminator into each washing machine load.  This enzyme-based product smells nice and removes any unwanted odours.

Usage:

  • Avoid the temptation to submerge your Enviro and Kitchen Cloths in the kitchen sink of soapy water.  Norwex cloths are only to be used with water, no soap.  Use one cloth in your kitchen for 2-3 days, then launder.
  • The Body Pack cloths are sold in a set of three.  One set of cloths is intended for one person, for a week.  Use a fresh cloth, every other day.
  • A lack of laundering and the overuse of your cloths will result in unpleasant odour.

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Delores VandenBoogaard is an Independent Norwex Sales Consultant from Edmonton, Alberta Canada with customers and consultants throughout Canada and the United States including; New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, North West Territories and Ontario. She also has customers and team members in; Michigan, Texas, California, Massachusetts, Florida, Arizona, Missouri, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, Idaho, Washington, New Hampshire, Iowa and Maine.

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