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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.
When Bon Ami was first created, household cleaners came in bars – or cakes as we call them. Bon Ami’s innovation in 1886 was to make a more gentle cleaning cake that used feldspar to polish away dirt and stains. American homemakers loved it.
But after the chemical revolution in the mid-twentieth century, the simple cleaning cake fell out of favor. A generation of American homemakers grew up not knowing about the Bon Ami Cleaning Cake. Yet we hear this same generation calling for more thoughtful cleaning products with smaller carbon footprints and better cleaning abilities.
We hear you.
In celebration of our 125th Anniversary year, Bon Ami is again offering our tried and true 1886 Formula Cleaning Cake.
Family-owned company brings earth-friendly cleaning products to all at the Mother Earth News Fair
Kansas City, MO – April 27, 2011 Bon Ami, America’s original natural home cleaner, will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its scratch-free cleaning
powder by sponsoring more than a half-dozen events in 2011.
“We love meeting our customers personally and hearing what they have to say and showing them what we have to offer,” said Carolyn Beaham West, director of sustainability for Bon Ami and member of the Beaham family who purchased the brand in the 1970s. “Sponsoring events like the Mother Earth News Fair is a perfect way for us to do that.”
Invented in 1886, Bon Ami provides a gentle, natural alternative to harsh scouring powders. Its time-tested formula adheres to the EPA’s Design for the Environment-approved list of eco-friendly ingredients, which are not only effective, they also biodegrade quickly and cleanly. Bon Ami recently launched a new line of liquid cleaning products that are packaged in 100-percent post-consumer recycled plastics and paper, and designed to be completely recycled again. All Bon Ami packaging is made in the United States.
Bon Ami will distribute samples of its products at the Mother Earth News Fair June 4-5 in Puyallup, Wash.
“Bon Ami creates top-notch products and respects its customers’ needs,” says Andrew Perkins, Mother Earth News Fair manager. “They’re the Mother Earth News of the green cleaner industry.”
As part of its 125th Anniversary celebration this year, Bon Ami is also sponsoring Green Festival San Fransisco; Green Festival Seattle; Tomato Taxi at the Kansas City Farmer’s Market; Portland, Maine’s Lilac Festival 5k; The Maine Marathon; Doernbecher Children’s Hospital Charity Auction; and the Portland, Ore., Iron Girl Triathlon.
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About Bon Ami
Founded in 1886, Bon Ami cleaning products weathered the Great Depression, the chemical revolution and an endless stream of fads by keeping their products simple. Bon Ami means “good friend” in French, and that’s the company’s philosophy. Bon Ami offers home cleaning products from its powder cleanser to a full line of liquid products that are effective, thrifty and gentle on the whole family and the environment. Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., Bon Ami products are available in hardware stores and grocery stores nationwide. For more information about Bon Ami go to http://www.bonami.com or http://www.facebook.com/bonamiclean.
About Mother Earth News Fairs
Mother Earth News Fairs are family-oriented sustainable-lifestyle events that feature more than 120 practical, hands-on demonstrations and workshops from the leading authorities on renewable energy, small-scale agriculture, gardening, green building, green transportation and natural health. Events for 2011 will be hosted June 4-5 in Puyallup, Wash.; Sept. 3-5 in San Rafael, Calif.; and Sept. 24-25 in Seven Springs, Pa. For information about event sponsorships, contact Andrew Perkins at partnerships@ogdenpubs.com. For exhibit space, contact Mellissa Crouch at mellissa@sevenstarevents.com.
About Ogden Publications Inc.
Ogden Publications Inc. is the leading information resource serving the sustainable living, rural lifestyle, farm memorabilia and classic motorcycle communities. Key brands include Mother Earth News, Natural Home & Garden, Utne Reader, Capper’s and Grit. Ogden Publications also produces environmentally friendly housewares through Natural Home Products LLC, and provides insurance and financial services through its Capper’s Insurance Service division.