“How do I wash my Norwex Microfiber?”
I get SO MANY emails from customers asking varied questions on the same theme. Norwex has its own, certified laundering rules, but these instructions are quite short and to the point, and not fully comprehensive.
So for those of you who need a little more, I’ve also written up a “Suzanne’s Instructions for Washing Norwex Microfiber” list, that is casual, detailed, and rambling.
But first, the official rules:
Official Norwex Washing Instructions:
All Norwex microfiber is guaranteed for 500 washes. If you follow these washing steps you will get many happy years of use from your cloths and mops.
All Norwex microfiber cloths and mop pads NEED to be washed in your washing machine with low lint items (like sheets, t-shirts & jeans). You CAN use cold water, but hot water is recommended. The heat causes the fibers to open and allows for a better release of the dirt and grease.
- Any detergent (without bleach)
- NO BLEACH
- NO FABRIC SOFTENER or dryer sheets
Norwex microfiber CAN be dried in the dryer – the hot setting is the best.
Suzannes’s (unofficial) Instructions for Washing Norwex Microfiber!
Disclaimer:
Please remember that these suggestions are MINE (Suzanne’s), based on the general recommendations from Norwex and my own personal experience with the Norwex microfiber. They’re not set in stone. I have no idea what you’ve been cleaning or how frequently. This is the method that works for me.
How (& When) to Wash Norwex Microfiber
NOTE: These suggestions apply to the Norwex microfiber cleaning cloths, face cloths, dusting mitts, and mop heads.
1. If you’ve used your Norwex Microfiber for LIGHT CLEANING JOBS…
… like wiping your kitchen counters, your stovetop, light switches, outside of cupboards & appliances, etc. You should hand wash your cloth in warm running water with a bit of dish soap. Make sure you give it a REALLY good rinse, taking care to rinse all the soap out of the cloth. The rinsing is especially important for Norwex cloths with silver in them, as soap residue will coat the silver making it ineffective at killing the bacteria in the cloth. Hang to dry in between uses.
2. If you use the Norwex Face Cloths (either the Body Pack Cloths or the Makeup Removal Cloths)…
…after each use (in between proper laundering) rinse your face cloth under warm running water and a little dish soap (making sure to RINSE WELL), and let it hang to dry in between uses. Launder the Face Cloths once a week or more often.
3. For your Norwex Kitchen Cloths or Counter Cloths…
Kitchen cloths and Counter Cloths start to smell after 2-3 days of use, so they need to be laundered more frequently. At the end of each day, I give my dishcloth a good hand wash with a bit of dish soap, under warm running water (hot is even better), then hang it to dry until the following morning.
4. If you’ve used your Norwex microfiber to clean areas with high levels of bacteria…
….like for the toilet, floor around the toilet, garbage containers, to clean raw meat prep area, etc., YOU NEED TO WASH IT IN THE WASHING MACHINE with hot water before using it again for another job! Yes, even the Norwex cloths with silver in them MUST be washed. Just for good measure, however, I always give my cloth a little rinse under warm running water & dish soap and hang it over the edge of the laundry hamper to dry if I can’t get it in the washing machine right away (it could be days before it makes it to the washing machine in this house).
5. If you’ve used your Norwex Dusting Mitt or cloths for dusting…
… just give it a good shake (outside), or hit them against your deck railing (as I always do), and you’re good to go again. I only launder my Dusting Mitt once a month at the most, but more realistically, every couple of months. However, if you or someone in your house suffers from dust allergies, I would recommend washing your Dusting Mitt (or cloth) after each use rather than waiting.
6. If your Norwex cloths get stinky and smelly…
… there IS a way to get them smelling fresh again… do not despair! The VERY best method for removing the smell from your Norwex microfiber is to DEEP CLEAN THEM with Microfiber Cleaner and Laundry Booster.
7. Your Norwex microfiber cloths may start to look really dirty and stained.
This is, unfortunately, unavoidable. Norwex microfiber is great at picking up, and holding onto dirt and grease, and over time they will stain, and start to look well used. If you launder the cloths in HOT water and laundry detergent the fibers open up, and more dirt and grease can be released. So again, I recommend deep cleaning your cloths. They will not look new again, but they will look better!
8. Launder your Norwex Microfiber AT LEAST once a week.
- HOT water is best, as it opens the fibers to help release trapped dirt and bacteria.
- wash them with NO LINT items like sheets, jeans or T-shirts. Do not add your cat-hair covered blanket to this load, or your Norwex microfiber will be COVERED in cat hair.
9. Ideally, you should use a small amount of laundry detergent that dissolves easily and is filler-free, when laundering your Norwex microfiber.
This is especially true of the BacLock™ cloths (microfiber with silver in them) since it’s necessary that the fibers not be coated after it’s been washed. You want ALL the detergent to completely rinse out of the cloth. The Norwex laundry detergent is an excellent laundry detergent; it doesn’t contain fillers, is highly concentrated, dissolves easily, and rinses out fully. If you don’t want to purchase the Norwex detergent, just look on one of the many cloth diapering websites, and you’ll easily find another brand that meets these criteria. All of that being said, you can use ANY detergent as long as it does not contain bleach or fabric softener.
10. You CAN dry your Norwex microfiber in the dryer – the hotter the setting, the better.
11. DO NOT use bleach or fabric softener/dryer sheets.
Bleach degrades the fibres, and fabric softener/dryer sheets leave a yucky coating over the fibres. However, DON’T PANIC if you accidentally wash your Norwex clothes with bleach, fabric softener or throw it in the dryer with a dryer sheet. You haven’t ruined your cloth. It may not work as well the next time you use it, but over the next few launderings, the fabric softener will wash out of your cloth.
12. DO NOT leave your Norwex microfiber in a wet heap on your counter, the floor, or in your dirty laundry hamper while waiting to be laundered.
This is one mistake that will DEFINITELY make your Norwex cloths STINK! Your cloths need to dry in order to halt bacteria growth within the cloth. Bacteria thrive and multiply in warm, moist environments, and your wet Norwex cloth bundle is a perfect petri dish for bacteria to grow, grow, GROW! Yes, there is silver in most of the Norwex cloths, but if the bacteria is growing at a faster rate than the silver can kill it, your cloth will be over-run with bacteria, and you will lose the battle against “the Stink”.
I would really love to hear if you have any stories, questions or helpful advice about how to take care of your Norwex microfiber!
Great article, love all the detailed information! One additional thought on detergents.. I always was taught to avoid detergents with fillers due to the ability they have to coat the microfibers, in turn making them less an absorbent. I found your article while looking for information about how fragrance may affect the cloths. I wanted to try a random brand of the new biodegradable sheet style detergent and was looking to decide if I should choose fragrance or avoid it. Love to hear your thoughts on fillers and fragrance!
Hi Mandy,
Is there an expiration date on the norwex laundry booster. I can’t remember when I first opened the jar.
No, there isn’t.
Hi, Thank you for the time and effort you out into this article – I have loved using Norwegian cloths for years, haven’t found anything that compares! I did want to share my personal experience with cleaning them, as I have learned that some methods I used to employ damaged my cloths. As Norwex cloths are plastic, they will eventually become rough and course to the touch, even abrasive; drying the cloths in the dryer on high heat will speed this up, I have found. Also, the boiling; it’s because the plastic becomes flexible, but then hardens again and harder than it previously was that the slimy feeling occurs: the small grab-and-release tentacles that the cloth originally has are damaged by the heat and no longer release, allowing the build-up to stay in the cloth fibers. I just wanted to encourage people to hang dry their cloths as it’s a two-fold blessing: 1) the silver is allowed to do it’s job, and 2) the cloth will last longer
Thank you again, I enjoyed reading your article!
Hi…i bought and received as a hostess gift norwex products over a year ago. I’ve used some of the products, like the detergent, window, and enviro cloths. I’ve also used the Mitt and the rubber brush. I have some other products I have yet to use.
I have the starter set for the mop, and own the chenille attachment. I tried to use the dry mop, and found it didn’t do what I expected, and gave up easily. At that time, I didn’t have the patience to figure out how to use it to its potential. I haven’t picked it up since then. But I’m determined to figure it out, because I paid for it. I love the window cloth, and the mitt. My attraction to the enviro cloth was the idea about absorbing bacteria.
My question is…how do you know when it’s not functioning anymore, since you cannot see the bacteria? I think it would be good to know, since I am not using disinfectant to clean, and just trusting and relying on the cloth to take care of the bad bacteria.
I think this dialogue about the product is great, it’s informative, you’re sure to pick up some info you can use. I definitely have.
But, As far as caring for a product, the more I read about it the more confused I am. So much thought goes into caring for it, and yet I’m picking up uncertainty as to what is really safe or not for the cloth, because of comments and conflicting answers to questions.
Oh yes! I did like the detergent. But I really don’t know what I like about it, maybe I just liked the idea of it.. A little goes a long way, It did last a while. But I haven’t figured out if it is worth it for me to spend that kind of money on detergent.
I appreciate the info I gathered here😌
Thanks Babs. If you price it out, I think you’ll find our detergent is more cost effective than store-bought brands and you’re supporting family businesses rather than big box companies. Most people use far less detergent than what the bag states to use.
My consultant said she uses about 2 tsp for a normal size load.
Many people use 1 – 2 teaspoons of Ultra Power Plus in a high efficiency machine.
I have been washing my daughter’s Kids Norwex Bath Towel with other towels and it’s full of lint and fuzzies. Have I ruined it? I thought about buying the rubber brush to see if I could brush some of it out with that? I just deep cleaned it and it doesn’t look improved at all.
I’d recommend wrapping some tape around your hand and then trying to use that to grab the link and fuzzies off of her towel.
I think the key is to only use soap when laundering in the washer and use only a little bit. Norwex is the best. It’s the residue soap that ends up making the cloths stink in the long run. It’s the same in the front loading washer. Too much detergent makes suds in the drum and it will stink. It’s best to wipe the moisture around the drum especially the plastic parts to keep it free of mildew and mold but never use more soap than is needed.
A friend took some initiative and soaked my body clothes in some regular stain remover 🙈 are they ruined?
I’m not really sure how much damage was done if they were soaked in a chemical based stain remover. I guess just wash them well in Norwex detergent and see if they still work for you. Sorry about that.
Hi Suzanne! I absolutely adore my Norwex and want to make sure I treat all my stuff properly. Is it OK to wash chenille products in the same load as my Envirocloths and Body Cloths? My guess is that the Norwex chenille doesn’t shed like a regular towel, but I’d like to be sure before washing them together. Thanks!
Hi Ronni. Yes; that would be just fine to wash them together.
soak my grey kitchen towel in Norwes detergent. The water becomes as grey as the towel, and is slimy We do not like it for washing dishes or wiping the counter and at the same time sticky. It takes about 10 rinses for the water to become somewhat clear. Yuk!
Hi Geri. We don’t recommend using our microfiber cloths to wash dishes. Soap and other residue can build up, and all that buildup is what you’re seeing come out of the cloth when you do a deep clean.
Thank you so much for this thorough post. I was hesitant for so many years to use my cloths for fear of ruining them. All of this information tells me that you cannot ruin your cloths … they can be restored! My question is this: Does the Backlock silver ever break down and how would you know if your cloth was not picking up 99% anymore? Thanks!
Hi Lori – happy to hear this was helpful for you! You can be assured that the BacLock doesn’t ever break down. It stays in the cloth for the duration of the cloths life. Your cloth is always picking up 99% of bacteria, even if it’s old, as long as you’ve followed proper care. That would mean: as long as you’ve avoided bleach, fabric softener and dryer sheets when laundering, and as long as you haven’t used your cloth with corrosive cleaners. You know it’s time to retire your cloths for new ones when they start unraveling or developing holes!
Hello!
I just bought everything I need to clean my whole house with Norwex. I am very pleased with the performance of the products, but my roommate used Murphys Oil on my wet mop. I am pretty sad about it. Is it ruined? Is there anything I can do to save it?
Hi Tracy. I’m so sorry to hear that! I would try soaking it in some very hot water with laundry detergent and see if that removes the Murphys Oil. Let me know how it goes!
I have the the towels etc and kitchen towels, my question is I use regular laundry detergent without bleach or fabric softener. Put them in the dryer without fabric sheets of course, but the static!!!! HELP, what do I use.
Hi Catherine, you could try using plastic or wool dryer balls to help eliminate static (Norwex sells both!). You can also reduce your drying time, as overdrying creates friction, and friction leads to static! You can also throw a ball of aluminium foil in with your towels (this will needs to be replaced frequently, as it shrinks and becomes hard).
Dryer balls are the BEST for everything! No softener build up on clothes, or your dryer screen & vent. My Electric CoOp even recommends them because they reduce the amount of time you need to run your dryer. Clothes are as soft as with dryer sheets, but no chemicals, and a one time investment!!
Hi Suzanne
We have just implemented a cleaning system for cleaning toys in our nursery at church. The toys are sprayed by a mixture of Doterra and water. Using a dry envirocloth(with silver), the toys are then dried.
The cloths are rinsed with water and hung to dry. They will be washed once a month with a proper detergent.
Does that sound like a good plan? Thanks for your advice.
Hi Wynnie. I love that you’re looking for such a healthy way to take care of the little kiddos in your church! The plan you’ve outlined sounds good to me. Please let me know how it goes.
what if my hubby threw the dry mop pad (that got wet from the kiddo trying to mop) in the dryer with towels?! 😭 it did not get washed with them just dried.. only wool balls were used in the dryer. need to get my fam educated about the care of the products! LOL
The reason why you don’t want to launder with towels is that the lint can transfer to your microfiber, and get stuck all over it. That doesn’t affect the performance at all, it just looks terrible and is close to impossible to remove (you have to sit and pick each little piece off by hand!). Sounds like maybe that never happened to yours, so you’re in luck!
I have a few dish cloths and also a couple kitchen cloths (with more of a waffle texture) that not matter what I try they do not feel clean. I do not use bleach or liquid fabric softener on them (I don’t use liquid or any fabric softener period), but it seems like each time they came out of a wash cycle they feel worse – greasy/gummy. It’s like the soak up all the gunk from the rest of the wash and it doesn’t come out. This past weekend I boiled them (that is the only way I knew how to deep clean them before reading your post) with water and a bit of vinegar (I like to use that for de-greasing) THEN hand washed them multiple times with dish soap and hot water and they STILL feel yucky. Any ideas? I’m about to toss them.
Did you try this method of deep cleaning? Are they the kitchen cloths that have BacLock, or the grey waffle weave all purpose kitchen cloth? The waffle weave one doesn’t have BacLock and I find it is much harder to keep clean.
My son has used the kids bath towel for about a year andit is no longer soft. Rather it’s rough and clings to everything. I’ve washed it using free and clear detergent on hot and no dryer sheets. Any ideas to make it soft again?
Hmmm. Interesting problem, Katie! This hasn’t happened to my towels before. You can try to wash it with a cup of vinegar (just put it in the fabric softener dispenser) and give that a try!
Can I use Oxi-Clean along with Dreft detergent to wash Norwex ? Its not bleach….
Hi Amy, yes, it is safe in your laundry with Norwex, as it is not a corrosive product. I have heard feedback from other consultants however, that they find the Norwex Stain Remover has been working better for them compared to Oxi-Clean. So if the Oxi-Clean doesn’t do the trick, I can hook you up with a bottle of the Norwex Stain Remover 🙂
I am a brand new customer and just received my norwex products today. I have had a history of trying environmentally friendly detergents and have hated all of them. So I did not purchase the dish liquid. Can I still use palmolive oxy dish detergent to wash my dishes with the enviro scrub or netted dish cloth? And in regards to cleaning my cloths with a little dish liquid when done, can I use the palmolive on those as well?
I might get some environmentally friendly dish liquid a try this week.
I’m not familiar with the ingredients in pamolive. You could use it with the netted dish cloth but I’d probably stay away from using it with our microfiber. Thanks.
Norwex Newbie here! I wanted to thank you for this blog post and all the feedback to the questions and comments. This has been a wealth of information and I feel better equipped in using my Norwex starter kit now. Thank you so very much!!
Thank you so much! Stop back again. 🙂
I was told that when laundering the enviro cloths to not use detergent with any fragrance or it will stop the antibacterial action of the silver. Is this true? And what about using essential oils with the cloths?
Thanks.
Synthetic Fragrance won’t ‘stop’ the antibacterial abilities of the silver. However, it does seem to build up quite heavily. And that build up, over time, seems to contribute to a smelly cloth. People seem to have better results with unscented detergent, and experience the best results with the Norwex detergents. When it comes to essential oils, there are no issues with pairing them with the cloths, whether it’s when cleaning or when adding them to the laundry!
My son put body was on my body cloth with it hurt it i washed it out with hot water….
That’s no problem, Gale! It won’t affect your Norwex Body Cloth. It’s repeated exposure that creates a build-up that can cause problems!
The last time we ran a load of Norwex they were thrown in the dryer with the heat on high. Unfortunately, what was not seen in the dryer were two “yarn” type dryer balls we use for our other laundry. Both of the balls unraveled and all the Norwex was coated on fuzz. Do you have any suggestions on the best approach to save them.
Your cloths will still work fine. They just don’t look so nice now! Unfortunately, this is a tricky problem that isn’t easy to solve. Most people have to sit and pick the fuzz off! You can also try patting the surface with the sticky side of packing tape. Or, pour boiling water over them. The hot water will cause the fibers to swell and the lint may be released. This may take a few soaks depending on how much lint there is.
Hi! I’m a brand new consultant and got my mop yesterday. I used the chenille dry mop in my kitchen and it left a pile of dirt on my floor when I was done. We have cats and when I tried to dry mop the litter it still left the fine litter particles on the floor and only pushed around the larger pieces of litter. I did the figure 8 motionoke recommended. Any ideas on why it isn’t working? Thanks!
While the Norwex dry pads pick up some crumbs and large pieces of debris, they never pick up all of them. They’re meant to grab onto dust and hair, mostly! I always push the large particles into a pile, and either sweep them up with my broom, or grab a damp EnviroCloth to clean them up.
Help! my hubby decided to use the enviro cloth to apply shine restore plus carnuba wax (for cars) to another item. is it possble to get this product out of the cloth without ruining it?
Hi Susan, you can try the Norwex Microfiber Cleaner & Laundry Booster or do a deep clean with the Norwex Laundry Detergent. Those are the two methods I know of to get rid of any buildup in a cloth!
Hello. I live in another country and we don’t have hot water with our washing machine. I love the body cloths, but just washing them in cold water seems to leave them smelly. Also, we have high humidity so it takes forever for clothes and towels to dry, which can also leave them smelly even if they were just washed. How do you recommend I clean my towels and dry them after each use?
I would recommend adding a scoop of Microfiber Cleaner & Laundry Booster to your load of laundry. Since you don’t have hot water in your washing machine, you will need to dissolve and activate the Booster in 1 cup of very hot tap water first, then add it to your washing machine. If you do this every onece in a while, it should help you freshen them up!
I use a combo of Borax, Baking Soda and Oxy Boost powder with hot water. Let soak in sink for a while. Fresh and clean!
I don’t measure, just pour a bit of this and that in…
My husband accidentally bleached my norwex window cloth. I just did my windows post – bleaching and they’ve never looked worse! Help!!
Hi Daisy, I would try deep cleaning them with the Microfiber Cleaner & Laundry Booster – it should bring your window cloth back to life!
Hi! I find your info the most helpful I’ve read. You’re very detailed which I like. Is there a way I can ‘follow’ you or subscribe so I get all your tips? I have a Norwex consultant but she doesn’t publish a blog like this.
Hi Vicki – if you scroll down the blog page, you’ll see a ‘Subscribe’ block on the right hand side, just a little ways down. You can enter your info into there, and you’ll receive an email every time there’s a new post! If you want to follow me on social media, click the social media buttons at the very top of the blog, to follow me on there!
All of my body cloths and towels are stiff. They feel like old worn out rags. They are used daily and laundered in free and clear detergent weekly. I’ve tried rinsing in vinegar. I’ve tried using washing soda with detergent, and alone. I’ve boiled them with and without UPP. Nothing that I’ve tried is softening them. It took 4-5 washings before they started getting rough and stiff. Have you any recommendations for getting them soft again? I’ve been using them for 2 years. Thank you.
Hi Amy. Do you have hard water (high mineral content)? Two years is our official lifespan / warranty period of our cloths, but many people are able to use them longer than that. If they are stiff, I would guess that there is some type of build up in them.
Hi Suzanne! What a wealth of info you have here. Thank you! Question: My teen children prefer to use a small amount of Downy liquid fabric softener in their laundry loads and I use vinegar (and UPP) in mine. Does liquid softener coat the dryer like dryer sheets? I am very careful about washing and drying my Norwex, as I want them to last as long as possible. Thanks.
As long as you’re not using the softener in your Norwex-specific load, you should be fine, Sandy!
i noticed that you say you can use an laundry detergent in your official norwex instructions. But I thought it had to be a no filler laundry detergent?
In my ‘unofficial’ instructions, I mention you can use any laundry detergent because based on customers that have used any detergent with their Norwex, they have found that their cloths still work effectively. Norwex does ‘officially’ recommend a detergent with no fillers because it helps the cloths last longer. It’s a good ‘maintenance’ policy to use a detergent with no fillers. But you don’t HAVE to use a special detergent with these products. The cloths aren’t going to be ruined from it, but it is recommended. You DO want to avoid Bleach, Fabric Softener and Dryer Sheets definitely though, as they DO affect the performance of the cloth. Know that the Norwex Ultra Power Plus laundry detergent is an awesome detergent, that also helps save you money, so it’s totally worth the switch!
I accidentally washed mopping pads in Tide. Are they ruined?
No; they should be fine.
I’m very interested in NORWEX products and company. I am having difficulty contacting a consultant so I can join the company and become a consultant my self. My loving daughter in Law gifted me with 2 sets of cleaning cloths for Christmas and I love them. Iv’e been researching your company every since and really like what I’m seeing. I have tried several times to join but can not get through to a consultant to actually order my beginners kit.
Hi. I’d love to help you get started. Please call or email me. Suzanneholt@live.com 651-402-0306. I look forward to helping you get started.
I bought the car washing set for my husband and just found out that each piece is made in China instead of USA or Canada…did I get scammed? Bought them at a flea market where a consultant was demonstrating and taking orders for Norwex products and party bookings.
The majority of our microfiber has been made in China. I’ve been in our factory there and it’s amazing!
Hi Suzanne,
Ihave only been air drying my norwex cloths, mop heads and sponges but would like to put them in the dryer. Prior to my starting to use Norwex, I did use dryer sheets but have not used them since February. Is it safe to put my products in the dryer now?
I would think that most of the buildup should be gone from your dryer, but you could run a wet cloth over the dryer to be sure.
I oil cleanse my face with castor oil, pumpkin seed oil, and grapeseed oil mixed. My Norwex body cloths are now caked in oil, despite me rinsing them in very hot water and agitating them in Castile soap handwash I have in my bathroom. I make my own laundry detergent which also cannot seem to clear the oil. Any recommendations?
Can I use a drop if Ultra Dawn Dishwash detergent to wash out my face cloth after every use? The bottle does not state any ingredients. There is a statement “do not add bleach” on the bottle. Thanks!
That should be fine.
Hello,
I just became a Norwex Consultant and have my first party next week! Im trying to be proactive on what type of questions I will receive. One thing I cannot really find a good answer for is if someone doesn’t have the Norwex dishwashing soap, can they use regular dishwashing soap to lightly clean their cloths?
I try to just recommend that they use ours and if they use something else, it’s really at their own risk because I don’t know the ingredients in other products.
Is it really necessary (for the cloths to last long) to rinse them out with Norwex dish soap every night? Or Can I just rinse it out.
Hi Karina – your clothes will still last a long time if you just rinse with water. Rinsing out with soap gets them that little bit extra cleaner, and means you can do laundry less often! Thanks for stopping by!
I’m so glad I stumbled onto this page, I am a new owner of the Envirocloth, the Kitchen Scrubber and the Glass/Window rag (sorry, I don’t know the official name!) I’ve been nervous to use them as I keep reading that they clean perfectly with just water. Really?? Hmmm, this concerns me. But I’ve been wiping my counters and stove with just water and the Enviro Cloth seems to be doing well. How about dishes though? Is water enough? My Enviro Cloth is just now beginning to smell (after a couple weeks of use I have to admit), and I tried using just the Norwex dish soap. I’m here to tell you, it’s not enough. I’ll be putting it in the washer with hot water and a free and clear detergent. I hang both mine up after each use to dry and that does help. Thanks for making the cleaning part clearer to me… Now if you could really clarify the using part with the water, I”d be over the moon!!! Thanks!
The enviro cloth on its own can be used to clean with just water. Have you read about the microsilver we add to the cloths to help them just purify? For dishes, we recommend our mesh dish cloth and dishwashing soap because of all of the food debris. The enviro cloth should not be used to wash dishes. That will make it stink because food won’t rinse out well.
I use dryer sheets in my dryer but understand that I shouldn’t dry my norwex cloths using a dryer sheet. I’ve also seen people say that you should not even put the cloths in a dryer when dryer sheets have ever been used. Can you clarify if it’s OK to dry them without a dryer sheet or if I need to air dry? I’ve tried putting them inside a washing net, inside a pillow case, inside a larger washing net to get them dry without exposing them to dryer sheet residue. Is that even necessary to protect them? Trying to do the right thing, but no dryer sheet is not an option in my household.
Hi Amy. You should not put your Norwex in the dryer if you ever use dryer sheets. Instead, you should hang dry them. We do recommend dryer balls as an alternative to dryer sheets. If it’s the scent that you need, essential oils are fantastic with our wool dryer balls.
So you can use essential oils with the dryer balls? I thought we shouldn’t use any oil. Can you please clarify?
Yes, essential oils are fine on the dryer balls, Trena!
I’m wondering if this means it’s ok to use essential oils on the dryer balls when drying my Norwex?
Yes, essential oils on your dryer balls is fine, for both the Norwex cloths and dryer balls!
What about OxyClean? I typically throw a little of that in with each load of clothes, and just put some Norwex in with my clothes without thinking about it.
I’m not sure what all of the ingredients are in OxyClean but I would recommend not using it with your Norwex cloths. Thanks for stopping by!
I’m very new to Norwex and just got the Safe Haven package. I have a large family (5 kids 1yr -9yrs) so I do laundry every other day probably between 4 – 6 loads in my XL front load HE washer. How much UPP should I be using in my HE washer? I’ve heard just a tsp works but I assume that is for small loads. If I follow the package directions I will literally go thru detergent every 2 wks – I just can’t afford that. This detergent is very $$. I was using ECOS and had considered adding UPP to the ecos as a booster? or vinegar to the UPP? I washed a large load of my husbands smelly work clothes with 4 tsp of UPP in hot/cold and his clothes still smelled so I had to rewash using Ecos. Does UPP work best in hot water? Should I dissolve it first before using in the washer dispenser for better results? I’ve also looked into Charlies Laundry Soap as a green more affordable alternative to UPP. I’m confused…
Appreciate any feedback /advice!
Thanks!
Hi. Thanks for stopping by! You could start with 1 teaspoon of UPP in your HE machine and then increase if you feel that you need more, but don’t use more than the bag says to use. We typically find that people like to use about one teaspoon per load. If the load is quite dirty, warm or hot water may be best. It’s also possible that you used too much UPP with your husband’s clothes. We find it works better with less so that it dissolves well. You can dissolve it first in hot water if you like. Many of my customers do that, but it’s not mandatory. Thanks again!
How necessary is it that I put my microfiber in the dryer? I like to line dry.
Line drying should be fine, especially if they get sunshine every once in a while.
Hi, The “Deep Clean” with really hot water and detergent WORKS GREAT. I was discouraged because I couldn’t get my cleaning cloths smelling clean….mildew smell, can’t stand that smell…..I filled my sink with HOT water, put in my no filler natural laundry soap, and left it to soak over night. WoW, it was like almost new. It hasn’t smelled since. I am a SERIOUS fan. I pretty much wipe down all mirrors and surfaces daily and i can not believe how great these cloths are!!!! I follow a fantastic plan called Flylady.net so my house practically cleans itself. I spent soooo much less time cleaning because of these cloths….
Sorry for long post but your tips are really helpful for keeping these cloths in service longer.
Thanks so much Holly!
Question about the “no oil in soap” rule
I use castile soap for both dish washing and laundering. The dish soap is Dr Bronners and the laundry soap is made to rinse completely out (used for cloth diapering as well). Since it’s a soap made from oil but isn’t actually oil or contain direct oil additives, do you think it will still rinse clean from Norwex?
Thanks!
I’m really not sure about any soap other than Norwex.
Sarah, have you tried it? Did Dr. Bronners work?
Can I dry my Norwex cloths and dusting mitt in direct sunlight on my clothesline and leave it hanging outside all day.
I can’t see it being a problem! Norwex recommends putting your microfiber in the dryer after laundering, as the heat helps expand the fibers and fluff them up again for the next time you use them. I would toss your cloths in the dryer from time to time, but hanging them on the line to dry is fine on a regular basis!
Can you tell me how to wash the dish mat?
Hi Carla,
You can launder the dish mat in your washing machine! Just avoid using bleach, fabric softener or dryer sheets!
I washed and dried my Norwex dusting mitt, tide concentrate no bleach. When I dusted a glass shelving unit it was just smearing the dust around. What did I do wrong and how can I fix it?
Try rubbing your Dusting Mitt vigorously with your hands, before dusting, to create a static charge which will help the dust stick to the mitt. I do this every time before I dust!
Thanks for all of your amazing posts on Norwex. I’m finding them very helpful! My question regards the Bath Towels. I have several I purchased, and used them daily for weeks (yes, weeks, it was a test) without any smell. Since then, I’ve used and washed them, using Norwex UPP. Now however, the towels have this bad smell in them! I have even resorted to boiling one of my towels, no luck! I only use the wool dryer balls in the dryer, and I don’t overdry them. Now, along with a stinky smell, the towels are losing their softness. In fact, even taking one out of the dryer, you can see the creases in the towel from the twist from wrapping the towel around me. I’m so sad (and upset) after spending so much money on what I thought was a great product. Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,
My suggestion Cynthia, is to wash your Norwex towels in the hottest setting you can, and dry them on the hottest setting for a loooong time – this is the time that you want to over-dry them… let the heat of your dryer kill any of the nasties in your towels. Norwex microfiber actually needs to be washed and dried at the hottest possible temperatures; the heat opens the fibers up, allowing everything trapped deep in the microfiber, to get out, including whatever is making your towels smell. You could also try washing them with a wee bit more Norwex detergent then you usually use, and then add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to your final rinse…. I would even do an extra rinse, if your washer has that feature. Also, don’t overcrowd the load when you wash them – give the towels lots of room to slosh around in the hot water!
Thanks for the tips Deja. I’ve been afraid to “over-dry” them because they get way staticy even with the wool dryer balls. Maybe I’ll pull out the other clothes then extra dry the towels. I have a front loading HE washer, and I use about a teaspoon per load. They said not to use more than that because it might over suds (although I’ve never had a suds problem….) I’ll let you know how I make out!
Hi. I love your site by the way. 🙂
My question is, Will it hurt my cloths to wash them with the Downy Unstoppables? This is my first time washing my cloths, in the wash machine, and I wasn’t thinking clearly, and I put them in with the unstoppables. I washed them with the Norwex laundry detergent, with a second rinse cycle, and maximum extract. I hope I haven’t hurt them! I can’t live without them!
Thank you!
Brian
Kentucky
No, you haven’t hurt them! Fabric softener leaves a yucky coating over the fibers. Therefore, repeated exposure to fabric softener is going to leave a noticeable effect. Your cloth MAY need one or two more launderings before all of the fabric softener is washed out of your cloth, but it’s good to go!
I spray my shower with viniger as a cleaner. Can I use my enviro cloth with the viniger cleaner?
Yes, vinegar can be used in combination with your Enviro Cloth. I used to use Vinegar to clean tubs and showers that had a lot of build up. However, once I tried the Blue Diamond cleaner, I never went back! It was truly more effective (from a home cleaner’s perspective, not as a salesman!). It’s really great for hard water build-up on glass doors and the faucets. If you scrub the surface with a Spirinette after it’s been sprayed with Blue Diamond, the effect is even better! The Blue Diamond is a concentrated product, so it will last you a very long time.
Thank you for all the helpful information. I just love the products!!
Can washing the antibac cloths with the silver threads in sudsy amonia cause the silver to deteriorate and become less afffective?
Darcy, unfortunately, you shouldn’t use ammonia to clean your Norwex cloths as it will degrade the fibers, similar to the way bleach does.
Why, when dusting with my Norwex mitt does it tend to leave a trail of dust on the last swipe? The same thing happens with my long handle dusting tool too.
This happens to me sometimes too Ruth. I take it as a sign that I need to shake out my mitt or wand. Sometimes, if this reoccurs, I will get them slightly damp to help with the problem!
I deep cleaned my norwex cloths, which worked well. I am wondering if there is any way to get them fluffy again? The fibers seem matted, especially my body cloths. Is there a way to “revive” them?
Hi Jennifer, unfortunately the answer is no, there isn’t a way to “re-fluff” your Norwex cloths to their original softness. The good news is that even though the fibers look a little worse for wear, the cloths are still just as effective in cleaning as they were when you first bought them!
I really like the Enviro cloth and window cloth. I have talked them up so much to my friends, they all ordered them from my daughter in law at her party! I finally have windows that are not streaked. I have never done more than rinse them thoroughly after using. I’m glad to read here that I can wash them in the washer (without bleach or softener) if I think they look like they need it. The consultant said to just use water to rinse them and allow them to dry. I also like the white vinegar idea. Thanks for the info.
Hi there. Thank you for so much great information. I am relatively new to norwex but LOVE everything I’ve bought. My question is regarding my envirocloth. I use one for primarily light kitchen things, the counter and cabinets and such. My problem is that after a few washings it’s starting to fade and is getting a little stiff (and slower to take up water). At first I thought it was because of my washing combo, borax and nellie’s power which is coconut oil based, but now I have a newer cloth that is only washed in a chemical free liquid and I’m seeing the same thing. Can the hard water in my neighborhood have an effect on the integrity of the cloth? It’s just not what it was when i first got it. Thank you so much for your help.
Hi Whitney, the hard water in your neighborhood most definitely impacts your Norwex cloths, especially it’s absorbancy. Once the fibers get coated with hard water build up, they will repel rather than absorb the water. There are a couple of things you can do to help your cloths be less stiff: 1) Soak them in undiluted white vinegar for a few hours, or 2) Soak them in a water/Norwex Descaler solution for a few hours. Both of these methods will help to dissolve the hard water build up on your cloths. To be honest, I’m not sure which method will work the best, so you should start with the vinegar… it’s cheaper! If that doesn’t work, the Norwex Descaler should help them. You also may need a few “treatments” before they’re feeling better.
Just wondering, when you say after use rinse body cloths with dish soap, is that with Norwex dishwashing liquid or any dishwashing soap? When I had a consultant come over to my place to do a Norwex show, she said to not use ANY soaps on them (excluding the wash obviously) because it would coat the silver.. so i’m just looking for clarification 🙂
Hi Britani, the soaps you need to avoid using to clean your Norwex microfiber (face cloths included) are ones with these ingredients in them; 1) bleach, 2) fabric softener, 3) oils {hand soaps often have oil in them}. Any other soaps will work – you do not HAVE to use the Norwex laundry detergent, although it is great! The big issue with coating the fibers (and therefore the silver) with soap is if you fail to properly rinse the soap from the cloths after you’ve washed them. Don’t use the 3 ingredients I mentioned, rinse with hot water, and your cloths will be fine!
Hi, you say not to use soaps which contain oils? is this essential oils as I use kin kin natural for all my family and its all natural with essential oils?
Norwex officially recommends not using any oil based detergents, including those that contain essential oils. I do know that a number of consultants use their cloths in combination with essential oils sometimes. However, I don’t know how this affects the lifespan of the cloth, or its effectiveness. You would be best to use a different detergent for your Norwex Microfiber, such as the Ultra Power Plus detergent from Norwex or another green brand that does not contain oils!
Will the colors bleed if I wash my Norwex cloths for the first time in hot water? Can I use a Shout Color Catcher in the wash with Norwex products?
Nikki, the colors will not bleed if you wash your Norwex cloths in hot water – you won’t need to use a Shout Color Catcher!
Thanks so much for all these tips! I was guilty of leaving my Norwex Antibac cloths in a heap after I used them to wipe up my kids’ messes. The result was stinky! I boiled them with a bit of vinegar first on the advice of a family member, and was left with clean smelling cloths and some really brown water. But then I decided to try soaking them in Norwex detergent, as you suggested (immediately after boiling), and the water was an even darker brown when I removed the cloths. Gross! I can’t believe I had let so much build up, but I’m so glad to start over with fresh, clean cloths. I’m going to try to use the dish soap trick to prevent future stink! Thanks again!
I suspect the brown water was not the gunk coming out of the cloth but perhaps the reaction of the Stainless steel pot (if you used SS) with the silver in the cloth. The same thing happened to me. What kind of pot did you use? Curious.
I have been using the body cloths, but I still use them with my regular body wash soap. Is this going to ruin them? I do wash them with Norwex detergent.
Dana, it’s not going to ruin your cloths, but with the body wash, the Norwex Body Pack cloths aren’t going to be as exfoliating if they have soap in them, and they’re not going to clean as well… the soap will be doing the cleaning rather than the microfiber. Just make sure you REALLY rinse them out well so that the soap doesn’t clog the microfibers.
Hello, I am concerned if I wash the filthy cloths with all the bacteria on them with bath towels or sheets or T-shirts , taking this in consideration that the bacteria would contaminate my towels. Do you know if this is a correct thought? Also can I wash all my cloths together in the machine or are other fabrics needed to rub together against cloths to open fibers? I have not bought any yet. I have been reading up on them.
Since the clothes you wear would have bacteria on them, and laundry detergent is designed to lift, remove, and wash away dirt and bacteria, washing the Norwex cloths with your normal loads of laundry isn’t something you need to be concerned with at all. If you feel like this might be an issue for you though, you can always wash them in hot water separately… the Norwex cloths don’t need to have other fabrics to rub against to get clean.
Hi!
My boyfriend grabbed my Norwex cloths and washed and dried them with a load of towels. Are they ruined from all the lint that comes from towels? I read they aren’t ruined from the dry sheets. I don’t know what to do about the lint. Please advise. Thank you!
Hope, don’t worry AT ALL about your Norwex cloths – they definitely aren’t ruined by the lint from your towels! Confession: I ALWAYS (and I mean all the time) wash my Norwex cloths with my towels, and I’ve never had a problem with lint 🙂
I am loving my Norwex products. I have never washed any of them yet. After reading about how request soaps coat them I refuse to wash them yet… Just ordered the dishwashing lig and UPP laundry detergent. I have always used Tide and dryer sheets and stopped using fabric softener yrs ago. Palmolive as my dish soap. I have rinsed my Norwex kitchen cloth with a little Palmolive soap but always rinse well with hot water. So my question is. I hear the dryer sheets leave a residue in your dryer! Do I need to clean my dryer before drying my Norwex towels? If so how do I do this. Also with my purchase I am getting the fluff balls. Making major changes! Do these balls work as well as dryer sheets for static? Thanks for your blog!! It’s been very helpful!!
Angela, it’s so great that you’re making such huge changes in the way you clean your house, getting rid of harmful chemical cleaners! I’m so happy to hear that my blog has been helpful to you in your journey!
If you’ve used dryer sheets for a long time in your dryer, it would be a good idea to give your dryer drum a good scrub. The best product for this is the Norwex Micro Hand Pads – they will completely remove any residue from your dryer. As far as the Norwex dryer balls are concerned, they are great, but because they’re not using a chemical to eliminate static, many people say that they don’t work at all. Here are a few things to remember when drying your laundry, which will help eliminate static: 1). DON’T over-dry them! This is really important because static in your laundry is caused by the friction of dry fabric rubbing together. If you simply reduce your drying time by about 10 minutes (especially in the dry winter months), you will notice a huge change in the static. 2). If you can, dry your cottons separate from your polyesters, or take out the polyester items early. This point relates to the first one: polyester dries way faster than cotton, so it will be in your dryer, fully dry, rubbing against itself, creating all kinds of static, while the other fabrics are still not dry! If you remove them before they have a chance to do this, you’ll have less static!
Hi Deja, Someone tried cleaning enviro cloths by putting them in a soapy water n microwave it. It seems to remove the sinky smell . Since you mentioned heat is very good at opening the microfiber , it seems logical to do that, n fast.ni tried n it works as well. However, will microwave destroy the silver ? Any thought on this?
I’ve heard from others that putting them in the microwave works great for getting the smell out of stinky Norwex cloths, but Norwex doesn’t endorse this. To be honest, they’ve never really given me the scientific reason for this. I don’t believe that it’s going to destroy the silver, and I don’t think it’s going to wreck your cloths. I’m checking with Norwex though, and I’ll post what they send to me!
Did you ever hear back on whether or not microwaving destroys the silver in the cloths?
No, I don’t have an answer for that, but I don’t recommend microwaving them. There isn’t a need for it.
When you use soap that is NOT the same as the one Norwex recommends to wash their products you will get a smelly cloth sooner. I’ve washed mine sooner when I used Dawn. But now that I only use the UPP Laundry Detergent my clothes last for about 2 wks
What is UPP DETERGENT?
Norwex Ultra Power Plus Laundry Detergent.
I have been using Norwex for a year and love how easy it is to clean my bathrooms and kitchen appliances. I am a little disappointed lately with the residue my wet mop is leaving on my hardwood floors. I recently bought a new mop thinking my last one was old but the new one is leaving a residue as well. The residue shows all footprints and handprints and leaves the floor messier looking afterwards. Am I doing something wrong? I do not use bleach or fabric softener. I would appreciate any input.
Dana, I’m wondering if the residue is from your water?… Since the microfiber itself can’t leave residue, and if you’re not using any chemical cleaner with your mop, the water you’re using would seem to be the next logical culprit. There have been a number of conversations with other Norwex consultants whose customers experienced the same thing as you are describing, and discovered that it was the “residue” in their tap water. One possible help might be using some vinegar in your wash water, rather than just plain tap water as vinegar strips away hard water minerals. The other option is to used distilled water, which unfortunately, you would have to buy… although it would still be so much cheaper than purchasing chemical floor cleaning solutions! I’d love to hear from you, if the vinegar idea works… let me know your experience with it!
We use Trader Joe’s laundry soap and dish soap.I just received my order and love it. I washed some yesterday bec they got smelly,but it still is smelly. I don’t have a dryer so had to dry outside. My laundry soap has some lavender oil in it. Is that a problem?I omitted the Borax,bec was told not to add any. Thanks for your help.
Hi Deja, I recently bought a heap of Norwex products, love them so much. I was told you could use normal washing powder so I put them in the wash but now my dry mop head has much less static and is not nearly as easy to use and the enviro clothes don’t seem to work quite as well. I thought it had to be the washing powder, I tried to see what it had in it on the box, didn’t seem to contain bleach but then I googled “OMO Ultimate ” sure enough it contains bleach. I have since swapped to the Norwex laundry detergent, its great, everything is so much fluffier but the cloths etc seem only very slightly improved, just wondering if there is any way to restore them ? I suspect they are permanently ruined , I read above you said the softener will eventually wash out but the bleach destroys I guess ? I feel bad for using a washing powder with bleach ( for the environment ), I didn’t know ! feeling very sad about my norwex products. Thanks, Lee
Hey Lee, I’m so glad to hear that you love the Norwex products! Although bleach isn’t good for the microfiber, I don’t think you’ve ruined your cloths. I have cloths that are still highly effective for cleaning but are definitely not fluffy anymore… unfortunately, the loose their fluffiness rather quickly. If you think that you have fabric softener on them, you can soak them (for about 1 hour) in white vinegar, which will help to strip them of any built up residue. This might help them fluff up a bit.
You are very thorough in your blog writing — and you can tell you are passionate about your Norwex business. I had a question for you in regards to the Norwex face cloths —
When I remove my makeup (mostly mascara) it seems to stain the cloth. I will use a mild soap to wash it away (similar to what your recommended) but it still remains.
Thoughts? Are my cloths just too old?
Unfortunately Tammy, I have this same problem, especially with waterproof mascara. I’ve found that the mascara washes out of the cloths better when they are new, but when they get older, like you mentioned, the mascara seems to stick. If you have the Norwex Dishwashing Liquid, it seems to be the best for getting it out of the cloths, although still not perfect. Wish I had better news for you.
I use the norwex stain remover on mine. Put it on and give it a rub together and the mascara releases beautifully!
it seems like no matter how little norwex laundry detergent I use I can’t get all the suds out. is it ok to use vinegar in the rinse water?
You definitely can use vinegar in the rinse water when using the Norwex Laundry Detergent… I frequently do as well!
Hey, I just got my first mop system and I’m so excited to make the transition to a clean, chemical free home. Now since I don’t have the laundry detergent I don’t trust buying “filler free” detergents from the store. So my question is, can I use white vinegar for multiple launderings before I purchase the Norwex detergent? Also would you recommend norwex’s dish washing detergent (like dawn) for washing the cloths like you recommended?
Hi Mandy,
YES, you can use vinegar for laundering your cloths. If using the dish detergent for washing, I’d use just a small amount for handwashing your cloths. Not sure how effective it would be in a large load of water in the washing machine!
Just a note, Dawn dish soap is known to make dishcloths stink… found out the hard way!
when i do a deep clean, i still throw them in the washing machine to get a more thorough rinse! seems to do the trick