“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:
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.
Norwex microfiber CAN be dried in the dryer – the hot setting is the best.
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.
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!
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