Monday, February 29, 2016

Uh-oh! My Cloth is Getting Awful Dirty…and I Think it May Smell Funny


Laundering Norwex Microfiber

Norwex makes some ‘blow your mind’ cleaning products! They are however just that, cleaning products. Alongside the wonders they work on all sorts of messes, the cloths themselves do need to be cleaned. I am going to give you a quick rundown on how to care for and clean your Norwex Products.

As you know from my demonstration, I tend to put a lot of emphasis on “How to care for your cloths”. It is important to me when people invest in Norwex products they also know how to properly care for their investment – they will be so much happier! 

With that said, I also GIVE everyone who attended our demonstration – along with those who placed an outside order – a small packet of Norwex Laundry Detergent. I do this for several reasons;

1) I myself never bought Norwex Laundry Detergent with my first investment.
2) I cleaned like crazy and had really, really dirty cloths
3) Turns out Norwex Laundry Detergent is indeed, like everything else they sell, amazing!
4) I want my customers to get the maximum use out of their Norwex products. 

Now, onto Norwexing the Norwex

Wash slightly dirty microfiber with Norwex Dishwashing Liquid under warm running water. Rinse thoroughly, hand to dry or drop into the dryer for nest results. Magnetic EnviroCloth® should be air-dried.

I do this after almost every use. I put a super small drop of Norwex Dishwashing Liquid into the cloth, rub it against itself, rinse with warm water, and hang to dry. Super simple.  
Launder microfiber cloths separately or with lint-free laundry. Dry completely. 
I have clients who wash their Norwex in their washing machine and love it! I haven't had anyone wash their cloths with other clothes. Norwex recommends washing with lint free laundry because the lint will become trapped in the microfibers, causing a loss of cleaning power. We absolutely do not want that! I clean my lint trap after every load. AND after every load there is lint in the trap. Which causes me to conclude - we don't have any lint free laundry. I suggest washing separately...better safe than sorry!
For deep, stubborn stains or ordors, microfiber can be boiled for ten minutes to allow the fibers to swell and release the debris.
I use my cloths all. the. time. Seriously, all the time! As I use my cloths throughout the week and I feel like a cloth needs to be boiled, I hang it to dry and then throw it in my 'boiling pot' which is under my sink. You would be amazed at how much space you have under your sink without all of those 'cleaners'. 
About once a week I will pull the pot out, boil some water (enough to cover the cloths), throw in a pinch of Norwex Laundry Detergent and boil the cloths for 5-10 minutes. I separate the cloths into colors - I had a red cloth (pomegranate) that bled into some of my other colors the first time I boiled my cloths. Lesson learned. I stir the pot every so often and once my timer goes off I bring it to the sink. I use a wooden spoon to pull the cloths out of the pot and run hot water over them to remove any debris that was released in the boiling process. Once I have all of the cloths out I run cool water over the cloths and begin my next batch. While the next batch is boiling I wring out each cloth and hang it to dry. 
There are many, many different ways to hang your cloths to dry, this is just one of the ways we use at our home!

This is another way. I simply put a small tension rod up under our bathroom vanity. I hang my bathroom EnviroCloth along with my makeup-remover cloth to dry. I typically also have an EnviroCloth designated to cleaning our toilets, it must have been in the other bathroom when I took this photo. :o)
I also use the adhesive hooks in the shower to allow my body cloths and make-up remover cloth to hang dry.

Between launderings, use our Rubber Brush to remove dirt from Mop Pads and Entry Mat.
The rubber brush is fantastic for the mop pads! I like to take the dry mop pad outside and 'go to town' on it. I also use they Rubber Brush on the Wet Mop Pad in the sink with the Liquid Dishwashing Soap to get out stubborn particles. 
Do not use bleach, fabric softners or dryer sheets when laundering microfiber as these additives coat the fibers and reduce their ability to clean effectively.
These additives clog up the microfiber and also coat the silver! NOT that wonderful silver!!! I am also going to add regular liquid dish washing soap to this list. It also has fillers that will inhibit the silver from working properly. 

Check your labels especially for perfumes and dyes. I really like the app "Think Dirty", I think it is only an iPhone, iPod, etc. app. It allows you to see the ingredients in a product as well as ranking products on a "Dirty Meter" scale from 0-10. You can click on the chemicals and see their data points...um let me tell you...there are a lot of products that are no longer on my bathroom self - or in my house!!! 
Do not use microfiber (except Norwex Optic Scaf) on anti-glare surfaces. 
It works just a little bit too well... 


The Deep Clean Method:

This is one of the reasons I feel it is so important for those people interested in Norwex to attend a demonstration! There is so. much. information! If you have used regular liquid dishwashing soap on your cloths, or haven't let them dry out all the way before using them again, don't beat yourself up! I did it! Yep, it's true! Your clothes should be able to be saved by using a "Deep Clean Method".

There are several different approaches to this method, basically boil water, add Norwex Detergent, add cloths, remove from heat, allow to cool, rinse with hot water, and allow to dry. If a smell remains, or when rinsing your cloth the excess water is still dingy, repeat. 

This is my method more in-depth. 

1) Heat water (enough to cover the cloths) along with 1 teaspoon of Norwex Ultra Power Plus(TM) Laundry Detergent to a boil. 
2) Remove pot from heat and add cloths. 
3) Allow the water to cool - I typically let it sit overnight. 
4) Rinse each cloth with warm/hot water to allow any debris that was released during soaking to be removed. 
5) Wring to remove excess water, make sure the water is clear. 
6) Allow to dry completely - either by hanging or in the dryer. 

Photos...for those of use who enjoy visuals!
  
Fill a pot with hot water. 

Add 1/2 Teaspoon of Norwex Laundry Detergent

Heat water to a boil.

Beginning to Boil...

EnviroCloth Pre-Deep Clean.

Remove pot from heat source.

Add Cloth(s) - you can do more than one at a time. :o)

Allow water to cool completely - I prefer allowing them to sit overnight.

Rinse with hot water, this will release any debris that may have been left in the fibers. 

The water after one deep cleaned cloth...yikes!

Wring as much water from the EnvrioCloth as possible. 
The EnviroCloth after the deep clean, the cloth is stained and that is ok! It still works great!

Hang to dry! Our fabulous custom cabinet company installed this super cool towel drying rack that keeps the damp cloth away from the wood! It is awesome! (And full of Norwex!!!)

You can also toss it in the dryer at this point if you wish!

Tips: 
Use Norwex Ultra Power Plus™ Laundry Detergent for best results.
Make sure you allow your cloths to dry completely. Either hanging to dry or in the dryer. If they are not allowed to dry completely they may develop an smell. The smell can be taken care of with the "Deep Clean" method.  

Happy Norwexing!!!

Friday, February 26, 2016

What if I'm Not a Clean-aholic?


Hmm, well let me warn you, you may become one! If you don't that's quite alright! Norwex is a great choice for tons of people! I have had hosts and guests tell me that they, "Hate to Clean", many fall into this category and it is just fine! 

They even admit they dreaded coming to a 'cleaning' party - gasp?!? Kidding...I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled about attending my first Norwex party - mainly because I had never, ever heard of there products.
And then...they receive their first Norwex Cloth. Love at first cleaning.
These are some of my favorite clients! People who are not fond of cleaning. They quickly realize that cleaning the house is not a chore set aside for a specific day of the week - often times their day off. Instead, I encourage them to approach it as a science experiment. So much more fun. :o) 


Sounds familiar to me...

On a more serious note, I realize that that some people enjoy cleaning while others do not. I get it! Norwex is wonderful for our Non Clean-aholic friends who don't enjoy cleaning, because it can reduce your cleaning time by up to 75%. 


That's right, 75% less time cleaning and more time enjoying your life!

Of course, you have to get past the first couple weeks to a month of novelty binge "norwexing" which tends to be a common trend! However, it is well worth it once you realize you will never need to go down the cleaning aisle of the store again! 

Happy Norwexing!
Amy :o)  

I Have My Norwex, Now What?


It is cleaning Christmas! (Especially for those cleanaholics among us!) Your Norwex order has arrived from myself, your host, or at your doorstep! But what now?!?

You open your order, to find those awesome Norwex Microfiber Products and you remember the presenter demonstrating how great they work. What to clean first? With which cloth?

We are all human and even though we would love to be able to remember every little detail, we don’t! (Especially when we are trying to assimilate all of this new information into our pre-existing knowledge)


Bringing me to the main reason for this blog.
I want my customers to feel as though they are equipped with the information necessary to maximize the cleaning potential in each and every product they purchase. If you purchased a product from me, I want you to not just clean, but to Norwex! This blog provides an additional resource for my customers to ask questions, discuss products, and really branch out with ideas for using their Norwex Products!
I will use this page as a springboard to additional Norwex Products. If I haven’t discussed an item yet, please - bear with me! You can also, email me or comment about the products you would like to see sooner than later! Have a story or testimony you really want to share? Please do so! Share your personal testimonies / before and after photos with us in the comments section below!
The Norwex “Meat and Potatoes” Collection:
Window Cloth
Dusting Mitt
Cleaning Paste
SpiriSponge
Norwex’s Coveted Mop
Dishwashing Liquid
Laundry Detergent 
Caring for you Cloths!

Amy’s Favorites – She uses them EVERYDAY!!! 
All Purpose Kitchen Cloth
Kitchen Cloth & Towel
Make-Up Remover
Body Clothes
Pet to Dry
Optic Scarf
The "Have it All" Package

The "Safe Haven" & "Just Add Water" Packages

Happy Norwexing!
Amy :o) 

Please, Tell Me Again, How Does the BacLock(TM) Thing Work Again?

SILVER! SILVER, SILVER!

SILVER! It’s wonderful! As I told you at the demonstration, many of the Norwex Microfiber products contain what Norwex calls “BackLock™”. They have actually woven silver fibers into each strand of microfiber in their cloths! Silver is an antimicrobial, it is the antibacterial agent found in the Norwex products for self-cleaning purposes only.
Hold on, I know what you’re thinking, I was thinking it too… “So a cloth that cleans up practically everything AND cleans itself!!!”
Yes, Norwex contains silver, which is an antimicrobial. The agent is solely designed to inhibit bacterial odor, mold, and/or mildew growth within the cloth.


Check out this quick video with information on antimicrobials: 


Pretty sweet, that Norwex was able to harness the power of silver and incorporate it into their cleaning line!
Too good to be true? Then it probably is!
Remember, Norwex Cloths are a cleaning product which also needs to be laundered! That is another post altogether! Click here to see my post on laundering your Norwex Microfiber Products! 
Until then, feel free to contact me and I will give you the quick rundown if you don't remember from the demonstration. (It's ok, we're humans, our minds were being blown, and we were busy assimilating all of the new information into our brain schema!!!)

Happy Norwexing! (yep, it's my verb) ;o)


The Decision

My initial rationale with signing up to be a Norwex Consultant was honestly, all about myself! I wanted to receive the products I was LOVING at a discounted price. Who doesn't love a great deal? This mindset didn't last very long. 

Norwex does a wonderful job offering you incentives to get you motivated to get your business up and running. They offer you a starter kit, which you earn for free if you sell a certain amount of product within 90 days. (Bonus, your starter kit is included in the 90 day total.) This is completely doable, they also offer you more free product (score!) by reaching goals along the way during those 90 days. 

The more free products that arrived at my door, the more I loved and SHARED Norwex with my friends and family. In fact, I am fairly certain I Norwexed-out my husband. Opps...I bet he tuned me out anyways... 
This is where my mindset was altered for the first time. At this point I had a, "This is too good, not to share" theory. My friends and family all heard about Norwex. Some loved it, some were probably sick of hearing about it, some may have only viewed a few facebook posts and continued on with their day.  I remained on this theory for a much longer time, throughout the 90 days and a few months beyond. Recently, however I had another, you could say epiphany.
I, a veteran teacher, would often become a bit nervous (whether it showed or not) prior to a demonstration. I worried about what people thought of me, the product, the price, budgets, would all the demos work correctly (they always do, so I don't know why I worried about this). Would I remember everything that was important? The list goes on and on. 
This made me consider why I was becoming nervous before a Norwex Demonstration, but I was not while teaching - where the stakes are considerably higher. Could it be talking in front of adults? Maybe I wasn't comfortable? This is where my new epiphany developed. In the classroom, I was so concentrated on engaging my students with the lesson, their learning, and needs that I didn't have time to be nervous. 

To be honest, still do get a tingle of - maybe nerves, before a demonstration. However, I feel that it is probably much, much more excitement for the wealth of knowledge that is about to be unleashed. 

So, what changed? My goals. I realized my goal for the demonstration was the hurdle holding me back. I no longer hinged my success on the dollar amount of the event, but rather I set 2 goals for myself. (If you have attended one of my shows since this revelation you already know this!)
Goal #1 To educate those who came to the event about a healthier, more effective, and efficient way to clean 
Goal #2 For all New "Norwexers" To Blow Their Minds!
 
Since I shifted my focus, I have able to relax, have fun, and really enjoy the "ah-ha" moments that every teacher loves! That moment when you have blown someone's mind! I can tell you, my first time 'students' are captive audiences. Asking questions, loving our 'experiments', sharing predictions, and trying things themselves. 
The teacher in me loves it!
I can tell you that completing Norwex demonstrations satisfies something deep within me which has been placed on the back burner since my husband and I decided that I would resign from teaching 2nd grade and become a Stay At Home Mommy. (Which is the absolute BEST job in the entire World I must add.)

At our demonstrations we laugh, we joke, we play games, we tell stories, we savor the "ah-ha moments" and we learn along the way! 

www.amykperry.norwex.biz 


Monday, February 22, 2016

The Day "Norwex" Became a Verb


As you know, I love to clean. When we purchased our Dyson I remember no longer calling vacuuming sweeping, but rather "Dysoning". I tend to turn nouns which I love into verbs which I use all the time. 

I cannot tell you the exact date, but it was soon after my windows encountered the Household Package Trio in my first post, My Microfiber Journey. I was cleaning everything I could with the very few Norwex Items I had purchased. Stoves, walls, sinks, stainless steel appliances. If it was a hard surface...it was being "Norwexed"! If there was a mystery stain, spot, or who knows what...it was being "Norwexed"! I was (still am) obsessed!
I had gone to my mom's house and we were Norwexing things there! We. were. amazed! I remember saying to her, "Wow, I really love these, maybe I should think about selling them" and with that the idea was born. It wouldn't be too far beyond that point that I became, Amy Perry, Independent Norwex Consultant. 
Oh, and by the way...I no longer clean, I Norwex! 
Like it – Buy some Norwex
Love it – Host a Show
Want it All! – Join Me as an Independent Sales Consultant!

www.amykperry.norwex.biz 
Email Me! 

My Microfiber Journey


This obsession of mine began with an invitation to my sister-in-law's home for a Norwex Party. As I sat through the presentation, I was skeptical of this seemingly 'magical' microfiber cloth. The texture sent shivers down my spine and the claim that it needed only water to clean a hard surface...not only to clean a hard surface but it claimed to have the ability to leave the surface literally spotless and streak-free.

Let me give you some background on me before I continue...I have always been a bit of a neat freak who loved to clean; I prefer my carpet fibers to all be vacuumed the same direction to prevent the visible vacuum 'tracks' or path, I constantly used paper towels and A LOT of All Purpose Cleaner on my hard surfaces around the house - especially counter tops, and yes, I would even be on my hands an knees with a cloth and a bucket full of floor cleaner to give my floors a good clean! 

It's OK; you can say what you're thinking, "OCD"...yep. I agree.

I was always on the hunt for new (and what I thought would be improved) cleaning products just in case they were actually better than the ones I had stashed under my kitchen sink. I never took the time to read the instructions or warning labels on the back of each product. Why should I? I have watched my mom, countless advertisements, and other people clean. How hard should it really be?

Looking back now, I think about all of the time (and money $$$) I wasted - yes, this cleanaholic said wasted - on my old view of cleaning!

Now, back to my sister-in-law's Norwex Party. I have a toddler, he is awesome, he makes me smile, he makes me laugh, he can send me to my breaking point quicker than anyone else on this Earth, he is my very own mess maker, I love him, and wouldn't want it any other way. 


I ordered a few products; the Household Package and the Mini Mop System, hoping they would help decrease the amount of time I spent 1) on my hands and knees cleaning up the aftermath of my toddler's breakfast, lunch, or dinner 2) finally get the windows cleaned after our (still underway) renovation - drywall dust, drywall joint compound, new window stickers, silicone from the window installation (what a lovely surprise that was), along with a wonderfully thick layer of drywall dust that still remained on our window sills were among many of the things I was preparing to wage war against.

I had attempted to tackle these windows with multiple 'best on the market' cleaners. These methods only ended with me using approximately half a roll of paper towels and managing to smear the residue (now a paste) all over my windows, and leaving me frustrated. 

The day my Norwex shipment arrived I began to clean a very dirty window in my kitchen. I armed myself with a damp EnviorCloth tossed over my left shoulder, the Window Cloth over my right, and the Dusting Mitt on my hand. 

First, I chose to use the Norwex Dusting Mitt to go over the window top to bottom. Remarkably, ALL THE DRYWALL DUST was in the Dusting Mitt after only a few swipes. Did you read that correctly? ALL of those tiny, annoying, pain in my side drywall dust particles were in the Dusting Mitt! I shook the mitt, nothing came out. What?

Next, I pulled my damp Norwex EnviroCloth from my shoulder and began to wipe it across the vinyl, around the window sills, and finally over the glass. With very little effort the items I mentioned above were soon off of my window! They were simply GONE!

While the glass was still damp, I flipped my EnviroCloth back over my left shoulder and traded it for my Window Cloth. "This will be the real test" I thought to myself. Mimicking my Norwex Independent Consultant, I folded and slid the purple window cloth easily over the damp window pane. 
Streak free. Spotless. Under 5 minutes. POOF, Mind Blown!
Really? Did I really clean my window with water and a microfiber cloth? I moved to another window and another...needless to say, I was hooked. In fact, I was awake until about 2 in the morning cleaning all the windows, mirrors, or objects with shiny surfaces in my house with these three items. All the windows, aside from the 2 bedrooms which held my sleeping husband and little man. 

In fact, I videoed myself cleaning a few of the windows! Whole window, start to finish, under 4 minutes! 


Hooked...I loved it; I needed more...good thing I had signed up to host my very own Norwex Homeshow at my house! I couldn't wait! (...and I didn't!)

Like it – Buy some Norwex
Love it – Host a Show
Want it All! – Join Me as an Independent Sales Consultant!