Simpedia

Laura N., Indiana

We are using the Norwex Enviro Cloth in our studio.

Laura N., Indiana

yes

Kim B., Indiana

better than Clorox wipes.

Kim B., Indiana

it does! It is a natural cleaning company. Much safer and no chemicals like other cleaning products. The chemicals in some things are probably worse than the virus we are trying to kill. Ha! It’s a vicious circle.

Sherrie A., Utah

I use the enviro cloth as well. To clarify… It doesn’t kill them on contact… It mechanically removes them. Then you wash them off the cloth. Anything remaining in the cloth is attacked by the silver in the cloth. Silver kills germs when it oxidizes and releases silver ions, which are lethal to bacteria. So nice to have something to use that won’t damage the piano!

Ian B., California

Just to be clear, the manufacture states that these cloths are “anti-bacterial” NOT antiviral. This is a really important distinction when looking at cleaning products. Antibac products (including MANY hand sanitizers unless they have at least 60% alcohol base) will have absolutely ZERO effect on virus-based contagions, and in fact may end up negatively altering the balance of good vs bad bacteria – which is why you now see cleaning products that INCLUDE probiotics.

Bernie A., California

I make my own homemade spray using essential oils. The oils I use are anti bacterial and anti viral. I diffuse the same oils to clean the air. Since it’s homemade, it’s inexpensive.

I use a modified DIY window cleaner and use Doterra oils OnGuard ( 8 drops) and Lemon (4 drops) (and Melaleuca if you want), distilled water (1/2 cup), and vinegar (1 1/2 cup) in a 16 oz water bottle. Onguard kills everything so growth won’t occur on the keys for hours. I have a Yamaha grand so I clean the outside of the piano with something else like Tap Cleaner but on the keys I use the DIY. I wipe down everything around the house (doorknobs, etc.) with this mix and let my parents know that. I diffuse onguard always when I am teaching, and add Lemon and Rosemary because it helps with the memory. I figure the kids could use all the help they can. Also, I’ve given some of my families Skype or Zoom lessons, if they don’t feel comfortable with being in class right now. I have a sign on my front door that says, “Proceed directly to the bathroom and wash your hands with soap. Sing ‘happy birthday,’ Then we’ve taken a few minutes to talk about why we are doing what we are doing, and why we sing happy birthday, and how we should be living our lives this way with good hygiene. It makes for a teaching moment that parents love. I let them know we will be doing this for the next few months. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions or if you need any oils.

Sherrie A., Utah

Ian, Very true! That’s why the cloths are so great since they don’t pose those risks! They are antibacterial because of the silver in the cloth that attacks the bacteria once it’s in the cloth. But the surface is free of the bacteria regardless of what happens to it after the cloth picks it up. My sil can explain better why they can’t claim antiviral and how the cloth still works against viruses whether or not they are killed:

“Due to current US government regulations Norwex cannot make any claims about viruses because it is not registered as a pesticide company. But that does not mean it has ZERO effect on virus-based contagions. When you use a Norwex cloth to clean you are cleaning MECHANICALLY to REMOVE ALL contaminants from a surface. When you apply traditional cleaners you are CHEMICALLY trying to KILL what’s on a surface. A good analogy is weeding a garden.
You have a flower bed with weeds. You can clean it 2 ways: Chemically or Mechanically.
Chemically: you spray weed killer. It kills the weeds. It may kill your flowers or grass also. You are breathing in the weed killer, it’s now in ground the kids/fur babies may get in it, it is going to make its way into the water. THEN you will need to pull out the dead weeds to make it look good again.
OR You can mechanically clean the bed. REMOVE ALL THE WEEDS, just pull them up with a gardening tool. Super simple.
The CDC has recommended HAND WASHING for at least 20 seconds (no virus killing chemicals in the soap) over using HAND SANITIZERS”

This is especially helpfulwith pianos since chemicals can damage them. Hope this helps clarify!

Brenda D., Colorado

I know it doesn’t have anything to do with piano keys, but I made my own hand sanitizer since every store was sold out of the regular stuff. I actually prefer the stuff I made because it feels so nice on my hands. I found this recipe online: 1/2 cup aloe vera gel (clear, not green), 1/4 cup alcohol (I used an Everclear equivalent from the liquor store that had 95% alcohol content since there wasn’t any rubbing alcohol to be found either), 1 Tbsp. jojoba oil, and 15 drops of my favorite essential oil (I used Doterra On Guard).

Theresa J. Texas

Seventh Generation disinfectant with Thymol

Ruth P., North Carolina

Thought this was interesting about using oils and diffusers since the Covid virus attacks the lungs… I’ve sometimes found myself that I have a response to them when I enter a room using them. “However, if you have a lung condition, hold up. Lung health experts are more cautious about the use of essential oils by people who have lung conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

According to Melanie Carver, vice president of community health services for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the evidence that essential oils could help asthma just isn’t there.

“In fact, breathing in the particles released by the oils may actually trigger airway inflammation and asthma symptoms,” she says. “The strong odors emitted by essential oils may contain volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. VOCs are chemical gases that worsen air quality and can irritate the lungs.”

Related: The Best Foods for Healthy Lungs—and Which Ones to Avoid

Adds Neha Solanki, MD, a pulmonologist with the Cleveland Clinic Asthma Center in Ohio, “Specifically, diffused eucalyptus and lavender release terpene, toluene and benzene. We know that these compounds have respiratory side effects. For example, terpene can cause shortness of breath, chest tightness and wheezing.”

Kurt M., Michigan

I know Norwex is popular, but the cloths do not claim any disinfecting properties. I am far more concerned about infecting my students than exposing them to the trace amount of chlorides left on the surfaces once dry. Don’t hate me for using Clorox wipes.