How to Use the Bon Ami Cleaning Cake! from Bon Ami on Vimeo.
Archive for May, 2011
“The Chicago Green Festival, held at McCormick Place last weekend, rounded up more than 300 green exhibitors and 125 speakers for two days of cutting-edge sustainable lifestyle action and information.
We stopped by on Sunday to find out what’s new in the sustainability world. Here’s a look at what caught our eye in terms of cool products of note and environmentally friendly organizations with whom Morton Grove activists can partner.”
Green Festival: Thinking Global, Acting Local via Janice Cha – Morton Grove Patch – The Sustainable Beat
“This past weekend I attended Seattle’s 10th Annual Green Festival where hundreds of vendors and exhibitors enthusiastically shared their green stories. One vendor that stood out for me was Eco Tapi, developers of compostable and biodegradable paper and plastic products made out of tapioca! Not only was the product interesting, but they also had a beautiful way of merchandising such utilitarian wares. Their parent company, Green Tokyo, makes a variety of interesting eco-products.”
“If Mr. Kucinich’s weekend schedule was any indication, he is taking the matter seriously. In addition to the rally at the bank, he spoke to Democrats outside Seattle in Woodinville, a suburb that could be part of the new district, before he met with students at the University of Washington. He spoke at fund-raisers and gave a presentation on “reconnecting with the natural world” at the Green Festival in Seattle.”
Kucinich, Losing District, Looks Very Far Afield via Carl Hulse – NY Times
“It was great to see Chicago go green post St. Patrick’s Day, with the annual Green Festival.
Du-Jay again enjoyed people power bike ride with Working Bikes. It’s fun to see the pedaling create enough energy to make a little bike go around the world, spout water from a mermaid rain barrel or play a record! We also saw our old favorites, Coco Loco, who will also be at Summer Camp Music Festival again. I wear 2 pairs of their earrings pretty much 24/7 and Sagezilla also has a spiral pair she often wears when not actively doing gymnastics. We also saw the booth that makes old banners into super cool wallets and bags, like my favorite one that resembles the Chicago flag….and a certain blog header.”
“Double-cupping on your morning cup of Joe will be a thing of the past if some activists have anything to say about it.
And so will paper cups in general.
Seattleite Karin de Weille recently launched an ambitious campaign to banish disposable cups from the everyday routines of people all over the city. She believes quitting to-go cups is a lot like detoxing from any addiction: The first few weeks are the hardest.”
Should Seattle kick its paper cup habit? via Amy Rolph – SeattlePi – Seattle’s Big Blog
Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. cleared the air about pollution and sustainable existence when he spoke recently at the Green Festival.
The two-day event celebrating a decade of providing eco-friendly solutions to everyday life was held at McCormick Place earlier this month.
Yearwood is the president of the Washington, D.C.-based Hip Hop Caucus, and has traveled the country discussing the need for renewable energy and clean air.
May is Asthma Awareness Month, and Yearwood remarked how staggering asthma rates reached the local level.
Hip hop activist speaks on asthma, environment via Keisha Price – Chicago Defender
Bon Ami is celebrating its 125th anniversary by issuing a limited run of its original 1886 Formula Cleaning Cake
KANSAS CITY, MO. – May 26, 2011 Bon Ami is celebrating its 125th anniversary by issuing a limited run of its original 1886 Formula Cleaning Cake, once a staple in households across America.
A symbol of the company’s long-standing commitment to natural ingredients, only 1,886 cakes are available, sold online at www.bonami.net and www.alice.com while supplies last. Made from the same recipe of ground feldspar and tallow soap developed in the 1880s, the cakes are pressed, cured and cut into bars by hand.
Bon Ami has a tradition of thoughtful, thrifty products. In the late 19th century, most household cleansers were harsh and abrasive. Bon Ami’s innovation came from taking the softer mineral feldspar, a waste product from quartz mining, and combining it with mild tallow soap to create a cleanser that polished away dirt and stains but was also gentle on surfaces and people.
While the cake fell out of favor in more modern times, the recent cultural return to both thrift and thoughtful home keeping, and steady requests by fans to bring back the product inspired Bon Ami to make a limited batch.
Like the 1886 Original Formula Cleaning Powder, available in can-form year-round in hardware stores, the Cleaning Cake is a household workhorse, cleaning old glass windows, tile, stainless steel, mirrors and pots and pans, yet it’s simple ingredients are biodegradable. To use on most surfaces, simply wipe a damp sponge or cloth across the cleaning cake, then use the cloth to clean. Then rinse with water until the shine comes through. No paper towels required – just a little elbow grease. One cake is good for hundreds of cleanings.
“Households used this product for more than a century. It’s not only effective, it’s truly one of the most thrifty and ecological products for cleaning,” said Carolyn Beaham West, Bon Ami’s brand ambassador and a member of the family owners. “It requires no fancy technology to use, has minimal, recyclable packaging, is versatile and lasts for months.”
The cakes are sold for $9.99 packaged in a beautifully designed paper box, which uses no glues or sealants. A commemorative tin with a cleaning cloth will be available later this summer for $14.99.
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About Bon Ami
Founded in 1886, Bon Ami weathered the Great Depression, chemical revolution and an endless stream of fads by keeping its products simple. The Bon Ami anniversary 1886 Formula Cleaning Cake joins a full line of natural household cleaners, which last year grew to include liquid cleanser, all purpose spray and dish soap, in addition to the popular flagship “yellow can” Powder Cleanser and “red can” 1886 Formula Cleaning Powder. Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Bon Ami is an independent, family-owned company. Its products are available in hardware stores and grocery stores nationwide.
For more information about Bon Ami visit www.bonami.com and www.facebook.com/bonamiclean.