I want to show you the real truth about Norwex Microfiber in today’s post.
Today’s post will help you understand the HOW and WHY you can believe that Norwex Microfiber really DOES work, and that it’s not a scam!
How Microfiber Works
…and why it’s FAR superior for cleaning as compared to cotton or other fibers.
The basics of microfiber: The open spaces in the fibers created by the splitting process enable the cloth to lift away dust and dirt, leaving the surface clean.
Norwex microfiber is a blend of polyester and polyamide that is 1/200th the size of a strand of human hair.
And you know what? The Norwex EnviroCloth contains more than 3 million meters of microfiber!
Use it dry for dusting, and the static electricity lifts the smallest particles of dust and dirt up into the cloth and prevents them from resettling on surfaces.
Use it wet. The densely woven, superfine Norwex Microfiber physically removes up to 99% of bacteria from a surface using only water when following proper care and use instructions.
How to use it ‘properly:’
- Run the cloth underwater
- Squeeze out excess water
- Fold into fourths
- Wipe the surface, keeping the folded cloth flat
- Once that side of your cloth is soiled, flip to a clean, unused side. Keep flipping, turning the cloth inside out, if necessary, for four new clean side.
When you’re done your job, if the microfiber is not heavily soiled, you can hand wash with a dab of soap, rinse well, and hang to dry. If it IS heavily soiled, you launder it. You can find more detailed laundering guidelines here.
What About the People Who Say it Doesn’t Work?
When you hear or read about people talking about how Norwex doesn’t work (there’s not many of them out there, but a few), you’ll discover that they don’t actually understand how the microfiber works. People get confused with the BacLock feature of the cloth, and they think that the antibacterial agent, the silver in the cloth, is what is cleaning the surface.
Nope. The microfiber is doing the work to remove everything from the surface.
The Science Behind the BacLock
People also misunderstand how the Baclock is working to clean the cloth. There is a misconception that silver ions kill bacteria and but that is NOT the case. Active silver ions (AG+) inactivate the bacteria cells that the microfiber has picked up.
This is done in three ways:
- Breakdown of a cell’s life-supporting functions by inhibiting the transmembrane transport, thereby starving the bacterium
- Inactivation of intracellular enzymes that“digest the food”
- Damage the bacterium cell’s DNA so that it cannot reproduce
So, when you clean a surface, then hang the Norwex Microfiber cloth back up, the silver ions are inactivating any bacteria inside, meaning that within 24 hours (the amount of time the silver ions need to perform), your cloth has become clean, and is ready for its next use!
Now, that does NOT mean that you never need to launder your cloth! Depending on the number of bacteria and the lapse of time between the use of the cloth, overgrowth can still occur within a Norwex microfiber cloth. So, once your cloth is heavily soiled, either after one use, or multiple uses, you launder it.
Third-Party Testing
Norwex also hires a Third-Party Lab to test all of their microfiber products for effectiveness.
Let me repeat that…
Norwex hires a THIRD PARTY LAB to test the Norwex Microfiber for effectiveness!
These lab tests reveal that our densely woven, superfine Norwex Microfiber physically removes up to 99% of bacteria from a surface using only water when following proper care and use instructions (that’s why we can make the claim)! Lab testing is also done to ensure cross-contamination does not occur. Tests demonstrate that you don’t have to worry about cross-contamination, as the microfiber is holding on to everything it picks up, until you wash it!
Testing is also done for the effectiveness of the antibacterial quality of the cloths.
This fact is SUPER important in helping you understand that Norwex IS NOT a scam!
Did You Know?
All testing for antibacterial efficacy in Norwex microfiber products is completed using the International Standards Organization’s (ISO) standard 20743:2007(E) to test its microfiber cloths. ISO is the recognized standardized testing method to determine the antibacterial activity of finished textile products. In the case of Norwex microfiber cloths, this test is used to evaluate the products’ ability to clean itself of bacteria, mold and odors.
“Traditional Cleaning” and Why Norwex is Just Better
Did you know that if you want to DISINFECT a surface with a traditional chemical disinfectant, and kill 99% of the bacteria on the surface, you have to LEAVE the product on the surface for 10 minutes?
This also applies to disinfectant disposable wipes, PLUS you are supposed to wash your hands after using them!
With Norwex Microfiber, you only need a wet cloth and a wipe! Wouldn’t you rather remove everything from the surface right away? Talk about being able to clean faster and more effectively! There’s also no waste. So, you’re saving time. You’re saving money. You’re saving the earth!
When it doesn’t work:
If you purchase a Norwex product, and it’s not working based on what you read it could do, Norwex has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. That means that if you contact your consultant within 60 days of purchase, they will return or exchange any products that are damaged or defective to your complete satisfaction.
PLUS, your Norwex microfiber has a 2-Year Warranty. So, they’re guaranteed to work and last for two years after you receive them. Sweeeeeet! Many customers experience their microfiber lasting longer than 2 years though!
So, do you see now, the real truth about Norwex Microfiber, and that it’s simply the easiest and most effective way to clean?
Hi Janet! I am interested in these cleaning cloths!! They sound terrific!! Thanks for sharing!!
From: Sue S from COTL
Sue – you can order them online at http://www.norwex.com/suzanneholt . Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you so much for all the information that you have shared!! I have several Norwex products and they are all awesome. God bless you and have a wonderful day!
I have to disinfect the house and car using things like Lysol spray
and Clorox wipes to kill corona virus. Will using my envirocloths hurt them to wipe down later?
We don’t recommend getting those cleaners on our microfiber, so it would kind of be an “at your own risk” type of thing. They may not work well afterward.
Does anything in the Norwex line kill the covid19 virus?
We have not done any testing in regard to viruses, so I recommend following CDC guidance on that.
My husband used my Norwex with Backlock cloth with a chemical cleaner (Mr. Clean) containing sodium hydroxide. Could this have ruined the silver in the cloth? Thanks.
It’s not great, but I would recommend trying it a few more times and see if it starts to grow an odor. If it does, the silver may have been impacted. Thanks.
Hi there,
Thank you for all the great information. I was wondering if you know the affects on the silver with use of alcohol or essential oils? With the virus going around we have been disinfecting with alcohol to ward off contact.
It’s fine to use our cloths with essential oils but I haven’t seen any testing on alcohol with them.
Such a good and interesting read. I understand that an enviro cloth can remove bacteria from a surface, leaving it almost clean but why wouldnt that same surface now need to be disinfected, since the enviro cloth doesn’t disinfect only removes?
After reading that, my question might be confusing. I meant to ask why wouldn’t we still need to disinfect the area after the bacteria has been removed? Wouldn’t it still need to be disinfected? Thanks
Disinfecting is killing bacteria. If the EnviroCloth removes 99% of all bacterial from the surface, there’s nothing left that needs to be killed!
Does a water softener affect Norwex rags?
Soft water is better for our cloths than hard water.
I was wondering if the facial cloths/pads then remove all bacteria from your skin. A healthy skin flora, or microbiota has good and bad bacteria in balance I believe. So won’t the cloth strip my skin flora?
Thanks for your input.
The beauty of using a product like the Body Cloths or Facial Pads is that they WON’T completely strip your skin of all the good bacteria, like most soap/liquid based cleaners will, and they help keep your skin in a good balance!
Suzanne, I am a Norwex consultant and am trying to answer this same question from one of my customers – is there any documentation or article explaining how the good bacteria or skin microbiome is not removed by using the body cloths? Thanks!
Hi Heather,
All consultants can find the detailed answers they’re looking for by calling Norwex Head Office with their questions!
You recommend cleaning the cloths and mops with a bit a dish detergent and warm water after use and rinsing thoroughly. I see you recommended to someone who uses Dawn dish detergent to use something a bit “greener.” I use Palmolive dish soap. Any possibility you CAN recommend a “greener” dish soap to use that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? Thanks!
It’s difficult to recommend specific products, as different products are available in different areas. Plus, I’m SUPER partial to the Norwex dish detergent, so why would I name any other brand ;). Check out the organics section of your local grocery store for good options!
Are the results from the third party lab posted anywhere? I would like to see them.
The Third Party Lab results are not publicly posted. If you have specific questions, I’m happy to answer them in an email though!
So, how would we know they exist or be able to trust in them? I would love a good cleaning product, but this sounds really shady. If they exist and say what you claim, then they should be shared.
You’re welcome to search YouTube of videos of people using Norwex Microfiber, then shining a Black Light on the surface afterwards, that demonstrates their effectiveness. It’ll blow you away!
the Norwex cloth really works! We have a lot of Norwex things and they all work very well i would recommend Norwex to anyone who is looking for a new cleaner that actually works because this works like crazy!
As the cloths break down don’t the micro fibers get onto the sewage system and then the environment? It’s my understanding that tiny fibers that take a long time to break down are the worst for our oceans and wildlife.
Hi Barbara, all microfibers break down and get into the environment, you’re correct. This is true for the clothes we wear as well, as polyester fibers from our clothing have the same issue. Thankfully, Norwex, among other companies, are actively working on solutions for this problem. You can make a difference by only washing your clothes and microfiber cloths when they are soiled, instead of overwashing. And Norwex microfiber doesn’t have to be washed after every use, only once it’s become heavily soiled, since it holds on to everything it’s grabbed onto. So, it’s easy to reduce the amount of laundering you need to do with these cloths!
I also recommend hanging instead of throwing them in the dryer you notice with a dryer the lint trap and everything it catches? You can reduce that by hanging to dry instead
Hello! 🙂 thanks for all the info! I’ve recently become a consultant. I have used a Norwex cloth super happily in lieu of grocery cart wipes for quite a while now every time I go out to the grocery store, or with my kids out in public (library, etc.).
I’m wondering if let’s say I wipe One cart and potentially get some pretty bad germs off of there, would I be safe to say if I rinse it and then hang it to dry that it will be fine to use at the next grocery store, or with my kids hands when we get out of the store? I want to be really confident when I present the reasons why I like Norwex, when I get started. Thanks for your help!
Hi Erin. To be confident they’re ‘clean,’ make sure they are able to dry completely in between uses. The silver needs the full drying time to be fully effective. Know too that the silver can only handle ‘so much’ bacteria, so after it’s been used a few times, you’ll want to launder it. Whenever you have questions, you have a lot of resources available to you. Check with your Upline, or call Head Office, to ask them your questions!
This is where I get confused. How do you know at what point in your cleaning your cloth is not as effective? Like Erin was saying, how many shopping carts can she clean off before she knows the effectiveness is wearing out?
You will see the fiber wear down over time, but in my experience it’s many years before that happens. Even with that said, I’ve used 10 year old enviro cloths to do the raw chicken and protein swab demo and it still passed.
So, would she be able to wipe the carts, then go to the library, wipe the table, then wipe her kids’ hands after an hour, all with the same wipe? Would she have to rinse it between? How long can you clean with it in one sitting before it needs to be rinsed and/or washed and hung to dry fully before it is effective at cleaning again? How do you know when it’s “heavily soiled”?
Rinsing in between uses is recommended, especially if it can’t be hung to dry in between uses. Having multiple wipes in a waterproof bag (a pocket for dry and a pocket for wet) helps make it possible to wipe multiple things within an hour. Determining ‘Heavily soiled’ sometimes comes down to a matter of personal preference, depending on what has been wiped down, and how dirty the surface was.
Would this really be a good choice for cleaning things like shopping carts? I don’t have a huge concern for bacteria on the carts. My concern is grabbing a cart that someone with the flu has just sneezed on. This does absolutely nothing for viruses, right?
It is perfect for cleaning things like shopping cart handles; I use it for that all the time.
I guess I’m still not clear on the ability of norwex cloths to remove viruses. You said you use them to clean shopping carts but do they remove viruses that might be on the cart?
Norwex cloths have not been tested for their removal of viruses.
Sorry to say, but the Norwex EnviroCloth is damaging our ecosystem in more ways than one. Nanosilver leaches out of textiles when its laundered, and when the silver enters wastewater, it has several toxic effects on the environment, including mutations.
“In humans, exposure to silver can harm liver cells, skin and lungs. Prolonged exposure or exposure to a large dose can cause a condition called Argyria, in which the victim’s skin turns permanently bluish-gray.
Silver is toxic to many microbes and aquatic organisms, including zebra fish, rainbow trout and zooplankton.
Once silver goes down the drain and ends up at wastewater treatment plants, it can potentially harm bacterial treatment processes, making them less efficient, and foul treatment equipment. More than 90 percent of silver nanoparticles released in wastewater end up in nutrient-rich biosolids left over at the end of sewage treatment, which often are used on land as agricultural fertilizers.
This poses multiple risks. If plants take up silver from soil, they could concentrate it and introduce it into the food chain. It also can leach into groundwater or wash into rivers via rainstorms or erosion.”
AND
“Transparent zebrafish embryos, possessing a high degree of homology to the human genome, offer an economically feasible, medium-throughput screening platform for noninvasive real-time assessments of toxicity. Using colloidal silver (cAg) and gold nanoparticles (cAu) in a panoply of sizes (3, 10, 50, and 100 nm) and a semiquantitative scoring system, it is found that cAg produces almost 100% mortality at 120 h post-fertilization, while cAu produces less than 3% mortality at the same time point. Furthermore, while cAu induces minimal sublethal toxic effects, cAg treatments generate a variety of embryonic morphological malformations.”
Sources:
-Silver nanoparticles in clothing wash out – and may threaten human health and the environment
Authors: Sukalyan Sengupta (Professor of Wastewater Treatment, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) AND Tabish Nawaz (Doctoral Student, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth)
https://theconversation.com/silver-nanoparticles-in-clothing-wash-out-and-may-threaten-human-health-and-the-environment-90309
-Toxicity assessments of multisized gold and silver nanoparticles in zebrafish embryos.
Authors: Bar-Ilan O, Albrecht RM, Fako VE, and Furgeson DY
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19437466?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=1
Those are all of the reasons why Nano silver isn’t used in Norwex cloths! Norwex uses micro silver instead, so that it’s not harmful to the environment. Micro silver stays in the cloth forever. For example, it has the same amount in it 20 years later, as it did the day it was created.
I was browsing on Norwex website and notice none of the products (well, at least the ones I’ve checked) contains the ingredients or what’s in it.
Is the information posted somewhere on their website?
Hi Susan, Ingredients are currently propriety information, so they’re not publicly listed. However, if you need specific ingredient information for a particular product, you can send me an email at suzanneholt@live.com with your request, and I can share the information with you!
Are you saying I can clean my counter tops, then clean the bathroom, including the toilet, rinse it out and then clean my counter tops again?
When using microfiber to clean, go from cleanest to dirtiest. Once you’ve cleaned the dirtiest item, your item is now heavily soiled, and ready to be cleaned.
Hey there,
Thanks for all the great information. I tried to read through as to not repeat. I am into Doterra essential oils and i just bought the Onguard cleaner concentrate- its essentially natural soap with essential oils that we dilute with water. I’d like to start using on my dishes but I don’t want to ruin the baclock properties of the sponges. Also i’d Like to use their detergent that has similar properties -but could this effect the baclock during laundering? I know you suggest Norwex dish and laundry detergent but wanted to know if you have that info as its already purchased.
i did note that in one of the “demo” suggestions- Norwex states dilute several drops of essential oil in a spray bottle with water and spray the counter, use the envirocloth to wipe the surface for a nice scent. If they are suggesting this, essential oils shouldn’t jeperdize i’d Hope.
Looking forward to your response. Thanks!
High quality essential oils shouldn’t damage our cloths. Thanks for stopping by!
Hey! Love your post. Can we share it to our website obviously giving you credit and linking to your site?
Absolutely; as long as you share the link and don’t copy and paste the content. Thanks!
I’ve started to use Norwex products and am very happy with them. I use them at home and have also started saving money by using them at the church that I clean. After reading your post here, I wonder if I’m using them correctly. Normally, I have one cloth (when I’m cleaning at church) and will use it, rinse it out and continue on. Should I be using a little bit of soap instead of just rinsing with water and continuing on? I just bought the mop system and am looking forward to trying this on the ceramic tile flooring at the church I clean. Thanks for your input!
Hi Lisa – no need to worry that you’re using the cloths wrong. Rinsing as you clean works fine in the situation you described! Using soap is recommended if your cloth is heavily soiled. So if you felt that your cloths were getting really heavily soiled as you cleaned in the church, which would be a big building, or you were cleaning multiple bathrooms, for example, you could use a drop of soap to rub the EnviroCloth, then rinse, so that you can keep cleaning the rest of the building!
What type of soap? I use Dawn Dish soap.
Hi Amber – In my opinion, I would use a ‘greener’ soap on your microfiber for rinsing, other than Dawn (Norwex does sell a dish soap!)
I read somewhere that someone said their Norwex enviro cloth developed a stink, and she some how discovered it was the DAWN dish detergent residue! she switched. to another soap and problem resolved. Yay! I do se some soap to “clean my cloths” as I go because I hate stains and it seems if I spend a few minutes washing the cloths during dirty mobs (washing the green grunge off my outdoor siding, cleaning the winter crud off the siding etc, I was able to emerge with few to no stains!
I recently purchased some Norwex items and love them! The main reason I decided on giving Norwex a try is because I’m trying to make healthier lifestyle choices for my family and I starting with moving towards chemical free items in our home (so there’s a lot of diy stuff in my future as well, lol). One of the comments or reviews I have read elsewhere mentioned about the microsilver or baclock being transferred to the skin. Does this happen and is it a concern/harmful if it does? I felt very uneasy about introducing those particles into my body and have since been hesitant to use the body cloths that I’ve loved and towels I had bought. I have yet to use them on my daughter for this reason. Any studies or links you could add to help answer this would be appreciated. I just want to make sure I’ve made the wise choice. Also, I have used the body cloth sans soap as my consultant suggested and have even shaved without shaving cream with little to no razor burn. I still have felt clean, but does it do just as good of a job without soap? And last question I promise, lol. I am making my own laundry detergent with the main ingredient being Sal’s Suds. Will this effect my Norwex cloths negatively to be laundered with this? Thank you!
Hi Christy – Congratulations on introducing Norwex into your life! While I don’t have any links or studies to show you that the microsilver isn’t transferred to the skin, I can tell you that in all of the education I’ve received about microsilver, I have never once heard of it transferring to the skin! The microsilver never ‘leaves’ the cloth, or ‘runs out’ (which nanosilver can do). When it comes to using the body cloth without soap, the answer is YES! It still does just as good of a job. We are SO used to using soap that we equate soap as cleanliness. Feel free to use a small amount of a body wash that contains natural ingredients, or the Norwex Shower Gel, if you still want soap though! When it comes to laundry soap, the official recommendation from Norwex is to use one of the Norwex brands. From experience though, I’ve seen that other brands won’t ruin your cloths. I’m not familiar with Sal’s Suds myself, but you’d want to make sure it doesn’t contain: chlorine, fabric softeners, or heavy fragrance. If you avoid those products, you’ll find that your cloths last longest, and continue working effectively!
Thank you so much!
From what I have read, it’s the nano-silver that can enter the body. These particles are what cause concern to people. Norwex silver is not nano silver, so you don’t have to worry about it entering your body. Just to back up Suzanne.
Very informative
Thanks!
I just learned about norwex cloths. What makes them better than Mr. Clean micro fiber cloth. There’s quite a difference in price.
Hi Ann – The big difference is that Norwex cloths remove 99% of everything from the surface, while another brand of microfiber is going to need a cleaning solution to go with it, in order to be effective at cleaning. Cleaning with just water saves you lots of money! Norwex makes the top quality microfiber on the market. Instead of the minimum split of the fiber at 1/6th the size of the human hair, Norwex microfiber is split 1/200th the size of a human hair! Not to mention our exceptional 2-year warranty on our warranty, and excellent customer service from your Norwex consultant!
HI, I’m trying to figure out what Norwex microfiber is made from. You say it’s a blend of polyester and polyamid but from what? Is it from a natural source or synthetic such as recycled plastic bottles?
Hi Cass. Some of our products (like our cloth napkins and new wet mop pad) are made from recycled plastic bottles. Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve been doing a bit of research tonight and I was wondering if you could help me to understand a little bit better. I understand that the cloth will remove bacteria and hold on to it. I understand that the cloth does not kill the bacteria but inactivates it. My question is, after cleaning, I’m assuming that when you rinse, some of the bacteria is going down the drain, the remaining bacteria stays on the cloth and is inhibited from growing. The fact is, there will still be some bacteria there until I do a launder or deep clean, correct? If the silver theorectically suffocates the bacteria within the cloth, then would it not be killing the bacteria or is this statement incorrect? I think it’s a great concept but I’m thinking about becoming a consultant, and I truly want to understand how it works because I hear so many saying it kills the bacteria. The big question is I would like to know if the remaining bacteria on the cloth does die or is just inhibited from growing. Thank you for your time.
Hi Rebecca. I’d be happy to talk this through with you by phone if you like. If you email me at suzanneholt(at)live.com, we can set up a time. Thanks!
There are a few questions on here that you don’t answer – such as the one above. I wish you would answer them on this thread so all of this reading this don’t have to email you.
Hi Lisa. Sometimes people have questions that are so detailed that they are much easier to answer verbally. I will try to answer anything I can here so that everyone can share in the answer. Thanks for stopping by.
How about a link sharing the information requested? I am thinking about restarting and my coworkers…nurses…have asked these very same questions.
Hi Virginia. I need to only provide what Norwex officially states which is “Our antibacterial microfiber is one of the most innovative products in the industry! Norwex has developed a unique technology that combines an antibacterial silver-based agent with our microfiber. The antibacterial agent is actually embedded inside the tiny microfiber. The agent is solely designed to inhibit bacterial odor, mold, and / or mildew growth within the cloth.” This is taken from: https://suzanneholt.norwex.biz/en_US/customer/faq
Well I think we would all like it explained to us better! Right now I am feeling like my 159.00 was ill spent!
How do you know when your clothes no longer work? For example, my kitchen dish cloths are a four years old (one was two years). They smelled so sour after a couple years, that I eventually threw them away because boiling them was the only method that mostly removed the stink. On the other hand I’ve owned my micro-fiber cleaning cloths, enviro-cloths, and mops for four years as well and they are fine. However, how do I know if they no longer are cleaning properly.
Lastly, if you happen to get soap on the cloths does this ruin them?
Thank you!
Hi Makala – your cloths are ALWAYS cleaning properly. They don’t stop working effectively after a certain number of years. Things happen, like as in your case, getting a sour smell (which can be fixed a lot of the time with a Deep Clean, which you can find instructions for on this blog). As long as you’re caring for your cloths properly (especially keeping them away from fabric softener and bleach), you’re good to go basically until they start getting holes in them! Some people like to purchase replacement cloths because their other cloths are stained or not as fluffy, and they just want something newer looking and feeling. But there are consultants who have been with Norwex since the the beginning, and they’re STILL USING the cloths they got over 10 years ago!!!! I’ve replaced a mop head of mine, that started to wear in places, after a lot of use, as have customers of mine. But if you are experiencing no holes or wearing in your Microfiber, your clots are still working effectively! As for the soap, they’re not ruined if they get soap on them. You just want to avoid buildup, so give them a good rinse and wash, or boil for 10 minutes, to release any soap! Thanks for reaching out with your questions!
I am bit confused, do the wipes disinfect the actual surface you are cleaning (like a counter top) or only the wipe itself?
Hi Tommy, the cloths remove everything from the surface, and hold it within the cloth. So, you’re not disinfecting the surface. You’re removing everything! You’re left with a clean surface, with nothing left behind! This video may help explain it further! https://youtu.be/2FdxJwbTQu8
How is the cloth not disinfecting the surface but still removing up to 99% of the bacteria? Isn’t bacteria removed from disinfecting?
Hi Kaiya. Great question. I looked up the definition for disinfection on the CDC website. They define cleaning as the removal of visible soil from objects and surfaces. That’s what we are doing – removing the bacteria from the surface. Disinfection is defined as a process that eliminates many or all pathogenic microorganisms, except bacterial spores, on inanimate objections. https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/disinfection/introduction.html
How is she not using the cloths properly. I just purchased a norwex envirocloth and I did not get any instructions on proper use. I would assume that wiping the table 8 times would be sufficient. no?
Hi Sharon. You should have received instructions with the cloth. If you got it from me, please email me and I will send you instructions. Thanks!
Hi Kathy –
She’s not selling a competing product, but a different product altogether. Her article is a popular topic, and it brings people to her website, which helps her gain views and exposure.
Does the bacloc work on viruses?
Hi Brandy. We can’t make any claims with regard to viruses.
Is it safe to assume that the cloth will trap and hold all dust bacteria etc and that includes viruses? No that the silver deactivates them in any way, but holds them until you rinse?
Norwex cloths have not been tested for their removal of viruses.
Great article!
Has there been specific testing to indicate how long the silver stays with the cloth? How is the silver applied/attached to the microfiber, setting Norwx microfiber apart from other microfibers? Does all microfiber contain silver?
Do Norwex cloths still contain silver after a year? Two? Awaiting this info before purchasing.
Thank you!
All Norwex microfiber has a two year warranty, but our testing has shown the silver to still be in the cloth and effective for much longer than that time. Many people have cloths they’ve used for 5, 7, 10 years or longer. All of our BacLock products contain the microsilver. Thanks!
You didn’t quite answer the question- how long is the silver still in the cloth? We know you guarantee your cloths to work for two years but how do we know they are still killing bacteria and thus “working”? Do they break down when no longer killing bacteria? You said people use them for years – again, have you teted to see how long the silver is still in the cloth after normal use?
The silver is in the cloth, and is just as effective as day one, for as long as you have the cloth (as long as you haven’t laundered with fabric softener or dryer sheets)!
I am curious how people who use these cloths are able to know they are still effective after 2 years. How do we know they can last past that? Has a cloth been returned and tested for effectiveness after 2 years?
Head Office confirms that these are still just as effective after 2 years, as the first day they’ve been used! The cloth is effective until it falls apart!
What is the concentration of the silver in the cloths?
I don’t have that data.
What does fabric softener do to the silver., and can washing without softener over time remove the buildup or is the silver ruined for the life of the cloth?
Fabric softener coats the cloth and makes it not work as well. You can deep clean it to try to remove any fabric softener build up.
How do I know when they stop working? My cloths are several years old.
Our cloths have a two year warranty. You will see them start to wear down after that time.
I have read that the silver in the cloths may harm skin and that even laundering may not remove all bacteria on the cloth. Also, that it is not good to use them for food prep areas? Can you please address these questions? Thank you!
Hi Judy,
I’ve never heard any of these concerns. The silver is safe for contact with human skin. The microfiber does not cross contaminate, so even IF all bacterial didn’t get washed out, it’s not going to smear it across the next surface. Norwex microfiber is in fact BETTER to use on food prep areas than any other, because there’s no chemical residue that’s left behind and has to be washed with soap and water, like when disinfectant or disinfectant wipes are used!
I think I could read about the Norwex Microfiber (miracle) Cloths forever and still learn new things. Thank you for listing this out and giving more dimension to the ever-dimensional microfiber!
Science!