Product Review: If You Care

Over 5 years ago, I decided to say goodbye to my beloved paper towels. Paper towels are great, aren't they? Quick clean up for spills, class cleaner, they even double as napkins! But after investigating ways that I could ease up on natural resources, paper towels seemed like an easy thing that I could ditch. Bonus: I turned by paper towel holder into a ribbon holder.

I already had a collection of old rags and tea towels, so that was an easy subsitute. After that, I quickly became enamoured with Norwex micro-fibre products, which to this day I still use and love - but they aren't cheap. I have also tried Enjo, but personally I'm not a fan. Norwex has this really cool technology that allows you to clean without any cleaning chemicals - you don't even need vinegar. And they do the best job on glass and mirror that you will ever see. The problem with Norwex cloths is that they have a life of about 2 years.  After a while they've just absorbed so much dirt and grime that they can't clean effectively anymore, and off to the landfill they go.

For my non glass cleaning needs, I think I've found the solution: If You Care Natural Sponge Cloths. The company claims that one cloth can replace 15 rolls of paper towels! Imagine what the Costco sized delivery of paper towels would look like, now replace that with a few teeny tiny sponge cloths… talk about a reduction in CO2. I really like them for my everyday needs, and they dry quickly so they don't get that nasty wet cloth smell. Just add a little lemon or vinegar as needed - remember that sponges naturally hold bacteria. The cost is about $7 for a 5 pack of sponges.

Here's the best part: aside from being sustainably sourced, the cloths can be disposed in your compost when ready to retire. Now I'm impressed!

If you want to know where to find these, and other If You Care products, you can buy order them here.