The Nellie’s WOW Stick:

How our fan favourite stain fighter came to be

 
One of the perks of working for a small company like Nellie’s is that even the staff is encouraged to participate in product development!
Before the word WOW found its way onto some of our packaging, a few of the parents with young kids on the Nellie’s team saw a need for a natural stain remover. Oxygen Brightener was working wonders on all types of stains (in and out of the washer)... but it wasn’t portable. Bleach pens were quite popular... but not a natural solution.
 
[caption id="attachment_84946" align="alignnone" width="1266"] Photo Credit: Alyssa Dawson Photography & Sophie Collins[/caption]
 
During a weekly sales meeting, the idea of a powerful and natural stain remover came up and our owner (AKA Nellie's son) said, “if you think there is a need, let’s do it!”.
The team got busy. We had one goal: to have the Nellie’s stain remover outperform the others!
Working with a soap manufacturer, many samples were ordered, and a rigorous testing process began. All types of stains were applied to white shirts in the Nellie’s HQ kitchen, including tire grease, blood, soy sauce, coffee, hanger marks, and ink. The team tested and tested until a formula was able to remove all the stains successfully!
During the testing process, some of our employees would walk by and watch what was going on, exclaiming "WOW!" in awe from witnessing each stain disappear. We initially had another name for our stain remover picked out, but hearing "WOW" after "WOW", the name was pretty obvious, and the WOW Stick was born!
 
[caption id="attachment_84981" align="aligncenter" width="1211"] Photo Credit: Alyssa Dawson Photography & Sophie Collins[/caption]
 
Fun Fact: The WOW Stick was the first Nellie’s product to have WOW in its name and lemongrass as a scent. Since then, lemongrass has become Nellie’s signature scent and WOW has made it into the name of more of our amazing products.
Since conception, customers regularly send us photos of their WOW Stick’s results. We love seeing the results and discovering new stains that this powerful little stick can tackle!
What’s a major stain you’ve got out with the WOW Stick? Post a photo and tag us @nelliesclean!
Packaging Update: You may have seen or received an older version of the WOW Stick that contains a paper wrapper around the stick. In an effort to reduce waste, we have recently removed the wrapper!

WOW Mop Tips, Tricks & Troubleshooting

 
Who would’ve thought that you would ever look forward to mopping your floors? Nellie’s WOW Mop makes cleaning your floors – dare we say it – enjoyable. Truth is, you might never want to stop!
Now that you have reviewed the user manual and put your mop components together, here are some recommendations to keep your mop in tip top working order!
 

Keep your sprayer clear of clogs:

To avoid clogging, do not use any cleaning solutions that contain oil, wax, or vinegar, as it may corrode the inside of your sprayer. You can use any floor cleaner you like, but of course we recommend Nellie’s Floor Care. Nellie’s Floor Care is planet-friendly, concentrated, and contains no harsh chemicals, phosphates, or strong perfumes!

• Dilute Nellie’s Floor Care with water. We recommend a 1:3 ratio of solution to water - a little goes a long way!
• If your sprayer becomes clogged, empty the reservoir, and run hot (not boiling) tap water through the sprayer. Keep pressing the spray button until successful.
• If your sprayer nozzle is clogged, take a push pin or needle, and gently poke the center of the spray nozzle to dislodge any clumps.
• Be sure to empty the reservoir when not being used regularly.
• Live in an area with hard water? Use distilled water as mineral build up can cause the sprayer to clog.

 

 

Maximizing Battery Life:

• Be sure to charge your WOW mop fully prior to first use! The mop is fully charged when all lights are illuminated (1-3 hours).
  • Note: 1 light = 30% charged, 2 lights = 65% charged.
  • Release the handle from the upright position and press the power button to get started.
• Once fully charged, remove plug from mop and wall and store adaptor in a safe place.
• If your mop is not charging all the way, make sure that you are using the original WOW Mop Adapter. Using a different adapter can shorten your mop’s battery life. Nellie recommends labelling your WOW Mop adapter so it doesn't get lost or misplaced!
• If using the correct adapter but the mop is still not charging to 100%, this can be an indicator that the adapter is defective.
  Please contact Nellie’s Customer Service for assistance.
• If your mop is not oscillating when pressing the on/off button, try changing the battery in the handle of the mop.

 
We stand by our products, which is why the WOW Mop comes with a 2 year replacement warranty when purchased through an authorized retailer!

An update on our pricing

Dear Nellie’s Family,
As you know, at Nellie’s, we strive to develop the very best planet-friendly, simple, and honest products for your home.
In the 18 years that Nellie’s has been bringing products from ‘our home’ to yours, we have never had to manage so many unprecedented challenges as we have in the last two years.
When the pandemic started in 2020, we responded to the global uncertainty of our collective health and wellbeing with a pledge to not take advantage of our loyal customers. In fact, we lowered prices on our essential items and reduced shipping costs.
Unfortunately, in the last two years, we’ve had to navigate multiple increases in all areas of the Nellie’s infrastructure, including logistics, packaging, and raw materials. Inflation is real. We thought if we closed our eyes, it would go away. Sadly, that strategy has not worked.
Due to these factors, we have had to slightly adjust and increase our prices to continue to bring you exceptional products and to sustain our hardworking team.
On March 2nd, we will be adjusting the retail price on our products. Apologies won’t help, but we truly appreciate your continued support and understanding. As a small gesture of appreciation, if you would like to stock up at our existing prices over the next week, you can shop here.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this price increase, please feel free to reach out at info@nelliesclean.com.
Thank you for your business and continued support. We look forward to showing you what we have in store for 2022 and beyond!
 
Warmly,
James Roberts (Nellie’s Son)

Small Business Love

 
Last year, we launched our first Nellie's ? Small Business campaign, with the goal to highlight our smaller retailers in response to the ongoing pandemic. We're thrilled to bring it back this year and help spread the love to some of our favourite local shops!
Nellie's was built through the support of small businesses, all of which share our core values of caring for our planet, community, and of course, supporting local.
Take a minute to check out some of our featured retailers below, and help support our favourite Nellie's-carrying local gems and refill shops in your neighbourhood!
 

BRITISH COLUMBIA

 
Gourmet Warehouse (Vancouver, BC)  
The Gourmet Warehouse, founded by Vancouver-born Caren McSherry, is a unique specialty food and housewares emporium, appealing to home cooks and professionals alike since 1998. Whether you’re searching for the perfect spatula, beautiful kitchen linens, or international ingredients, you’ll find everything you need to enhance your kitchen and beyond. Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 

Livlite (Vancouver, BC)
Livlite’s mission is to offer accessible zero waste, fantastic groceries, delivered free, to your door in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 

Bare Refillery (North Vancouver, BC)  
Bare Refillery is zero waste refill store carrying locally made, sustainable and safe products with a mission to make the refill process simple and accessible for people. Operating out of a mobile trailer, they also offer Pop-Up locations around the Lower Mainland! Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 

Pick Eco Refills (Chilliwack, BC) 
Pick Eco Refills is the Fraser Valley's first zero waste grocery store. They sell over 1,000 items in bulk so customers can refill rather than rebuy. Since 2018, they have saved over 300,000 containers from the landfill!
Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 

ReJar (Smithers, BC)
ReJar is Smithers' first refillery/zero waste store. ReJar's mission is to bring better sustainable products with none of the packaging. You can bring in any container or jar you want to reuse and fill it up from bulk organic food to cleaning products and everything in between. Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 

FILL Refill Stores (Vernon & Kelowna, BC)
FILL Vernon & Kelowna are zero waste refill stores in an effort to reduce plastic waste in the environment, encouraging customers to bring their own containers to refill household items. FILL carries about 90% Canadian products, ranging from affordable eco-friendly grocery store grades, to more plant-based, and organics options. Visit their website | Follow on Instagram (Vernon) | Follow on Instagram (Kelowna)
 

Our Footprints Company (Kamloops, BC) 
Our Footprints Company is an eco-store and refillery, where luxury & sustainability meet. Offering eco-friendly, un-packaged, sustainable and zero waste products, they also ship nationwide to anywhere in Canada.
Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 
 

Vancouver Island Refillery (Nanaimo, BC) 
VI Refillery is a Planet-over-Profit company encouraging customers to reduce their waste by reusing and refilling their own containers. They carry a large variety of locally made personal care and cleaning products in bulk! Find them in the Old City Quarter in Nanaimo, BC.
Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 

Local Refillery (Courtenay, BC)  
Local Refillery is a planet-friendly grocer that offers a convenient plastic-free, zero waste ‘weigh and pay’ shopping experience - allowing you to stock and restock guilt-free!
Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 
 

Parksville Home Hardware (Parksville, BC) 
Parksville Home Hardware is Vancouver Island’s biggest little Hardware Store - well established & well stocked. They have been selling Nellie’s products for one year and we’re very happy to source a locally made, quality product for customer’s home cleaning and laundry needs.
Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 
The Crafters Market (One Hundred Mile House, BC)  
The Crafter’s Market is an indoor Farmers Market, supporting local food and artisans of the Cariboo. They also have a small organic grocery and bakery in which we sell local and BC products.
Follow on Instagram
 

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MANITOBA

 

Planet Pantry (Winnipeg, MB) 
Planet Pantry is a package free, planet approved shop, offering customers a chance to shop more sustainably and ethically, and consume less waste at home! Planet Pantry is for everyone: come as you are and let us help you achieve your low-waste goals.
Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 

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ONTARIO

 

Earth Market (Newmarket, ON)
Earth Market is a zero waste refillery that sells low waste & plastic-free products to help you on your sustainable living journey. You can refill bath & body products, cleaners, and bulk food in store and online. You can also find locally-made eco-friendly products that are perfect for your home or on-the-go. Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 

The Green Jar (Toronto, ON)
The Green Jar is an eco-friendly, package-free refillery. Their mission is to eliminate single-use plastics and harmful household waste by offering Canadian-made, plant-based home and care products in bulk.
Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 

Zero Waste Bulk (Waterloo, ON) 
Zero Waste Bulk is a sustainable bulk goods store where BYOC (Bring Your Own Container) is encouraged to reduce packaging waste. You can fill up on maple syrup, shampoo, laundry detergent, spices, and more!
Visit their website | Follow on Instagram

 

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SASKATCHEWAN

 

Bulk Basket (Saskatoon, SK)
Bulk Basket is a locally owned and community focused sustainable grocery store and eco-shop that carries bulk pantry staples, bath and body products, cleaning products, produce, and more! Their focus is on helping to reduce waste and giving people the tools they need to live healthy, eco-friendly lives. Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 

The Alternative (Regina, SK) 
 The Alternative is a refillery and zero waste market located in Regina, with the goal to inspire others to choose an alternative lifestyle by connecting them to quality, locally made and sustainable goods. They provide the opportunity to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle one step at a time! Visit their website | Follow on Instagram
 

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DON'T SEE A SHOP IN YOUR AREA?

Click here to find a local retailer, or contact us to let us know where you'd like to find Nellie's!

Glass Bottle Update!

As you know, we launched our glass bottle line this year! As a company, our two most important core values are to provide our customers with sustainable, planet-friendly products, as well as honesty and transparency - founding principles that the real Nellie believed in.
This is why we want to update you on what's going on and where we are.
This year has been a big learning curve for us as a company. When we launched our glass line, we set our sights on completely eliminating our plastic bottles from our liquid cleaners and replacing them with glass. We quickly learned that it’s not as easy as we anticipated.
In short, we found that our liquids would sometimes freeze and expand during shipping in the colder months, causing the glass to break. One option is to change our formulas, which we don’t want to do. Our mantra has always been “take the bad stuff out, not put it in”. It’s why our Laundry Soda is made of only 4 ingredients!
For now, our glass bottles are out of stock until we see warmer weather. In the meantime, you can still shop our liquid cleaners in plastic.
We are actively looking at packaging alternatives that are plastic free. As always, we’ll keep you updated with our journey. Thank you for your patience and support!
xx The Nellie’s Team