With E-Cloth, Just Add Water for Household Cleaning

The product’s claim is what caught my eye when I saw the e-cloth display at Graul’s Market: Perfect cleaning with just water. Green and clean and no chemicals? Baltimore Fishbowl has been running the Beneath the Surface series about just that: chemical-free living. Though skeptical at first cleaning with water only, I’m here to share that e-cloth cleans everything extraordinarily well, even windows. We even have six e-cloths to give away! 

What’s an e-cloth?

As yucky as housecleaning can be, someone has to clean a home, or you can find your house on the TV show Hoarding. I am not a cleaning diva, but one task on my life’s to-do list is: keep the house clean. So when I saw the e-cloth display and video, it checked two boxes, cleaning and eco-friendly.

E-cloth is a microfiber cleaning cloth made for all types of surfaces. The cloth’s material is unique because each square inch has millions of microfibers that basically grabs all the dirt, bacteria, crumbs and grime you’re attempting to clean. The kitchen cloth was $10. After use, you can wash it with hot water, and then toss it in the laundry once as week.

I first tested the e-cloth on our ever-dirty kitchen counters. I lightly wet the kitchen cloth, swiped and my counters were perfectly clean. No water streaks, no film and I used no soap or cleaners. Just water. E-cloth claims that their product removes 99 percent of bacteria. The weird thing is I now keep the counters clutter-free because they’re so shiny. I know, don’t laugh!

“I don’t do windows”

I then called e-cloth because I knew Baltimore Fishbowl readers would love this product. The press rep asked me if I had tried the window e-cloth. I really should have bought the window cloth first as I have never figured out how to clean our home’s windows. I spray, use millions of paper towels, and that light film pops up days later on our just cleaned windows (you can even see the ‘streaky film’ in the photo above). I had given up on windows.

OMG. My window e-cloth arrived. I lightly wet the cloth and did a test inside and out on the grimiest window. Even with the less-than-professional iPhone photo above, you can see the results. Birds may fly through the windows they’re so clean. What I liked was I didn’t have 30 shredded paper towels, and a bottle of spray. Plus, cleaning with the e-cloth was fast. I finished with the polisher cloth for a sparkling clean window. 

The hidden benefit

This is really an eco-article, I promise. The real benefit is that e-cloths allow you to ditch the chemical-laden cleaners.  Though unintentional, we have actually switched out healthy behaviors for unhealthy ones because we’ve bought into the “chemicals are the best cleaners” philosophy perpetuated by manufacturers. My favorite part of this story is manufacturers aren’t even required to list ingredients on bottles.

The anti-bacterial chemical tricolosan is good example of how the old and simple way is best.

Triclosan was first registered in 1969 as a pesticide, and it’s found in kitchen sprays, toothpaste, and hand sanitizers. Usually anything marketed “antibacterial” contains triclosan. Not only is the list of triclosan health issues a mile long, but the chemical is a likely suspect in causing antibiotic resistance. The consequence is “superbugs” that are resistant to antibiotics.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, simple handwashing with soap (consider greener versions) and running water is best. I would also submit that relying on little bottles of goo gets us out of the habit of consistent hand-washing. Chlorine, phthalates, triclosan, flame retardants, chlorine byproducts in tap water – it all goes in to humans, and then into our waterways. 

Where to buy e-cloth products?

Here are three ways to get your hands on an e-cloths.

The first is to write a comment below and enter to win one of three window packs, or one of three kitchen packs. Winners will be chosen on Tuesday, September 29th at 5 p.m.

Your second option is to purchase e-cloths at: Eddie’s of Roland Park, Graul’s Markets in Ruxton and Mays Chapel, Greetings and Readings in Hunt Valley, Gundy’s Gifts in Roland Park, Stebbins Anderson, Union Memorial Hospital, or Women’s Health Boutique at Mercy Hospital.

Lastly, visit e-cloth online and enjoy free shipping in the lower 48. Hint: check the “specials” tab as they’re selling some items for dirt-cheap.

I never thought I’d type this, but have fun cleaning your house.