Cleaning Green

Rachel E Metcalf
Feb 21, 2017
3 min read

When you think about your health...what do you think of? Diet and exercise, in one order or another...right? Maybe you consider psychological/emotional wellness important to your health as well. But do you consider the products you put on your body as closely as what you put in your body? Probably not. What about the products you use daily to clean your house? What about the environmental impact of the choices you make?

How does any of this affect your health/wellness?

Let's consider it a given that your psychological and emotional well being plays a major role in your overall wellness, and look at chemicals and sustainability. Did you know that your skin is your body's largest organ? And that, rather than a barrier, acts more as a membrane? Now you know. What does this mean? For one, it means that those epsom salt baths I'm always taking are actually an effective way to get the calcium I need...but on the other hand that favorite lotion I have is putting back in all the crap I'm trying so hard to get out of my diet. WHAT!?

And now for the actually scary part...that bleach-coated wipe I've been using on my counter :-O You wouldn't drink bleach, would you? But unless you are wearing rubber gloves (I know I'm not), that bleach is getting in to your body through your skin. Yikes!

These are things I have thought about, and tried to improve (like using coconut oil, epsom salts, and essential oils in my baths instead of bubble bath, and switching to natural, plant-derived soaps and detergents)...but I still have a long way to go.

And then there's waste. Many of us try to recycle as much as we can, maybe limit paper plates and plasticware to large gatherings, and consider where our animal products come from. For a while, I refused to use paper towels. I had lots of small pieces of old t-shirts that I kept under the sink...along with a small container for used cloths. It was a good idea...but it just didn't stick.

Enter Norwex.

For those who aren't familiar (I had never heard of it), Norwex is a direct sales/network marketing company with a mission to improve quality of life by radically reducing the chemicals in our homes. I have not used body wash in a month. I have quit using eye-makeup remover (and I wear nothing but waterproof mascara!). Paper towels are almost a thing of the past. My handy Swiffer is out the door, as are my Clorox wipes. Norwex microfiber allows me to get my home and body cleaned and disinfected without chemicals. Just Add Water!!

Before you decide I've gone off the deep end, let me explain a little of the science. Microfiber is generally 1/60th the size of a human hair. Norwex microfiber is 1/200th the size! This means that the cloths physically remove dirt, debris, and microbes from surfaces. Many of the products are also infused with silver (BacLock technology)...this means they can and do self-purify. Hit up YouTube and check out the Norwex Raw Chicken Demo! The microfiber even picks up protein particles.

I don't have children, but my three furbabies are my loves. The next time you use your Swiffer or mop with chemical cleaners, consider that when I use my Norwex mop the only thing my cats are licking off of their paws after christening my freshly cleaned floors (or countertops) is water.