Saving Trees… One Cloth at a Time

Saving Trees… One Cloth at a Time

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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Spring Clean Appliances

Spring Clean Appliances

This post is about deep cleaning kitchen appliances… the ones we couldn’t live without! I would like to share how to spring clean your oven without harmful toxins or the huge amount of energy output spent to run a traditional self-clean oven cycle, plus your fridge and your dishwasher and other small appliances without chemicals.

Oven:

The oven is a hard-working appliance and it shows the efforts of its labour in the grease spots, burnt on food, forgotten splatters and well, you know what I mean. The Oven & Grill Cleaner, a Spirinett, an EnviroCloth and Cleaning Paste will be all you need to spring clean your stove.

  • Preheat your oven to lowest temperature – approximately 170 degrees – and leave your racks in, they need cleaning too.
  • Turn off oven.
  • Standing to the side of your oven, spray the Oven & Grill Cleaner all over the door, walls, racks and floor of oven.  Please be careful to not spray the gasket mesh on the door.  Use a Spirinett to evenly distribute the Oven & Grill Cleaner. With the door fully open, let stand for 5 minutes.  The enzyme cleaner will work to dissolve any roasted chicken or lasagna that escaped its dish.
  • Remove racks and place in sink. Using a Spirinett, scrub down the entire oven and then the racks.
  • Wipe clean with a well-wrung EnviroCloth. Your oven will shine and you will be able to see through the window again.  A four-hour toxic process just became a half hour environmentally-and-canary-friendly process! Done!

Note: As you know, this is a dirty job and may stain your EnviroCloth. Remember to rinse your EnviroCloth well.

Now for the rest of your stove:

  • For the hood fan, remove your silver filter and place in the sink with hot water and a few tablespoons of Ultra Power Plus Laundry Detergent for 5 minutes. It will be shiny and look new.  Use a dab of Cleaning Paste and an EnviroCloth to clean the rest of the hood.  Wipe clean with a well-wrung EnviroCloth.

filter

  • Use a dab of Cleaning Paste and a SpiriSponge to scrub any stove top. It will leave it clean and shiny without a scratch.  For removable elements, soak the catchers in hot water and then use a dab of Cleaning Paste and SpiriSponge to scrub clean. Wipe down stove top and knobs with a well-wrung EnviroCloth.
  • Remove all your items from the bottom drawer. First vacuum up crumbs and wipe clean with a well-wrung EnviroCloth.
  • Remove drawer and vacuum the debris from beneath your stove and use your Wet Mop Pad to clean the floor before replacing the drawer.
  • For the sides of your stove, spray 2 squirts of water on the thick tassel side of your EnviroWand and wipe between your stove and cupboards.  Done!

Note: This method can be used in your toaster oven too.

 

Fridge:

I recommend spring cleaning your fridge the day before grocery day.  That way your fridge is as empty as it gets and there is less to move in and out.

  • Remove items from fridge.
  • Discard expired items and recycle empty containers.
  • Remove drawers and wash in the sink with warm  water and a squirt of Dishwashing Liquid.
  • Wipe down all the shelves and walls of your fridge starting from the top to allow the crumbs to collect on the bottom. For sticky spots use a little Cleaning Paste and SpiriSponge to remove, for dirty edges and tough-to-get spots use the sharp SpiriSponge edge to loosen and for scuffs use a small square of the Micro Cleaning Hand Pad and scrub clean.
  • To clean the fridge door, remove the door compartments and wash in warm water with a squirt of Dishwashing Liquid, use an EnviroCloth to wipe the entire door.
  • Replace all compartments.  Replace all your food.
  • Repeat the process for the inside of your freezer.
  • To clean the outside of your fridge, grab your Enviro Wand and give it 2 squirts of water on the thick tassel side, run the wand up the side of your fridge, over the top and back down the other side.
  • To clean your water dispenser area, spray with Descaler, let sit for a few minutes, scrub with a SpiriSponge and wipe clean with an EnviroCloth.
  • To clean the floor beneath your fridge, spray 2 squirts of water on the thick tassel side of the EnviroWand and slide all the dirt, debris, pencils and pieces of lego from beneath your fridge.
  • Lastly, wipe down the front of your fridge with an EnviroCloth and polish with a Window Cloth.  For door handle smudges (on white appliances), cut a square of the Micro Cleaning Hand Pad and give it a scrub. Done! 

Another Option: You can pull your oven and fridge out from the wall.  Using your well-wrung EnviroCloth you can wipe down the sides and the surrounding cupboards and walls. Vacuum vents/coils. Clean floor with the Wet Mop Pad.

Now with the two toughest appliances clean… we can move on to some easier appliances.

Dishwasher:

This well-loved, often over-stuffed appliance needs a spring clean too.

  • Wipe the door edge with a well-wrung EnviroCloth to clean all the drips.
  • For any hard water/calcium build up or rust, spray with Descaler and scrub with a SpiriSponge to remove.
  • To maintain a shiny dishwasher, reduce the amount of detergent and keep your glasses from getting cloudy, place a Magnet Ball in the cutlery department.  If you already have one, stuff a kid sock through the centre of the ball to clean. Done!

Dishwasher And Descaler

Coffee Pot:

  • Use a dab of Cleaning Paste and a SpiriSponge to clean your pot.  Even if you thought there was no hope… the Cleaning Paste will remove all the coffee stains and make your pot shiny and look new.
  • Wipe the outside of your machine with a well-wrung EnviroCloth. Done!

Microwave:

  • Wipe down entire unit with a well-wrung EnviroCloth. Polish with Window Cloth.
  • Spray two squirts of water on your Enviro Wand and remove dust from beneath your microwave.  Done!

Now that you have started, look how much you have gotten done!  This kitchen is such a great place and now it just got better.

Did you know that this Friday is World Environment Day? Did you know that by cleaning with Norwex you drastically reduce your environmental footprint in our world.  Keep up the good work and Happy World   Environment Day!

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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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Streak-Free Windows?

Streak-Free Windows?

The first Norwex product I owned was the Window Cloth, it didn’t take me long to use it wrong.  The cloth didn’t come with any instructions, so I used it with Windex.  I thought I was being environmentally-friendly by not using  paper towel with my Windex.  Needless to say, my windows and mirrors were a mess.

The Window Cloth is now one of my favourite products and I give it as a gift to bless other homes.  It is often the first product customers will try and love!

What Can It Clean?

  • Windows / Mirrors
  • Shower Doors / Glass Tables
  • Crystal / Jewelry
  • Granite Counter-tops
  • Stainless Steel and Black Appliances
  • Chrome / Knickknacks
  • Patio Tables
  • Shiny Surfaces

It is woven with the superior microfiber embedded with the Norwex exclusive BacLock™ agent.  The BacLock in the cloth goes to work to self-purify and inhibits odors from bacteria, mold and mildew growth within the cloth.

How To Use:

  • Mist water on the surface and wipe with the Window Cloth.
  • For dirty surfaces, first wipe the surface with a damp EnviroCloth and polish dry with the Window Cloth.

*Note:  Do not use on anti-glare coated surfaces.

Getting your windows clean quickly is not easy.  Using paper towels to dry the glass around your home just adds to the problem of overloaded landfills and deforestation. In addition, many of today’s popular glass and window cleaners contain harmful chemicals like butyl cellosolve and ammonia.

Did You Know?

  • Butyl cellosolve is a chemical commonly found in glass cleaners.  Readily absorbed through the skin, overexposure can irritate mucous membranes and may cause liver and kidney damage.

Resources: www.osha.gov/dts/sltc/methods/organic/org083/org083.html

 

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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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Toxins and Brain Development?

Toxins and Brain Development?

While we may not see the impact of our decisions now, our children and grandchildren certainly will.  We need to develop a mindset of change for the better, and it is for this reason that I love my job!  Like John Muir, I find that, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” Our choices today, are writing our future.

Here is an eye opening study done by Simon Fraser University, their finding are remarkable. Watch:  Little Things Matter: The Impact of Toxins on the Developing Brain.

It is my heart’s desire is to make a difference, one home at a time.  In 2006, no one in my community had a clue what Norwex was.  But back then, our hospitals, nursing homes and health care workers were struggling with a Norwalk virus outbreak.  So, when I would say “Norwex”, they would ask “Norwalk?”  Literally no one knew what Norwex was, it was unheard of.

However, Norwex is now becoming a common household brand name!  I am delighted to do presentations for all types of families. I have grandparents putting away their traditional window-cleaning sprays, mothers and fathers abandoning their use of paper towels and young couples wanting to set up their new homes with ONLY Norwex products.

Young brides were teenage girls less than a decade ago, attending their mother’s first Norwex presentations when I first began as a consultant.  Now, they are ready to start families of their own, and Norwex is the only way they want to clean their homes.  It is my goal to educate this upcoming generation, and show them they are able to clean effectively without the use of harmful chemicals!

I am just one person, but my one shift to switch to the Norwex product line,  is now linked to thousands of home across North America who have now made the same shift.  That is humbling.  One person can make a difference.  I never would have guessed that my desire to teach others would have this ripple effect.  You can have the same impact as Norwex is underrepresented across North America.  You have your own contacts, friends and family whom you can educated.  Join my team today!  I would be happy to train you.  How many homes will you give the gift of Norwex to?  How will you impact their quality of life?

The testimonials which Norwex consultants receive weekly from their customers are evidence that these products are positively impacting the environments of those using them.  One of my greatest satisfactions is knowing that our girls have no recollection of toxic cleaning chemicals in our home.   When they help me at Tradeshows, they explain that the mop pad we are currently using in our home, is the original one we purchased over 10 years ago… and it still works!

Resource: https://youtu.be/E6KoMAbz1Bw

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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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Chapped Skin’s All-Season Cure

Chapped Skin’s All-Season Cure

Alright my friends… here’s a product you shouldn’t live without!  Norwex’s Shea Butter is fabulous for severely dry skin including: hands, feet, elbows, cuticles, scalp, and lips.  It’s all natural and organic ingredients include Avocado Oil as well as Vitamin E.

Harsh environmental elements such as the sun, wind, heat and cold can dry your skin.  Norwex Shea Butter is your much needed moisturizer.  Your skin will feel nourished and be protected against the elements as it soaks up this incredible moisturizing product!

What I also think is fabulous, are the ingredients which are not found in the bottle.  The Ecocert-certified Organic Shea Butter is free from:

  • GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms)
  • Parabens
  • Phenoxyethanol
  • Nanoparticles
  • Silicone
  • PEG (Polyethylene Glycol)
  • Synthetic perfumes and dyes
  • Animal-derived ingredients

Do you have a family member or friend with fly-away hair?  This product is also an excellent balm for taming dry or frizzy hair.

This product feels firm when removed from the jar, simply massage it into your hand to warm it up prior to use.

Did you know?

People have appreciated the healing properties of Shea Butter for centuries.  Its history can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where it was used to protect the hair and skin against the fierce effects of the sun and hot, dry desert winds.  It is derived from the nut of the Shea tree and melts at body temperature.

For those who are enduring cold weather for the entire winter (as many of us are), the cool temperatures and dry winter air are guaranteed to challenge our skin, leaving us with cracked hands and sore lips.  Not surprisingly our hands are one of the first parts of our bodies to show signs of aging.  You can combat the winter effects by soothing your hands with Shea Butter.  It’s a perfect year-round remedy!

**Allergy Alert:  Contains oil from the Shea Nut

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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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