Norwex Crystal Deoderant

Norwex is all about radically reducing chemicals in our lives. Sounds great. I can get on board with that. I can clean without chemicals using just microfiber. I can even get on board with using microfiber for cleaning my body with no soap. I especially love that I can shave without using shaving cream after exfoliating with the body cloths. But, each time I flipped through my catalog, I would glance at the words "Norwex Crystal Deoderant. Natural Protection" and continue flipping. I could get behind all these other ways of rethinking how I cleaned my home and my body, but I just couldn't conceive of not using antiperspirant/deodorant. Could I trade my chemicals for the chance of sweat and stink? Because, really, could this really work? I just couldn't chance it.

Well, let's look more closely at it. The website description says: "Made from natural crystallized mineral salts, Norwex Crystal Deodorant is hypoallergenic, non-staining and non-sticky. It does not contain harmful chemicals, oils, perfumes or emulsifiers. Your body is allowed to perspire naturally, yet the crystal salts inhibits the growth of bacteria, therefore preventing body odor." Ok...sounds alright except for that whole "allowed to perspire naturally" bit. That sounds gross and smelly. Hmmmm...not this time.

I FINALLY order one, just to have as a display at parties. But now I am getting questions about it, so I guess I am going to have to try it. I'm slightly skeptical but I have a weekend that I don't have to go anywhere, so I decide to try it. I have researched how to apply it because that is supposed to be key in the success. Here are the tips:

1) Only wet the crystal slightly...two drops of water should be enough.
2) Rub the crystal on your underarm until the crystal is totally dry. This may take you 30 seconds or so. You can't just do the quick swipe of traditional deodorants. You will know the crystal is dry because it will begin to stick on your skin instead of gliding smoothly when it is wet. The purpose is to get a thin coating of the salts from the crystal on your skin.
3) Re-wet and apply to other underarm.

Results, after applying for the first time, I went outside on a hot day to walk my friend's dog and spent some time on the lake beach (didn't go swimming). I did sweat but not to the extent that I would considering I did not have antiperspirant on. More than anything, I did not smell! Success! I have been using it for 4 days now and it is still working. The key is to follow the correct application and making sure you apply until the crystal is totally dry. I actually like the feel of it better since it is not a heavy coating of chemicals on my skin. It feels so much better and it doesn't get all over my clothes!

Now, I dare you! Give it a try! 

Headlights vs Envirocloth & Cleaning Paste

The weather is starting to get a little warmer, so I felt the urge to go outside and start cleaning my car. Where should I start? Hmmmm...look at those headlights!

They were pretty cloudy looking so I thought I would first see how much just wiping them down with an envirocloth would do. There is obviously just some regular old dirt & grime (and probably some winter salt) on them. After a quick wipe down with a damp  envirocloth, things were a little clearer. 

Then, I said to myself, "Self, I wonder what would happen if I used a little Cleaning Paste?" Well, I just couldn't resist. I whipped out my handy jar of Cleaning Paste, got a little on my damp envirocloth and got to scrubbing. I could see that more was coming off! After a minute or so, I wiped the paste off with a clean area of the enviro, and dried up with the window polishing cloth, and voila!

Of course there are some areas that are scratched and nothing is going to resolve that, but I was quite impressed with my little green cloth and the Cleaning paste. What else will I find to clean? Stay tuned......

Magic Wand (aka Enviro Wand)

Make cleaning easier with the Norwex Enviro Wand. The wand is bendable to reach into every nook and cranny! The sleeve is removable to make for easy washing. My favorite feature (besides the fact that it holds on to dust to keep me from sneezing!) is that it can reach all the high areas in my home by attaching to the end of the Norwex telescopic mop handle.

Ampersand, Etc.

I am excited! For what? Business cards! You may have already read my blogpost about the new project Labores Amicorum. One of our member businesses, Ampersand, Etc., is run by designer Victoria Wyant. I will be getting my business cards from Ampersand, Etc. I can't wait to work with Victoria on my design. I know that with her creativity, she will design something that is uniquely me! No cookie cutter business card design for my business! I highly recommend seeking out her services for all your stationary and graphic design needs.

Check out her website and Facebook page.

Labores Amicorum {Work of Friends}

My college friend, Victoria Wyant, and I have started a new venture! We have started a blog and Facebook group called Labores Amicorum {Work of Friends}. We will be featuring the businesses/blogs/ventures of our community of friends from Ave Maria College. We created this community to support one another and give the customer base of each member a resource for finding other great business, blogs, and services run by honest and ethical individuals. I hope that you will join me in supporting these great people in their work!

Laundry Solutions Part 1

Laundry. The bane of my existence. Your's too? So, I'm not alone. Not only is it time consuming and seemingly never ending, it is full of chemicals and fillers that are not contributing to our well being. More bad news about laundry? Yes! But, I'm also here to offer you some alternative solutions that will save your health and your budget.

Let's start with the bad news first.

Most laundry detergents are bulked up with fillers that can cause cloths to become dingy over time because they leave a residue on our "clean" clothes. This residue can be absorbed through the skin and can cause rashes, itching, sinus problems and other allergic reactions.

Now for the good news!

There are no fillers in NORWEX Ultra Power Plus Laundry Detergent! See the results of an easy test of putting just 1 tsp of Norwex UPP Detergent in water compared to 1 tsp of Tide. After 15 minutes, you can see which one is really free of fillers.

[ In the above picture, the clear mixture is the Norwex Detergent (after 15 minutes) and the cloudy is Tide.] 

Of course, you wonder about the cost. What if I told you that Norwex's Ultra Power Plus can also save you money?

Give it a try for your family! Better and safer cleaning and easier on the budget too!

Stay tuned for Laundry Solutions Part 2

A Tale of Descaler and the Spirinett

Once upon a time, there was a drain stopper who suffered greatly from the layers upon layers of minerals built up on it from hard water. The water would add to the thick coating day after day, never letting up. The poor drain stopped had been scrubbed and doused with every toxic chemical imaginable, but, alas, there was no relief! 

The sad little drain stopper thought that her blemishes would cause her whole sink to be disposed. This was very frustrating and she couldn't understand why it had to be this way. Why couldn't something save her? Then, one day, the poor abused drain stopper got sprayed with Norwex Descaler. This was something different! There were no toxic fumes and the stopper could feel the enzymes breaking down the buildup all around her rim. Next, the Norwex Spirinetts swooped in and went to work scrubbing off layer after layer. 

The little drain stopper could hardly believe it! The Descaler and Spirinett saved her from disposal and made her as shiny as new! Is there anything in your home needing to be rescued? 

UPP Laundry Detergent by Norwex for Tile Grout

Mix a 1/2 tsp of UPP Laundry Detergent with 8-16 oz of water (depending on how concentrated you want it), spray on tile grout, let soak for a few minutes. Then run a scrub brush (I used a deck brush with a handle since I was doing the bathroom floor) over it and voila! Clean grout! There are so many other uses for UPP other than just laundry! (My diamonds are also sparkling because I used the leftover solution with a drop of Norwex's Dishwashing Liquid to soak my rings for a couple minutes. After a quick wipe with an envio cloth and a polishing cloth, it looks like I just got it cleaned at the jewelry store!)

Norwex Payback

The husband of a consultant crunched some numbers to see the value of Norwex for their household. I think it is some good info!

From a husband's perspective

Norwex Floor System

I hate to mop. Hence the lack of mopping that occurred in my home. I hated lugging out the big bucket of water, wringing out a mop and scrubbing the floors. I got a Swiffer Wetjet thinking that would solve my mopping woes, but alas, the disposable replacement pads would get so saturated so quickly, that I had to use numerous pads to mop the limited space I have to mop. Don't even get me started on the residue it leaves behind. Your feet should not stick to your freshly "mopped" floors.

Enter the Norwex mopping system. My life has been transformed. With the ease of the Swiffer - no, EASIER than the Swiffer, I can dry mop (goodbye broom!) and then wet mop in a snap! There are two sizes. I got the superior mini mop because that works best for my space. You just velcro the pads to the mop base and with the swiveling action of the mop base and the ergonomic telescopic handle, my floors were clean before I knew it. After using the dry mop pad, I just brushed all the debris into the trash with Norwex's awesome rubber brush (which has a host of other uses, but that is for another day!). Then to wet mop, I simply ran the blue pad under running water, wrung it out and voila! Clean floors! Seriously, the pad was able to clean all the areas in my home that need mopping. It can hold so much before you need to rinse it. Goodbye buckets! Goodbye chemical floor cleaner! My floors looked shiny and my feet didn't stick because there was no residue! I have mopped more in the last month and a half than I have in a long time...and really, that's good for everybody concerned!

I FINALLY did it!

So, I finally did it! I have been a Norwex Independent Sales consultant for about a month and a half. I've known about this claim about being able to shave your legs with no shaving cream, no soap, no lubricant of any sort after exfoliating with the Body Pack cloths. (Vibrant or Vintage). Even though everything I had tried from Norwex had been amazing and lived up to the hype, even though the body cloths had done amazing things for the skin on my face and body (Yes! I have stopped using facial cleanser and soap on most of my body), even though people I knew and trusted told me it worked...I just couldn't believe it. I just avoided what I thought would be the inevitable disappointment and razor burn.

One day, I decided that I would give it a try. I used the body cloths as I always do in my shower, folded in quarters and wiped down my legs. I could tell they were well exfoliated. I reached out and picked up my razor and thought, let me just try a little spot first. I put the razor to skin and with one small stroke, one little patch was clear. Well, that didn't hurt. I tried it on my damp skin and I tried it while my leg was under the shower. For me, doing it under the running water worked best, rinsing away all the unwanted hair. I slowly gained confidence, moving more swiftly. My amazement grew and the razor glided across my skin with no resistance! I could hardly believe it. My skin was so smooth, it SQUEAKED as the razor passed over it. In no time, both my legs were done. I kept touching them because it was the best, smoothest, closest shave I have ever experienced! Why don't you give it a go?