Norwex Microfiber – Is this the best microfiber on the market?

THIS IS A REVIEW FOR A CLOTH I SENT TO KENNY CLEANING SERVICES...

Norwex Microfiber – Is this the best microfiber on the market?
April 26, 2010 in Green Products, Product Recommendations |

In my personal opinion yes!

I was recently introduced to the Norwex product line, thanks to a loyal twitter follower. (Please visit her website www.daniellethenorwexchick.com or follow her on twitter http://twitter.com/thenorwexchick )

She sent me a sample of a Norwex Microfiber Towel and I have been testing it for the last 2 months. I am very, very impressed with the quality.

I tested the new Norwex Microfiber against a new microfiber from Unger (until now my product of choice for my commercial accounts.) Immediately I noticed the “feel” of the Norwex microfiber. When you have experimented with numerous microfiber manufacturers, who can feel the different. It’s like running your hand over a 100% cashmere sweater and then a cashmere blend. You can easily distiguish the difference. The Norwex towel is really superior. When you pass the microfiber over the surface who can “feel” it grabbing the surface and catching the dirt and bacteria. It strongly resisted my efforts to pass it forward and backward on the counter top, a sign that it has superior “grabbing” power. When dry, the towel gripped better than any other I have used. I also was suprised to notice that I could actually feel the difference in cleanness on the surface just by running my hand over it.

Flipping the 2 towels over, it was visually clear which towel was stronger. The Norwex microfiber collected 100% of the dust, whereas the Unger microfiber left a small amount of dust on the countertop surface and it left a small collection of dust as it passed the edge of the counter top. You could see the dust collected on the beveled edge of the counter. The norwex microfiber collected all of the dust and held it tightly. It was easy to flip the towel without worrying that the dust would be disturbed. The towel worked equally well when damp.

After numerous washings in the washing machine (15 as of this writing), both towels tested consistently. The norwex seemed to maintain it’s “grip” equally well. (Both products are designed to endure hundreds of washings, so the real jury is still out of this)

Of course, the other concern is effectiveness against bacteria, especially when you desire is to disinfect surfaces without the use of chemicals. Sadly I don’t have a lab in my house, however, some research on the Norwex product website and independent studies, claim that the “Norwex Microfiber has a patent-pending silver agent woven into the cloth itself, enabling it to kill bacteria left in the cloth after rinsing within a few hours. No other microfiber can claim this feature.” That seems to be true, I could not find any other manufacturers who make similar claims. A quick Google search will help you find some indepedant lab tests that support their claims.

So, is the Norwex Microfiber the best product on the market. Personally I think that this is true. But, there are a few downsides about the product as well.

1. First . It appears that Norwex distributes their products through Independent Consultants. This means you cannot by directly from the manufacturer. It’s probably not a concern for anyone purchasing their products for the home, but I am not sure that it would work for a commercial user, i.e: buying in bulk, discounts, etc. (In fairness, I’ll let a Norwex consultant rebuttle this, I’m just throwing this out there.) We do not sell commercially;(

2. Second. Price. You’re thinking “Hey, in the last article you said you get what you pay for.” That’s true. And if I am purchasing just a few for my home, I don’t mind investing $16 per cloth. But if I’m buying 100’s of cloths, the difference between $11 or $12 dollars with Unger and $16 with Norwex, starts to add up and has to become a factor in my decision. (Unless, I can negotiate a lower price on a bulk purchase...

3. Third: This is a little thing but still something to consider. Norwex is readily available in Canada, but I don’t seem many American consultants. Will purchasing products from Canada increase the cost of shipping? Shipping is the same cost, anywhere in North America, $5.25 for purchases up to $199.99 and it goes up from there.

So, will I switch to Norwex for my business? Yes, someday. I just invested in new cloths from Unger a few months early and so I expect to get a few years out of them. But, once they wear out, I will strongly consider switching to Norwex and so should you!

Check out the Kenny Cleaning Services blog for more clean tips and information.

THANKS FOR THE GREAT REVIEW! I HOPE I WAS ABLE TO ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS/CONCERNS.