My mom laughed when I told her I was writing a post about cleaning.
You see, I don’t have a reputation for being tidy. On the contrary, some may say that I’m easily distracted…messy even. I like to think I’m easily inspired but no matter how you spin it, we tend to live in a state of creative chaos.
I’ve worked really hard this year to make our home a more peaceful place. I was inspired by my friend Carol, who makes it her mission to keep a 5-minutes-to-company-ready house.
Okay, let me get honest here: I come from a long line of very particular, Southern women. I’m talking plastic on the sofa kind of ladies. I’ve always loved the creative freedom of messes but I don’t love hiding from surprise visitors because they may break a leg if I let them into our house and I find that I’m less creative when I’m overwhelmed with the mess. I love that Carol’s cleaning philosophy is grounded in kindness; she wants to have a house that is always open. It isn’t about fussiness, which just isn’t me.
Carol is a huge fan of Norwex and even dragged me away from a yard sale once to rub butter (yes, butter) on her bathroom mirror so she could show me the amazing power of the Norwex Window Cloth. Though she’s bragged on the line for years, I didn’t go to a party until I noticed the warning sign on the back of my deodorant. My mom has end-stage kidney disease so I was shocked to see the brand of deodorant we both have used all our lives had a warning that it shouldn’t be used by kidney patients. I have since switched to the Norwex Crystal Deodorant, which I love. Here’s five other products that have simplified my messy, creative life:
This is the work-horse of the Norwex line. The antibacterial cloth allows you to clean with just water, which means you can ditch expensive chemical cleaners. I love that I’m cleaning with something safer but honestly, what I love most is that cleaning is so simple now. I am not carrying a caddy of cleaners and a baby up and down the steps. Wait…what I love MOST is that I only have to wash my EnviroCloth once a week and it doesn’t get that gross, mildew smell. I think these things save you from nasty chemicals but they also save you time and money.
I bought the Household Package to start off and loved it so much that I bought three more EnviroCloths a few weeks later. That gives me two for the main floor, one for upstairs and one for Mom’s apartment.
If you had to buy just two products to change your cleaning routine, I’d say go with the EnviroCloth and this Window Cloth. I have used everything from commercial cleaners to homemade concoctions without success and this little cloth makes my windows look brand new but the real reason I’m now a raving fan is that I finally found something that removes streaks and hand prints from our stainless steel appliances. I use the Window Cloth to clean our mirrors and faucets, too and I’ve read that you can use them to clean granite countertops.
I was a little nervous about spending $29.99 on this product but I’m glad I made the investment because it really is a little, miracle cleaner and I think it will go a long way. I’ve used it to clean our stove top, which wasn’t clean after I bought one of those special cleaning kits with the razor blade.
One of the best ways I’ve used it is cleaning our farm sink and drain, which (like teeth) is prone to staining. Other ways I’ve used the paste: removing dried paint, cleaning crayon off the walls and removing a sticker Ada had squashed down into the carpet.
I have sensitive skin so I was intrigued by the idea of using only these cloths and water to remove makeup and clean my skin. I find the cloths do a great job of removing even my waterproof mascara and my skin seems less dry since I started using the cloths. At $19.99 for a set of three, I can’t imagine the money I’ll save in the long run by ditching facial cleansers and eye makeup removers.
This is hands-down my favorite Norwex product. The gel comes in a bottle with a roller ball and I like to apply it to my neck and shoulders, where I carry a lot of tension. It smells amazing and makes the skin tingle. I put it on before bed and melt into the covers. I’ve found that it really helps the kids mellow out, too. Sometimes when things get wild here, I break it out and you can see the kids (even one-year-old Eli) relax. If you are looking for stocking-stuffers or a small gift, this is it! I love, love, love this stuff.
If you don’t have a Norwex consultant, I hope you’ll get in touch with my good friend, Terry. He is a civil engineer who became a consultant after his wife, Joy, started using then selling Norwex. They use the products in their home with their children and are very knowledgeable (and honest) about what works best for them. You can follow him on Instagram here to see the products in action or shop with him here.
What cleaning challenge do you have at home?
