I am trying very hard to blog more frequently. I realize that I do have a readership. I am also, as a woman/mom, uniquely qualified to recommend products to my readers (who may or may not be women or moms).
I'm going to be doing these product reviews intermittently-don't be worried that I'll only be promoting items from now on. As well, I will be clear as to whether or not I'm personally vested in promoting the times (e.g., because I'm a sales rep for said product). Hopefully, this information will be helpful.
The first product I love is anything by Norwex. Norwex is a direct marketing company similar to Tupperware or Tastefully Simple. I have attended a few parties, including one at my house.
The products pictured are the envirocloth (costs about $40), dryer balls (about $20) and detergent (about $20). They had a catalogue full of products for both the home and personal use.
We are a single-income family, so I am constantly searching for things that will add value to our family and save resources. One of the recurring expenses that was adding up was Swiffer.
I have two dogs and three kids. My house is messy without my kids working too hard. Very specifically, there is dog hair everywhere. I used Swiffer for a long time on the floors. I honestly thought it was a pretty decent deal.
The problem was two-fold. First, the actual mops were flimsy. I bought the Swiffer Wet-Jet and used it for only a couple of months before it broke. I was then stuck with leftover pads and solution and would have been forced to buy a whole new mop.
I had the same problem with the basic Swiffer-my kids love to "help" me and before you know it, the thing bent and broke in half. I purchased a starter kit 3 different times and each one broke.
Meanwhile, cleaning my toilets, sinks, counters, etc., is a non-stop job. That meant 3 or 4 different cleaners, all with major chemicals, rubber gloves and fighting off the kid's attempts to help. Most of the time, I developed headaches from the harsh smells.
The greener option (cleaners with less chemicals) seemed great, except that it was still a recurring expense and the expense was greater because the products were greener. Not viable for my family.
Okay, some friends said, here are some ways to make homemade cleaners. Fantastic, except there was the smell again (not to mention I never understood the measurements-one part...what does that mean?).
When my friend invited me to a party, I didn't have money to spend on the products. I took one look at the prices and started to shut down. The demonstration, however, changed my mind.
First of all, the envirocloth is a microfiber cloth with silver threads. This makes it antibacterial. Second, you only use water with these cloths. Only water!! Yippee! No more recurring expenses or well-timed trips to the store. No more chemicals. No more cryptic recipes. Just water. I wouldn't have to fight anyone off when cleaning. No hauling a bunch of cleaners around.
We were all handed a small mirror and a pat of butter. We smeared the butter on the mirror. Using only the envirocloth (and the polishing cloth, which I own but can't find right now), we cleaned the butter off the mirror and made it shine-no streaks. She repeated the process on my friend's window.
Needless to say, I was hooked. She also demonstrated the floor mop (same type of cloth, just bigger and used with a sturdier version of the basic Swiffer mop handle), duster and dryer balls.
The dryer balls are not a new product, but Norwex's version is better. My friend had a pair of dryer balls purchased at BBB. She threw those in her dryer and turned it on. They were obnoxiously loud. Then she threw the Norwex dryer balls into the dryer. The noise level was much-reduced.
The Norwex dryer balls are a teeny bit "squishy" (think dog toys without the squeak). This allows them to dry clothes faster. I had been using the Bounce bar, but again this was a recurring expense and involved chemicals. I knew if I bought the Norwex dryer balls, I could eliminate both of the detractors of the Bounce bar.
Please note, if you enjoy the fragrance from the dryer sheets, you're out of luck. There is no fragrance. I never really cared for the smell, so that wasn't a deal-breaker for me. All the same, it's something important to know.
The last product I bought was the detergent. The envirocloth needs to be washed in detergent that is phosphate-free and has no dyes or perfumes. I already used Tide Free and Clear, but it didn't eliminate all of the "yuck."
It seems crazy to spend $20 on such a small bag of detergent. I will tell you, I bought the detergent in November and there is still plenty left. The reason? I use one TEASPOON of the product per load of laundry.
You read that right. One teaspoon. I will use 1 1/2 for a particularly soiled load, but mostly I use only 1 teaspoon. I also use the detergent (mixed with water) as a stain remover. I have had two specific instances where Bekah and Brian got food on themselves. Using only this solution (and with a smidge of elbow grease), the stains disappeared. This eliminated the recurring stain remover expense (and chemicals).
I have soaked things in a solution of detergent and water to get rid of the smell. I also soak my envirocloth every month or so, just for a deep cleaning. (Usually all that's necessary is to rub the cloth against itself, wring it out and hang it up to dry.)
The envirocloth has a warranty of two years. If the cloth wears out before two years are up, Norwex will replace the cloth. I know this happens because the demonstrator who did my party had hers wear out in seven months. (To be fair, she lives on a farm and used hers to clean out the apple-cleaning machine they use for their apple-tree farm.)
I had a party myself back in November. It was a small party and so I wasn't able to receive the floor system or dusting system that I wanted to. They also have cloths that you use to bathe yourself without using soap. Crazy, but it works.
I am probably going to have a party in April, in honor of spring cleaning. If you're interested in attending or ordering something (and are friends with me on Facebook), let me know. I'll make sure to extend an invite.
I hope you enjoyed my review!!
No comments:
Post a Comment