Posts Tagged house

Home-Grown Loofah: Cleaning the Eco-Friendly Way

One of the best parts about DIY is that you are always learning something new. One little tidbit I just learned is that you can grow loofah right in your backyard. I never knew those hard spongy things you use as a body scrub were actually plants, let alone something you could grow yourself.

Local resident Mellenie Runion grows and sells loofah as part of her business,Truly-Life Eco-Friendly Gifts. At the recomendation of a friend, I stopped by her house over the weekend to see what growing loofah was all about.

Read More: Home-Grown Loofah: Cleaning the Eco-Friendly Way via DIY Del Ray

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Bon Ami Brings Back 125-Year-Old Cleaning Cake To Celebrate Anniversary, Commitment To Non-Toxic Ingredients



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.

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Dennis Kucinich visits UW campus

“Never sell out, never worry about losing and never quit. That’s Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich’s advice for students interested in a career in politics that he shared on campus this past weekend.

“You don’t need many people to change the world,” Kucinich said toUW students. “Don’t wait to be invited to get involved.”

As part of his weekend of public appearances in Washington, which included a fundraiser for Democrats in Woodinville and the Seattle Green Festival in downtown Seattle, Kucinich made a stop at the UW to answer questions from students.”

Dennis Kucinich visits UW campus via the University of Washington Daily

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Ohio Rep. Kucinich Eyes WA Congressional Seat

“WASHINGTON — It’s been the topic of Capitol Hill news chatter all week: whether Ohio congressman and two-time presidential candidate Democrat Dennis Kucinich would pick up and move to the South Sound. Kucinich, who’s been dodging reporters all week, gave KIRO 7 Washington, D.C. bureau reporter Carol Han the exclusive.

While he repeatedly said he hasn’t made any decisions about if and when he would move, Kucinich said he won’t be a stranger to Washington. He’s been invited to speak at the Green Festival taking place May 21-22 at the Qwest Fields Event Center in Seattle.”

Ohio Rep. Kucinich Eyes WA Congressional Seat via KIROTV

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Dedicated recycler bones up on green techniques to pull off ambitious renovation

Ben Bradley didn’t play with regular toys growing up.

He would just take them apart and put them back together.

“My parents finally realized they should not buy me typical toys, and started getting me radio kits and stuff like that,” said the Arkansas native.

After he bought his first house in 2007, his old habits kicked in, and he began to take it apart.

Now that he has stripped it down to the bare bones, Bradley plans to put it back together keeping one goal in mind: to be as green as possible.

“I’m going to do what I can to the best of my ability. As a homeowner, unless you have a lot of money, it’s hard,” he said.

Not wanting to attempt such a major endeavor blindly, the local courier has done his research.

The same year he bought his house, he traveled to Global Exchange’s and Co-Op America’s Green Festival in Chicago to soak up some information.

“I was completely mentally exhausted. I was there until they pushed me out of the building,” said Bradley, 39. “It was really liberating. All of a sudden I had more information than I even knew what to do with. It was like being drunk on information. It was like all of a sudden, this was possible.”

Dedicated recycler bones up on green techniques to pull off ambitious renovation via Lesley Young – The Commercial Appeal

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