Category Archives: Chemicals

Norwex Mop System

Consider this – traditional mopping methods involve using a bucket of water with chemicals added. Then we use either a cotton mop or a sponge to clean the floor. Cotton mops break down leaving lint behind that causes dust and sponges are a breeding haven for germs.

As we continue to clean our floors, the bucket of water turns dark in color. We continue to use this dirty water to mop the floor. After the floors dry only the water has evaporated leaving behind a residue of chemicals, grease and dirt.

Big corporations have used this to their advantage to create “disposable mops”. The disposable mops still use chemicals that leave residue on your floors, plus now we are filling up our land fills with the disposable pads. In addition we have a recurring cost of the refills – from $43.00 – $65.00 per year.

The solution – the Norwex Mop System. This system consists of a mop handle, base and Wet Mop Pad. With your choice of the Dry Superior Mop Pad or the Dry Mop Pad.

The Wet Mop Pad is antibacterial using Norwex’s amazing Silver Technology. The Dry Superior Mop Pad is designed to pick up the smallest particles of dirt. Both Dry Pads are great for dusting floors, ceilings, walls, ceilings fans and high windows.

To use this system just dry mop the area first. Then replace the dry mop pad with a damp wet pad to clean the area. Rinse the wet pad as needed. This removes the dirt and dust from your home versus just moving it around.

The Norwex System is guaranteed for 2 years.

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Norwex Micro Hand Pads

How do you remove a 20 month olds art work from the walls?

With the Norwex Micro Hand Pad.

This product is disposable and breaks down with use. They are great for tough cleaning jobs – crayon marks from walls, scuff marks from floors, soap residue, patio furniture and more!

This is a lightly abrasive sponge that does not contain any chemicals, great for deep cleaning.

To use dip the Micro Hand Pad in warm water, squeeze out excess water and gently clean the surface. To prolong the sponge, cut the pad into four quarters prior to wetting. (Always test in an inconspicuous location)

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Norwex Dryer Balls

No more fabric softeners or dryer sheets needed.  Fabric softeners are some of the most toxic products in our home.  Anderson Labs studies show that  5 common fabric softeners released 6 of the most toxic chemicals that are commonly associated with acute respiratory irritations and inflammation into the air.

Fabric softeners are made to stay in cloth fabric for a slow release over a long period of time.  This slow release into the air affects those wearing the clothes and people around them. The softeners leave an oil coating on clothes; the oil builds up on fibers and reduces the absorbency (the fabri now repels water).

The oils leave a sticky residue on dryer components like heat sensors that result in burn out of the sensor and no heat.  The sticky residue also collects
on the drum and moisture sensors.

The residue oils in fabrics are flammable and take away retardant properties of baby cloths. Do Not Use on Children’s clothing.

Although they make your clothes feel soft and smell fresh, fabric softener and dryer sheets are some of the most toxic products around. And the chances are that the staggering 99.8% of Americans who use common commercial detergents, fabric softeners, bleaches and stain removers would think twice if they knew they contained chemicals that could cause cancer and brain damage.

To Use – Place both dryer balls in dryer, they reduce your drying time by 25%(make sure to turn dial back) and soften your clothes naturally.  They tumble around your dryer and lift and separate fabrics allowing air to flow more efficiently, reduce wrinkles, reduce lint. The tips massage the fibers opening them up and making the fabrics soft and fluffy. Balls last 3-5 years and have a 1-year warranty.

Make sure to remove balls out of dryer in the cold temps.

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Ultra Plus Laundry Detergent

Did you grow up using laundry detergent, fabric softeners and dryer sheets to get your clothes clean?

One of the greates things you can do for the health of you and your family is to give your laundering routine a GREEN makeover.

This will help not only your health but your pocketbook also.

Most recognized brands of laundry detergent contain petroleum distillates (linked to cancer), phenol (aka carbolic acid which is toxic  and colorless), atrificial fragrances, phosphates (toxic substance causing untold damage to the environment) and optical brightners.

The good news is there are alternatives that are better for you and the environment.

Norwex Ultra Plus Laundry Detergent is filler-free, unscented and will not leave any residue in your clothing.

One bag will wash 60 – 70 loads in hard water, or 120 – 140 loads in soft water or using the Norwex Magnet Ball, or approximately 800 loads for a front load HE washer.

This detergent can also be used to pre-treat stains on clothes. Dilute 1 oz of detergent with 1 cup of water, store in a spray bottle and apply as necessary.

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Norwex Window Cloth

Windows and mirrors – we all like ours sparkling and streak free.

The problem is commercial window cleaning products leave residue on the glass – chemicals, grease, soap, and minerals from the water. The substances do not evaporate, they reside on the glass and prevent the light from passing through.

Commercial window cleaners contain chemicals like ammonia and 2-butoxy ethanol, these have been linked to reproductive disorders, kidney damage, liver damage and tumors.

The Norwex Window Cloth is easy to use. Just mist glass with water and wipe dry for a streak free finish.

For areas that are heavily-soiled or counter tops, clean the area first the the Enviro Cloth and water, then dry with the Window Cloth.

The Window Cloth can be used for

Windows

Mirrors

Bath Tubs

Shower Doors

Vanity Units

Crystal

Glass Tables

Granite Counter Tops

Brushed/Stainless Steel

Chrome

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Norwex Enviro Cloth

Do you clean more often than you want to?

Or maybe you try to avoid cleaning as much as you need to.

Traditional cleaning methods actually create more work for us. Most of us use products that are designed to pick up dust and dirt by spraying the product on the surface that we intend to clean.

What we are really doing is putting chemicals on the area that leave a filmy residue on the surface.

Yes, it looks clean and shiny at the moment – but, this filmy residue acts like a magnet attracting more dust and dirt to it causing you to have to clean more often.

The Norwex solution to this problem is the Enviro Cloth.

The Enviro Cloth is made of high quality microfiber that is 1/100 the size of a human hair.

This microfiber creates an extremely effective cleaning cloth by using the right knitting process. Norwex Microfiber can hold up to seven times its weight in matter (dust and dirt).

Traditional cloths used for cleaning smear dirt and dust across the surface that you are trying to clean.

The microfibers in the Enviro Cloth produce an electrostatic charge that attracts dirt, germs and bacteria to leave the surface clean and polished.

Microfiber cloths can be used wet or dry.

Dry – the cloth creates a static effect that attracts dirt and dust particles, trapping them in the fibers until the cloth is rinsed or laundered.,

Wet – Wet, wring and wipe away dirt and debris from all washabel surfaces.

Caring for your microfiber products.

Slightly dirty cloths can be rinsed under warm running water and hung to dry, use a small amount of Norwex Dishwashing Liquid if necessary. This reduces the use of detergents and protects the environment.

- Launder microfiber cloths in hot water with other lint-free laundry

- Use Norwex Ultra Plus or another environmentally friendly detergent without fillers and bleach to clean your microfiber products

- DO NOT use bleach or fabric softener on microfiber, these will destroy the product’s ability to clean effectively

- DO NOT use on anti-glare coated surfaces

- To deep clean, remove stubbon stains or odors from smelly cloths, boil cloth for 10 minutes to allow fibers to swell and release debris trapped in fibers

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Fabric Softeners

Have you ever wondered why fabric  softeners are not recommended for infant clothes?

Fabric softeners are made to stay  in cloth fabric for a slow release over a long period of time. This slow  release into the air affects those wearing the clothes and the people around  them.The softeners leave an oil coating on clothes; the oil then builds up on  the fibers, this causes the clothes to repel water rather than absorb it.

The residue of oils in the  fabrics are flammable and take away the flame retardant properties of baby  clothes.

Although they make your clothes  feel soft and smell fresh, fabric softener and dryer sheets are some of the  most toxic products around. Some of the toxins they are known to contain are -

Benzyl Acetate – linked to pancreatic cancer

Benzyl Alcohol – upper respiratory tract
irritant

Ethanol – can cause central nervous system
disorders

Limonene – known to cause cancer

A-Terpineol – can cause respiratory problems
and central nervous system damage

Ethyl Acetate – a narcotic on the EPA’s
Hazardous Waste list

Camphor – causes central nervous system
disorders

Chloroform – neurotoxic, anesthetic and
carcinogenic

Linalool – a narcotic that causes central
nervous system disorders

Pentane – a chemical know to be harmful if
inhaled.

The good news is there is a  greener and healthier alternative to traditional fabric softeners. Norwex Dryer  balls are designed to reduce drying time and soften fabrics naturally without  the use of chemical fabric softener. The dryer balls lift and separate the  fabrics allowing air to flow more efficiently. The specially designed tips
massage the fibers, this makes the fibers soft and fluffy.

Beluga Whales with Cancer

I happened to catch a PBS show one night regarding the decline in numbers of Beluga Whales. The area that caught my attention was the north eastern portion of Canada.

They have been researching the Belugas in that area, keeping track of the numbers and causes of death.

The researchers are amazed to find that these whales are dying due to cancer. This was thought to be only a human disease.

In studying the cause of the cancer it is believed to be caused by a pesticide that was banned in the 1970’s. So it has taken approximately 30 years for the effects of this pesticide to be noticeable.

The other interesting note was the toxin levels of males vs. females vs. the young.

The females have a lower toxic level due to passing the toxins on to their youth.

So males and children have the higher toxin level, causing their numbers to decline more rapidly.

How does this relate to us as people?

Just look at the cancer statistics of our current age. Childhood cancer is on the rise.

Plus just because a chemical has been banned does not mean that the hazards it causes are gone also.

We need to be aware of everything that is around us and that we put in or on our bodies.

We also need to let companies know that we do not appreciate their use of chemicals in our cleaning products or food.

It is time to stand up to corporate America otherwise soon we will have to put Humans on the endangered species list.

Let’s Air the Dirty Laundry

Since most of us wear clothes every day, I thought that the  subject of doing laundry would be a good topic to cover.

Most of us know how to sort laundry

- Separate  the lights from the darks

- Pre-treat  the stains

- Check  the pockets – especially if you have children

Have you ever stopped to think about the products that you  are washing your clothes with? Or that your favorite scent of fabric softener  may be harmful to your health?

What if I told you that washing your clothes could be  hazardous to your health?

Let’s look at some of the ingredients in common laundry  detergents and fabric softeners.

Laundry Detergent Chemicals

Alkylbenzene  sulfonate – easily absorbed through the skin, known to cause liver damage

EDTA  – binds with heavy metals in waterways creating an overload of toxic metals

Fluosilicate  – used as a pesticide

Optical Brighteners – cause strong allergic reactions when exposed to sunlight and facilitate mutation of certain bacteria, can cause eye irritations and skin reactions

Phthalates  – used to prolong the fragrance, may disrupt hormones and cause birth defects

Tetrapotassium  pyrophosphate – highly toxic, corrosive and irritating

Fabric Softener Chemicals

Alpha-Terpineol  – highly irritating to mucous membranes, aspiration into lungs can produce  pneumonitis or even fatal edema, can also cause loss of muscular coordination

Benzyl  Acetate – linked to pancreatic cancer

Benzyl  Alcohol – irritating to the upper respiratory tract, can cause headache,
nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drop in blood pressure, depression, and death in
severe cases due to respiratory failure

Camphor  – readily absorbed through the body tissues, irritation of eyes, skin, nose and  throat, dizziness, confusion, nausea, twitching muscles and convulsions, avoid  inhalation of vapors

Chloroform  – neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic

Ethyl  Acetate – Narcotic, may cause headache and narcosis, may cause anemia with  leukocytosis and damage to liver and kidneys

Limonene  – (fragrance) Carcinogenic, prevent its’ contact with skin or eyes because it  is an irritant and sensitizer

Linalool  – Narcotic, respiratory disturbances, in animal tests: ataxic gait, reduced  spontaneous motor activity and depression, depressed heart activity,
development of respiratory disturbances leading to death

Pentane – danger—Harmful if  inhaled…Avoid breathing vapor, inhalation of vapors may cause headache, nausea,  vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, irritation of respiratory tract and loss of  consciousness, prolonged exposure can cause dermatitis

Americans in general are experiencing more and more health  issues – I believe this is coming from the toxic world we live in.

It is time to start making changes to protect your health. I  have provided some alternatives to traditional laundry products so that you  have an option that could improve your health.

Laundry Detergent Alternatives

Norwex Ultra Plus Laundry Detergent

Washing Powder – 1 cup washing  soda, 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup soap flakes. Blend all ingredients. Use ½ cup  for average size laundry load.

Soap Nuts – berries from the  Sapindus species of bushes and small trees. Available online

1 cup vinegar or ½ cup lemon juice  added to the rinse cycle will help keep colors bright (avoid using bleach and  vinegar together – this combination produces hazardous fumes)

Fabric Softener Alternatives

Norwex Dryer Balls

Fabric Softener 1 – add ½ to ¾ cup  of baking soda to the wash

Fabric Softener 2 – add ½ to 1 cup  vinegar to the rinse cycle

Disinfecting vs Removing Germs

We all want a clean, healthy home.

So we go to the store looking for the most effective germ
fighting cleaner that we can find.

But are we actually doing more harm than good with this thinking?

Let’s take a look at what these chemical disinfectants are actually doing.

First of all to actually disinfect with the product that you are using, you must use the product correctly.

Most Products must be used at full strength and remain wet for 30 seconds to 10 minutes! The time varies based on the product being used.

Next – disinfectants may not be effective in all environments.

The presence of organic matter (food or human fluid) may form a barrier that either increase the time is takes the disinfectant to reach the germs or it can prevent their contact completely.

It is recommended to clean the area first prior to disinfecting to remove the dirt and grime.

Hard water can also decrease or prevent the disinfectant from doing the intended job.

Finally – using a disinfectant is attempting to kill the germs. When the products are used it only destroys a percentage of the germs.

The remaining germs have now been exposed to the chemicals. They then mutate to develop a resistance to the chemicals.

Each time the bacteria are exposed to a chemical the ones that survive become more resistant in efforts to survive. The result is Super Bugs and the need for stronger chemicals.

Therefore cleaning with Norwex Antibac Microfiber and water creates a healthier home for you and your family.