hello, spring cleaning!

I've been meaning to share my favorite CLEAN house-keeping products and tools for awhile--thankfully it's spring cleaning time! Today is the first day with all the windows open, and the fresh air is intoxicating. I'm thankful I've got the tools to clean our home without clouding it up with chemical smells or toxic fumes.

I knew I couldn't keep using the same old cleaning supplies when I was dusting in our bedroom with Pledge one day, and when I walked in a bit later, I was hit with a suffocating cloud of fumes. That "Hawaiian Breezes" scent was a far cry from fresh and clean.

This will sound like an infomercial, but I promise, I haven't been paid a cent. I seriously just love this stuff. I am using links to my friend, Maribeth's Norwex page, but she has no idea that I'm writing this post. She's just another mama who loves the products, so you can support if you'd like! You can also buy directly through the Norwex site.

Ninety-five percent of my housekeeping supplies are from Norwex. This is a great article explaining how Norwex work.  The microfiber does a great job cleaning manually, while the embedded silver in the fibers self-purifies, and inactivates any bacteria within 24 hours.  Here's another great video/article explaining the efficacy of the Norwex mircrofiber. Not only are they effective, but my kids can join in on the chores, and they're not dealing with any kind of spray or chemicals.

My #1 top Norwex obsession is the Envirocloth. I wrote a list of the ways that we specifically use our Envirocloths (I have at least 5), so you can see just how multi-purpose they are. My kids even call them Everything Cloths.

1. Wipe down the kitchen table.
2. Wipe counters (let a warm cloth soak for a few minutes on top of stubborn spills!)
3. Clean the kids' school table. 
4. Wipe windowsills. 
5. Scrub walls free of hand prints and smudges. 
6. Scrub tennis shoes. 
7. Pack one in my backpack to wipe down restaurant tables and highchairs. 
8. Wipe down airplane trays and armrests. 
9. Scrub stickers from the floor. 
10. Wipe my kids' faces after a messy meal. 
11. Clean baseboards. 
12. Wipe down the outside of the toilet.
13. Clean bathroom sinks. 
14. Scrub the kitchen sink free of grime. 
15. Wipe down doorknobs.

Ok, I could keep going, but you can see how multi-purpose that is! My paper towel use was out of control, but now I rarely use them for cleaning or wiping kids' faces! The Norwex cloths easily pay for themselves if you think about how much you cut down on buying paper towels. 

 My other favorite Norwex products are the window cloth, the dust mitt, the mop system, the wrinkle release spray (not really spring cleaning, but worth mentioning!), and the bathroom scrubber. I can clean my entire house with those things, and use only water. 

To clean my Norwex products, I just toss them in with bed sheets (or other non- linty fabrics), and wash with Free and Clear or the Norwex detergent. Easy! 

I also use and love the Thieves Household cleaner. I use it in the toilet bowl (concentrated), and I use it as a diluted spray for some things ( admittedly I use it most often when I just want that yummy smell to permeate my home.) If you're transitioning from traditional household sprays, and can't hop on board the idea of using just Norwex cloths, the Thieves household spray would be a great choice.

Ok, off to snag the baby from her crib! Happy cleaning!