Can you really clean effectively using only water?

I have to admit I was EXTREMELY SKEPTICAL.  I have worked in the ingredients industry for nearly my entire career and have seen so many amazing surfactants (the products that really do the cleaning), essential oils and actives(the ingredients that often help with the anti-bacterial or sanitizing effects) to help clean the home effectively.   Over the years, there has been a steady movement towards going "chemical-free", which has become more mainstream.  As a chemical engineer, I know that truly going "chemical-free" is impossible, but the new products I am carrying in my retail and online stores, e-Cloths, are as close as it gets - they offer true cleaning power using only water!  The best thing about them is that they are also machine washable and guaranteed to last through at least 300 washes, making them also extremely sustainable.  

What's the secret?

e-Cloth claims to have a proprietary method for making these cloths trap dirt, grease, grime, bacteria and germs using the water.  They explain it well in the below video.

 

 They claim to kill over 99% of bacteria and germs using water.  

My inner skeptic was truly doubting this claim!  I wanted proof and they provided it by sharing the results of a cleaning study performed by an independent lab comparing using ONLY their cloths with water to two different commercial cleaning products.  The results are below:

 

These results are pretty impressive for only water and e-cloths!

But do they really work?

This was my next biggest question after seeing these results, so I broke down and tested various products around my home.  One thing I love is that the products are color coded so I never have to worry about using the kitchen rag in the bathroom.  I have a specific color product for each task, which makes it very easy to know what to use where.  

I am honestly impressed even by the cleaning ability of these products.  I am not a neat cook.  I have a black glass stovetop that consistently has spills and cooked on grime that I need to clean when the burners cool.  I tried the range and stovetop cloth.  I truly have no idea how those little blue ribbons worked but I was able to clean every bit of my stovetop using only water.  

Next, I tried the stainless steel cleaning cloth on my stove and refrigerator and WOW, what a difference.  I had some streaks that were really quite stubborn and the polishing cloth that came after the cleaning cloth, really was able to shine up that surface so the fridge and stove looked brand new!

I also tried the bathroom cleaning cloth set, which I used my shower glass door, which was covered with water streaks and grime.  I was truly amazed because I do not know when the last time I actually cleaned that door was.  There was some tough stains on this one and it cleaned up so well, I was shocked.  

I used the window and glass cleaning set on my glass table top.  It really worked out amazingly!

My absolutely FAVORITE item of the entire set of cloths is the Kitchen Dynamo.  This cloth is the cloth that saves so much time and aggravation from all the little spills and water around the sink.  I have completely replaced everything I ever used to clean around my sink with this product. It also doubles for cleaning out glasses and mugs.

Every product I have tried I have loved. 

What about washing them?

The packaging states that you should wash the cloths separately because they could bleed and stain other products.  They also suggest that you can clean them easily by submersing in hot water (just below boiling) and suggest washing once per week.  I was really worried about my beautiful cloths getting stained by other cloths in the washing process.  I washed them all separately and then realized they must say this JUST IN CASE anything ever happens.  I have no qualms at all about washing these products together.  I accidentally had a white sock left in the washing machine when I washed those and there was no bleeding whatsoever.  I am now planning to toss all my e-cloths in the wash once per week along with my other sustainable cleaning cloths. 

Have I sworn off using cleaning products completely?

No, I have not.  I think if you had an extremely grubby grimy mess, you will still need to use alternative cleaning.  However, using those products WITH e-Cloth make the cleaning so much better and effective.   I am totally amazed by these cloths and I am working on getting all of them for my cleaning arsenal.  

To see the full collection of e-Cloth products, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 water, C9-11 pareth-8, sodium citrate, PPG-2 Butyl Ether, ethanolamine, acrylates copolymer, parfum, sodium cocoate, styrene/acrylates copolymer, simethicone, benzisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, geraniol, limonene

 

2 water, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, lauryl alcohol ethoxylate, isopropyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol, hydroxyphenylbenzotriazole, isotiazolin, fragrance, dye

Testing done by:

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