BloominClean...a healthier way of life: April 2011

I have a lady that is very careful about what she uses in her home & she really wants the cloths & looked up silver on the internet. I told her that I think it is silver nitrate that is in the cloths & in the toothbrush. She said from her search, that some silver, like colloidal is very good but there are other aspects of silver that are as bad as lead.

Answer #2:

It is not silver nitrate – it is a form of silver which is physically and chemically embedded within the microfiber itself so that it does not leach out of the fiber – it is basically in there for the life of the cloth – which is why it is so safe to use and safe for the environment – because we are not leaving little bits of silver everywhere! We are the only company that has been able to do what we do, and until we have a patent, we simply cannot share that information – sorry!

The silver in the toothbrush is simply 99.9% pure silver – it also isn’t a soluble form of silver – it stays on the toothbrush head – similar to eating off of silverware.

Question #3:

Regarding silver in the cloths:

Aren't Norwex cloths without the silver quite effective in removing bacteria and germs with just washing under hot running water and applying friction by rubbing the cloth against itself? So...is the benefit of silver that it eliminates all bacteria within 24 hours while without silver not all bacteria is eliminated? Don't ask me how I manage to sell so many when I still have questions. I just know they work and don't smell. I used my enviro cloth even to clean a nasty shower curtain that my children had somehow missed every bathroom cleaning time and I caught it about 3 weeks ago. The cloth took the rust and black spots (beginning mildew I believe) completely out with little work or time. WONDERFUL! Worked great on removing spots off my carpet also ----all with just WATER.

Answer #3:

You are correct - the fibre in the cloth does all of the bacterial removal from the surface, the silver has nothing really to do with it...but in the older cloths, even after rinsing out, there would still be some bacteria (there always are!)...and they would actually grow in the cloth as it was drying (as they do in any cloth). With the silver, they die in the cloth - so the next time you go to reuse a cloth, it will have much less bacteria in it (yes, even with a 99.9% reduction, there will still be the odd one...but fear not, most are good anyway!).

The silver results in a cleaner cloth with less odour issues...not in a cleaner surface.

Question #4:

I was asked if there is mercury in the silver based agent in the cloth products and I said I would find out. Could you please answer this question?

Answer #4:

No, there is no mercury in the silver-based agent.

Question #5:

What type of silver is embedded in the cloths and how it inactivates the bacteria? How it works on viruses?

Answer #5:

I cannot tell you the name of the silver-based agent as we are currently working on patenting this – but it is based on micro, not nano technology and is physically embedded into the fiber so it does not leach out. Silver simply disrupts the ability of unicellular organisms to respire (breath) and it is highly effective against most – including viruses and fungi as well. It is a very powerful antimicrobial agent.

Please note that the silver in the cloth has nothing to do with the cleaning of the surface – the surface is cleaned because of the fineness of the fiber and the amount of fiber in the cloth – this simply picks up and traps the bacteria within the cloth - it physically picks up and removes more than 99.9% of the bacteria. The silver in the cloth simply kills most things that get into the cloth as the cloth is drying. The cloth still needs to be laundered as usual to remove dirt and grease etc. If there is a build up of grease or soap etc., in the cloth it may prevent the organisms in the cloth from coming into contact with the silver.

Question #6:

I posted a question on the forum about the efficacy of our cloths against C difficile. I would like some 'hard science' on this one if there is any. The question came from a health care practitioner and I would like to give a credible answer.

Answer #6:

Our cloths have been shown to remove more than 99.9% of bacteria from hard surfaces – C. difficile is just another bacterium; it would be removed with the others. Whether the silver in the cloth would kill it is a different question – again, it has not been tested, so we cannot specifically say, but silver is effective against nearly all bacteria and viruses, so it likely would result in the death of the bacterium within the cloth. Again, specific testing does not exist, so we can’t really make any specific statements, other than what I have said. The cloth does not discriminate – it removes bacteria from the surface, most of which die in the cloth. If there is a major outbreak, use of a disinfectant may still be warranted.

Question #7:

After using the Antibac Enviro Cloth in your home for around 6 months to 1 year does the bacteria in your home build up a resistance to the Silver in the cloth where the Silver is no longer effective?

Answer #7:

The bacteria in your home really aren’t exposed to the silver – the silver is not being left on the surface you are cleaning; it is tightly bound in the cloth – therefore, the bacteria left in your home have actually never been exposed to the silver. That is the wonderful thing about how the cloths work, they simply pick and remove the bacteria, so there is nothing to become resistant to. Once in the cloth and they come into contact with the silver, most microorganisms will die – but never all – this is biology after all – there will always be some survivors!

Question #8:

Does the Silver ever ware out of the cloth or become ineffective over the course of the 2 year warranty?

Answer #8:

Test results show that after 100 washes, the silver was pretty much as effective as in a new cloth; so very little is washing out of the cloth and it is anticipated that the silver in the cloth will be present and effective for the 2 year warranty, and I would think, long after. That said, it is possible that some organisms are not sensitive or that there may be a build up of grease in the cloth such that microbes do not come into close enough contact to the silver…which is why I recommend boiling (about 10 minutes on the stove) heavily used cloths every now and then (a couple of times/year). This helps the fibers to swell and release grease/dirt/bacteria that may be trapped deep inside the fiber. A deep clean, so to speak.

Question #9:

Does boiling the cloths to clean them affect the silver in the cloth?

Answer #9:

That is a great question, but boiling the cloths should not affect the silver-based agent within the microfiber.

Question #10:

My problem is this:

If we state:

1) silver will not allow for bacteria to live in the cloth

2) silver disables the ability for bacteria, virus, and fungi to grow in the cloth

3) silver reduces odor in the cloth.

Then how come we are stating that the heat of the dryer is the best way to ensure the bacteria is completely eliminated. If after time you find your cloths have a slight smell even after hot washing and drying then boiling on the stove-top is another option to kill bacteria. Boiling disinfects

Is the silver claim accurate or not and if it is (and I have read the test results and report) then this is confusing the customer ( and myself) by telling them to use the dryer for 60 min and to boil their cloths in order to kill the bacteria.

Is there a better way to word this so as not to contradict the silver claim yet still be accurate?

Answer #10:

For the record – that document was created by a consultant, possibly the one who hired you, not head office. That said, it is all pretty accurate information…but often things are put together using old and new information together – i.e., the washing instructions were from a time before silver was added. However, it is still accurate – there will always be some microorganisms which still manage to live, even in the presence of the silver. In part, this could also be due to a build up of other things such as grease within the cloth. If the bacteria do not come into direct contact with the silver within the cloth, they may not be killed (i.e., if there is too much soap or grease residue within the cloth this could certainly reduce the effectiveness of the silver). Boiling really deep cleans the cloth and removes anything that may still be present, such as grease/oils/soaps as well as any remaining bacteria.

Perhaps you would like to reword the document slightly so that it doesn’t sound as confusing or so that it doesn’t sound as though it is contradicting itself. A simple way would be to say that the silver reduces the bacterial load in the cloth by 99.9%, but that the cloth still needs to be cleaned routinely to work effectively…and that a great way to really deep clean the cloth is to boil it etc.,..this can be done 2 to 3 times per year…or something like that.

Question #11:

Is there a chance of our silver turning skin permanently grey?

Answer #11:

No worries, there is absolutely no risk of people's skin turning grey, or anything else for that matter, in using our cloths. Truth is, they really aren't even exposed to the silver to any degree as it is bound within the cloth...and, if they were, it would have no greater effect than the silver jewelry they may wear or the silver in their dental fillings.

Argyria - the skin turning grey/silver - can happen at very high ingested doses of silver salts.

Question #12:

"The new Norwex Antibacterial Microfiber does not disinfect the surface you clean." [It is the first sentence of the second paragraph in the middle section on the inside of the pamphlet.] We know that the cloths remove 99.9% of the bacteria--how do we explain that it does not disinfect?

Answer #12:

The actual term “disinfect” means to kill the bacteria – we don’t use the term, because we don’t kill the bacteria on the surface, we remove it (of course, the net effect is the same – well, better actually, because the surface is cleaner).

Question #13:

"The new microfiber should be regarded as a complement to regular hygiene practices as it will help prevent the transfer of germs to your hands while cleaning and does prevent cross contamination."

Answer #13:

This means that even though the cloth has silver in it which should kill the bacteria in the cloth, that it still needs to be washed,

Question #14:

Every now and again I come across a customer who doubts that silver can be put into the fibers of our cloths.

Answer #14:

The silver is a micro-silver-based agent. When our microfiber is produced, it starts as a molten liquid and it is at this time that the silver-based agent is added. It is then extruded (forced through) something like a shower head. It starts out as a liquid on one end, and comes out microfiber on the other end. The silver-based agent is added when it is in a liquid form and is therefore physically embedded within the fiber – it does not wash out.

Question #15:

There has been some recent 'discussion' on my team forum about the silver in the cloths etc.... This question came up as a result of the discussion and so I thought I should just have you confirm an answer for me.

I thought the weave of the microfiber itself was so dense that even without the silver there is no transfer of bacteria from surface to surface. I believe that claim is made in the manual I have... could you please clarify whether or not that is true?

Answer #15:

Yes, there is evidence that the cloths do not cross-contaminate – this is simply based on the fineness and density of the fibre. Of course, that bacteria do not grow in the cloth would reduce this even further, but the cloths were known not to cross-contaminate well before silver came on board.

Question #16:

On the SARS study-What is Novaron powder? The person I had looking over this study does not see any information about Norwex's product being used in this study. Do we have studies that state Norwex's product in the test report? Before I get this person asking the above questions (and wanting specific evidence) to sign up as a consultant under me she wants actual studies using and stating they are using Norwex's product to get rid of bacteria.

So basically she wants to see in a study how Norwex's cloths will pick up and remove bacteria and how it dies when connecting with silver in the cloth.

I have many scientific people asking me to show more specific proof and I need some solid evidance to show them.

Answer #16:

Not sure which versions you have of the SARS and Bird Flu studies, but mine are titled:

Test Summary of Inactivating Extrasomatic SARS Virus With NORWEX Inorganic Antibacterial Agent and The in Vitro Inactivation Effect of Norwex Antibacterial Agent on Filter Upon Bird Influenza Virus (H5N1)

I will send along my versions here, so you can use them instead. We do not list the name of the actual ingredient as we are working on patenting this – for now, it is quite proprietary, but it is the silver in the agent that is doing the work. Anyone with any kind of science background, or not, should be able to google silver and find tons of information on its bactericidal properties – it is very easy to find. Regarding the studies about using the fiber - I’ll attach some test results here that show removal from surfaces using ours (before the addition of the silver) and I’m guessing you already have he Feiring clinic and Lund Hospital study summaries – no, these weren’t our microfiber, but they were a microfiber very similar to ours – ours is actually notably improved, because it is finer and there is way more of it in each cloth than in the cloths used by those hospitals.

Question #17:

I have a customer from my last night's show concerned about the absorption of the silver in our cloths into the body. She was very concerned about this and kept saying that silver absorbs into the body and can become dangerous once accumulated. Can you shed some light on this please? She also wants to know how much silver is in the cloths.

Answer #17:

She needs to do a little bit more looking up on silver - silver does not behave like other heavy metals and does not accumulate notably in the body - it is quite readily excreted. That said, there certainly are cases of overdoses - where people have ingested quite high concentrations, normally of silver salts, and have actually become silver in colour - it is called argyria.

That said, the silver within our cloths is not being leached out to any notable degree but stays bound within the fibre of the cloth, so that really isn't an issue anyway. She may also be concerned about nanosilver - you can assure her that our cloths do not contain nano silver, but micro-silver (which is 1000 times larger).

I don't have an actual number for exactly how much silver is in the cloths.

Question #18:

If the silver disables the bacteria after a few hours and rinsing gets rid of the surface dirt – why do we need to launder the cloths?

Answer #18:

Any dirt, grease, or soap within the cloth might prevent the silver from coming into direct contact with the bacteria - also, you can't clean with a dirty cloth - the cloths must be washed regularly with detergent to remove the grease/dirt that gets trapped in them. Also, I recommend boiling a couple of times a year for a super deep clean - the fibers are so fine that sometimes things get trapped - even though they are not being left behind on the surfaces we clean, it is a good idea to get them out of the cloth.

Question #19:

My sister has a HUGE lime problem. So bad that she thinks it will ruin any cloths that she would buy. Would it ruin her cloths?

Answer #19:

Lime build up in the cloths will definitely cause them to become harder over time and when used for an extended period of time to clean the windows, may result in a bit of lime build up on them as well - the simple cure - soak them in vinegar every now and again to soften them up and break up the lime deposits and use bottled water for windows...or add some vinegar to the window water to help break up the lime in the water. Another cure is to soak the cloths in some of our Descaler (spray the cloth down with it and add a bit of water so it is completely wet...let it sit for 10 minutes then wring it out.

I do suppose it is possible that the lime could effectively block the silver in the cloth as well and reduce its effectiveness (just as grease or soap within the cloth could)...but the fix is basically the same - a vinegar soak...and occasionally, deep clean the cloths by boiling on the stove - if you have hard water, you may want to soak them in vinegar first (about a 50% concentration should be good - they won't need to be in it for too long) - then wring them out well, boil on stove for about 10 minutes - and add a little vinegar to that water as well.

Question #20:

Re: Silver & dishsoap - The Norwex catalogue indicates to wash Antibac cloths/mop heads with a little dishsoap to keep them clean between washings. Why is this, if the advice is to NOT use them with dishsoap so they don't get stinky?

Answer #20:

When washing the cloths/mops with any kind of soap, one has to be very careful to rinse them very well. Using them with soap could also reduce their effectiveness (I will include my answers to similar questions here):

Soap should really not be used when cleaning with microfiber, but if they choose to use the all purpose kitchen cloth or Antibac kitchen cloths to wash dishes, they should simply rinse them out very well afterwards to avoid smelly cloths. I will copy a reply about my take on soap with our cloths below. The dishcloth is great for dishes as it does not hang onto water or soap or food etc., so it stays much cleaner for longer and has amazing scrubbing action on dishes - you kind of have to use it to get it, because I didn't believe it either!

"The basic scoop is this - soap is food for bacteria, and if soap residue is left in a cloth after using it, it can not only provide food but also provide a barrier between bacteria and the silver in the cloth. Therefore, it is not recommended that soap be used when cleaning surfaces with microfiber. That said, to clean the cloths and get the grease out of them, soap/detergent is necessary, but it is important that it is very well rinsed out prior to drying the cloth. I am also considering, that because of the way microfiber works, that soap may inhibit how effectively they clean - soap might coat the fiber in a way that prevents it from grabbing things as effectively as it could have without the soap. With other cloths, we need soap to break down the dirt and loosen it from the surface so that it can be wiped/rinsed away. With microfiber, we physically grab it and pull it off. If soap is coating the fibers, it may make them more slippery and potentially reduce their ability to grab and remove micro contaminants. (sorry, just a theory that I am playing with, this may not be true, but it kind of makes sense)."

I hope that answers your questions - all said - if you really like using your kitchen cloths for dishes - then do so, just rinse them out and wring them out really really well after use...and if they get stinky, boil them...but don't wonder why they got stinky!

Question #21:

In your opinion, if the silver cloths get stinky when used with dishsoap, is the silver really a benefit - or does its benefit outweigh the annoyance factor?

Answer #21:

The silver has nothing to do with the stink – it is the soap that is food for bacteria and any microfiber when it has water, food, and soap, will stink – silver or not. The soap will reduce the effectiveness of the silver by getting in the way and possibly preventing the bacteria from coming into contact with the silver. In most instances, the silver will dramatically reduce the amount and potential for stink in the cloths by dramatically reducing the bacterial load within the cloths. If you haven’t already tried – I highly recommend using the dish cloth for dishes – give it a go and start marketing a 2 cloth system for the kitchen – it works really well.

Question #22:

I have a question from a customer regarding the silver used in the antibac items. She is very eco-friendly and wants to know where the silver comes from. Specifically, she would like to know if it is mined or if it is “found” (i.e.: reclaimed from other sources).

Answer #22:

The silver we use we obtain from a secondary or even tertiary source and it is not pure silver. At the present time, we do not know specifically how the actual silver our silver-based agent is mined. Sorry I can't give you a better answer for now.

Question #23:

At a show last week, one of the guests asked me if there is a chemical reaction or something that happens as a result of silver being in the cloth.

Answer #23:

There is no chemical reaction with silver in the cloth, aside from the silver reacting to kill bacteria (which, in a way, is a chemical reaction - as are all things, if you want to break it down). Think of it as eating off of silverware or think of silver in fillings or in jewellery. The silver is staying within the cloth and is not being left behind on surfaces.

Question #24:

Can bacterium eventually become resistant to silver as they can to chemical cleaners?

Answer #24:

All evidence would indicate that this is highly unlikely, because of how it works to kill microorganisms. It is possible that some are simply not sensitive to it (in biology, there are no absolutes - there will be exceptions to every rule!).

Question #25:

I have a friend who has bought a lot of my things and her Nanny has just decided to package it all up and put it away because she saw something on TV saying that silver is harmful on our health. I know this is garbage but I want to find something scientific that proves her wrong. What can you suggest?

Answer #25:

Firstly, there is no issue with our products because the silver DOES NOT leach out of them, it stays embedded within the fiber. The silver-based agent we use is embedded into the fibre when it is in a molten (liquid) state, so it does not wash out. Secondly, the program she saw may have been talking about nano silver – the silver we use is much larger, it is micro silver, and as I previously mentioned, it is not washed out of the cloth, but remains in the cloth. 3. People have been eating off of silver and wearing silver for decades, as well as having it in their mouths (fillings – note, it is mercury in these same fillings that is a problem, not the silver). 4. There is TONS of information on the safety and effectiveness of using silver to treat all manner of infections and it is increasingly used in hospitals in dressings for burns etc. I have done a fair bit of research this past year on this because of health issues with my family. While the information I am attaching here was directed towards my own parents, it summarizes a bit of what I have concluded on the use of such products. Please note that this in no way has anything to do with Norwex and is not information that I prepared for them, it is for my own personal use and summarizes my own opinion of the use of silver to treat infection etc. You certainly don’t have to share this if you don’t want to, but it certainly does help to address the “safety issue” of silver for humans. My primary concern is for the environment, as, while it is virtually non-toxic for us, it certainly is toxic for a very large number of single celled organisms – including very large numbers of bacteria as well as some fungi and viruses. If too much gets into the environment, this could result in environmental issues, but putting our cloths away because they contain a very tiny amount of micro-silver, which remains within the cloths upon use, is definitely not necessary.

Question #26:

My husband is questioning the long term effects of exposure to silver particles because of particles that may be left behind while wiping surfaces. Is the silver in the form of an Oxide, Nitrate, Iodide?? .

Answer #26:

Our cloths do not leave silver particles behind and they are not in the form of nitrates, oxides, or iodide. They are physically embedded within the microfiber and are not washed out to any appreciable degree – the silver we use is micro, not nano in size and again, is physically embedded within the fiber when it is in a molten (liquid) state. That said, silver is virtually non-toxic to humans, but it would be more of an environmental concern to me if they were leaching silver everywhere, as this could affect the natural microbial flora of our environment

Question #29:

I have a customer that has a child who is either allergic or senstivity to metals ie. aluminums and mercury. She had a concern using our antibac cloths that contain silver. Does anybody have any more info on whether or not the silver may effect this person.

Answer #29:

Silver is in no way similar to aluminum or mercury. It is virtually non-toxic to humans and does not accumulate. It also does not exist in an organic form, as mercury can, which is why it is so dangerous. I have done a lot of research on silver in the past and can see no reason for any concern. Also, the silver is remaining within the cloth, it is not washing out of the cloth, so they are really not exposed to it to any notable degree…but even if they were, I do not feel this would be an issue, unless they have a specific allergy to silver.

Question #30:

If there's silver in the microfiber, how does that not scratch the surfaces when you dust or clean with them?

Answer #30:

The key is in that it is micro – it is so small that could not scratch…it is also embedded into the very soft fiber.

Question #31:

If it takes up to 24 hours for the silver to kill bacteria in the cloths, how can you clean one thing and go to clean another and not have cross-contamination - since the bacteria's not dead yet?

Answer #31:

They really had no issues with cross-contamination even before the silver was added to the cloths – it is simply the physical nature of the microfibre because it is so fine and there is so much of it in the cloths that the bacteria would rather be there than deposit onto larger surfaces. The cloth physically holds onto it without letting it go…also note, most bacteria do die within a few hours…and many/most are rinsed down the drain when you rub the cloth against itself under running water

Question #32:

How much silver is actually in each cloth? And how long do you know that it remains in the cloth after washing?

Answer #32;

To answer your first question, it is proprietary for now.

Question #2: I really don’t like to focus on the silver – it is an added benefit, but the cloths were used in hospitals for a decade before the silver was added and these facilities were as clean, or cleaner than any others because of the physical attributes of the microfiber. We now focus far too much on the silver, which is an added benefit, but certainly it is NOT the reason that the cloths work and it has NOTHING to do with the fact that the cloths REMOVE more than 99.9% of be bacteria from the surfaces that we clean. It is simply that, the bacteria that do get in the cloths, if not washed out, will die within the cloths instead of growing in the cloths.

Question #33:

What chemical state is the silver in on the towel? Is it bound to cellulose or something similar?

Answer #33:

No, it is not bound to cellulose. How it is done is proprietary.

Question #34:

How long as nanotechnology been available for general public use?

Answer #34:

I do not know, likely not long - but please note WE DO NOT USE NANOTECHNOLOGY in any way in any of our products - our silver is not NANO in size - it is much larger (MICRO).

Question #35:

Where does Norwex silver come from?

Answer #35:

I currently do not have any information on that, although it is something we should consider looking into in the future.

Question #36:

What is your reply to the assertion that nano-silver can harm fish and aquatic ecosystems?

Answer #36:

Nano-silver can harm the base of the aquatic food chain - the microbes, that work to break down organic matter and also feed aquatic systems - if large amounts of nanosilver enter the aquatic environment I would see this as a definite issue and one that needs to be researched, given the current trend of its use. While it is perfectly safe for us, and likely the fish - it is not safe for the ecosystem as a whole because it is so toxic to bacteria and other unicellular organisms - like it or not - those are some of the most useful and important organisms on this planet (yes, some also cause disease, but the vast majority of the biomass of microbes out there do not!).

Question #37:

Can Norwex products potentially interfere with beneficial bacteria in the human body?

Answer #37:

NO, our silver does not get into the body, even if it did, the human body does not react in the same way to silver as it does to many other metals - it is virtually non-toxic and taking nanosilver (the liquid version, not anything that Norwex has) at appropriate doses, is actually safer for the good bacteria in our gut than taking antibiotics, which tend to do a lot more damage to our natural flora than silver - also, the silver is quite readily excreted - thus the concern for the environment.

Question #38:

Why is the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) filing a legal petition to have nano-silver products classified as pesticides?

Answer #38:

I would guess - because silver is known to kill things - if it is toxic to any form of life, it can be considered to be a pesticide.

Question #39:

Is it possible that nano-silver products designed for human cleansing (Antibac body pack) permeate the human skin and ultimately make their way into the blood stream?

Answer #39:

Again - No, we don't use nanosilver, we use microsilver and it is embedded into our fabric in such a way that it does not wash or leach out to any notable degree...and again, if it did, it would simply possibly add some increased immunity (it can be used to treat a wide variety of illnesses) and be excreted over time.

Question #40:

What kind of long term (greater than 10 years) studies have been done with respect to the safety of Norwex products and children?

Answer #40:

Norwex has only been in business for 10 years in North America and our anitbac microfibre has only been available since 2007. As there have been studies showing that the silver does not leach from the cloths...and also, tons of information on the safety of silver for use around mammals, I don't really think that is an issue.

Question #41:

There are groups being run where people get together and discuss how they can make their business more sustainable from the production of goods, to the housing of goods, to the transporting of good, etc. At one of my Parties the Director of the Biosphere Institute, who heads these groups, was present and was interested to learn more about our Antibac Enviro Cloths and if they could be deemed as a sustainable product. During our conversation she said that one red flag for her was that the cloths themselves contained silver! She has asked me to investigate further the production process of how the cloths are embedded with the silver, the silver used, toxicity levels and if they could still fall under the renewable resource category. Meaning once the silver is in the cloths is there away that it can naturally break down or be recycled so that our cloths can be marketed as a sustainable product? She said if anything she could see how it could be sold as “the better choice” but not sustainable!

I am personally interested to see if we can discover ways that our cloths could be recycled! I am willing to do some research to investigate this further to see about all the possibilities for this to happen or if it is happening even better (please fill me in)! I just know that even though these cloths do last for years, in a couple of years, with the masses of people using our Antibac Enviro Cloths, eventually the cloths will be disregarded and thrown into the waste- which will contribute to the waste problem! I love our product and I would just love to see that more opportunities open where our cloths are not only “the better environmental choice”, but the sustainable choice!

Answer #41:

Regarding sustainability – it should be noted that our product is made from a synthetic fibre – so equally important to recycling of the silver is the actual recycling of the cloth itself. This is something that may be available in the future, but I don’t think it has been done anywhere yet. That said, the exceptional durability of the product, together with the reduction in disposable items certainly does go a long way towards its sustainability, but you do have a good point and I will forward your message onto head office for further review.

The silver in our cloths is not a toxic issue with respect to multicellular life, but it is certainly toxic to microbes. We do know that with our technology that it really does stay in the cloth. However, our cloths could really not fall under renewable resources unless we can recycle them, which for now, we cannot.

Question #42:

At my party on Saturday, I had a customer who has a daughter on the acne medication Accutane. She said her dermatologist said that they were not to use any products on her face that contained silver in it. Would our face cloths and toothbrush/dental floss affect her also. The mother is interested in these products but needed to find these facts out first.

Answer #42:

The silver in our cloths is embedded into the fiber – it is not leaving any measurable amount on the skin, so it should be fine.

Question #43:

I have a question from one of my hostesses. They have a bacterial septic system, where everything from the home goes into the septic system where the bacteria eats away at the waste. She is wondering if the silver from our cloths would destroy the bacteria in their system.

Answer #43:

This would be an issue if she were actually dumping colloidal silver (nanosilver) down her drain or if the silver were actually leaching from our cloths, but the silver is staying in our cloths, so this is not a problem for her septic system.

Question #44:

I had a potential recruit asking about the silver in our cloths and I want a better understanding myself too. I understand it is micro silver, not nano, but is it actual silver, some kind of product like Novaron, colloidal silver, silver nitrate - can you give me a better understanding?

Answer #44:

The silver in our cloths is a micro silver based agent (it is not silver nitrate or colloidal silver, but I can’t be specific until we have the patent; suffice it to say that it is the silver that is the active component of the ingredient). It is much larger than nanosilver, I believe we use no particles less than 500 nm (0.5 micrometers) and is embedded into the fiber when the fiber is in a liquid state (that is how microfiber is formed – think of a pot of melted material, add the silver, mix it in, then pass the liquid through very fine holes (like a very fine shower head) – the liquid comes out solid on the other side, with the silver agent embedded within – this is why it does not wash out.

Question #45:

I have invited a few scientist-types to my next Norwex party and one of them sent me the following set of questions and discussion - if you have any documentation regarding answers to these questions - especially the part about silver (from the Norwex cloths) getting into water systems and affecting small organisms, I would greatly appreciate it.

Answer #45:

Please note that we do not use nanosilver in any of our products, we use a micro silver-based agent and this agent is embedded into our fiber in such a way that it is not washed out (which is why we are patenting the process), so we are not contributing any notable amount of silver to the environment.

Question #46:

If someone is sensitive or allergic to silver will they be able to use the antibac cloths?

Answer #46:

I would think that they would still likely be alright, but it depends on the severity and nature of their allergic response. In this instance, we are often talking about people who develop a skin rash when their skin comes into prolonged contact with the metal – in this case, I would think they would likely be fine. The silver in our cloths is an extremely small amount and it is embedded within the microfibre – I would suspect they would have to be very sensitive to it for this to be an issue. That said – we are talking biology here – pretty much anything is possible!

Question #47:

I have a true granola questioning why it’s called an “agent”. She said, “the term “Agent”, eludes to their being more than just silver so what else is in there?” What is your take on that?

Answer #47:

That is part of the proprietary part of this and so the exact ingredient will not be provided, at least not until the process using the ingredient is patented. It is a silver compound, and silver is the only active component of it (it is the ingredient responsible for doing the job).

Question #48:

I've heard that the difference btw. our antibac silver (microsilver) and others (nanosilver) is a safety issue for the ocean, and skin absorbancy. Do I have this correct, and any other tips to tell my team?

Answer #48:

I wouldn’t say there is a final verdict out there regarding the environmental safety of micro versus nano silver – there is some lab evidence that nanosilver can be washed from clothing that contains it and that this can certainly get into the water; but exactly how this might behave in the real environment may be quite different than what occurs in a lab, as it will likely readily bind to sediments and/or other salts, so exactly what may happen to it I am not entirely certain. What I do know is that we certainly do not want to see large amounts of it get into aquatic systems…at least not without a lot of additional research to prove that this would be safe.

There is also research indicating that nanosilver is more bioavailable and therefore more able to access the cells and potentially result in toxicity – however, there are literally millions of people out there who drink quite large quantities of nanosilver daily with no ill effect, so regarding our products, I have absolutely NO concern for human toxicity – if the silver did leach out in tiny amounts it would not really penetrate to any notable degree and if it did this would only improve immunity…and most people can quite readily metabolize and excrete quite large amounts of silver – it has very low toxicity for us.

Another good thing is that the size of the silver and the way that it is embedded into the cloth actually results in it staying put – in the cloth. So this is why ours is much safer, because the nano is much more mobile and more likely to leach out of the cloth, ours, because of its size and because of our patent-pending process, is staying in the cloth.

Question #49:

What is the name of the silver based agent that is imbedded in the fibers and also the ppm per a certain unit that is contained in the microfiber.

Answer #49:

Norwex is currently the only manufacturer of microfiber that has the ability to do what we do and are currently working on obtaining a patent for it so are not at liberty now to provide the name of the micro silver-based ingredient that is embedded into our fibre, nor how much of it is in there. As of now, that will have to remain a trade secret so to speak. It is micro, not nano in size, and that it stay embedded in the cloth, after 50 or more washes it is still more than 98% effective in the cloth, showing it is staying in the cloth and not being washed out. Other products which often use nano-silver and different embedding techniques tend to lose their silver and its effectiveness quite quickly.

Question #50:

Does the silver eventually break down in the Antibac Enviro Cloths?

Answer #50:

The silver does not break down – the vast majority stays in the cloth, even after hundreds of washings…which is why we are working on obtaining a patent, as most other fabrics that contain silver lose their silver quite rapidly.

Question #51:

A customer wanted to know how we defend the use of silver in this economy and how much is used in each cloth.

Answer #51:

The amount of silver we use in our cloths is infinitesimally small – we didn’t even increase the price of the cloth after we added it! It is used for its very important purpose – to increase the effectiveness, usefulness, and safety of our product. We are currently working on patenting the process of how we get this silver-based agent into the cloth, so I cannot divulge much information there, including the exact amount – sorry.

BloominClean...a healthier way of life

Monday, April 25, 2011

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