I’ve noticed that there something of a natural progression when you start canning, even if it’s on a very small scale. Suddenly you start looking around your home and looking for ways that you can streamline, simplify and make from scratch. Several years ago, I started replacing counter top cleaners with vinegar solutions and powdered bleach scrubs with baking soda. And they were pretty darn good for a variety of basic cleaning.
Thing is, there were a couple things that those more natural cleansers didn’t do particularly well. For instance, the enamel in my bathroom sink is chipped near the drain and it bleeds rust on a daily basis (we haven’t replaced the sink because the whole bathroom must eventually be gutted, but it is still serviceable so we soldier on). It needs aggressive scrubbing with something more potent than baking soda. But after all the energy that went into ridding my home of chemical cleaners that made me light-headed, I didn’t want to invite them back for this one job.
A couple of weeks ago, the answer arrived* in the form of a box of Bon Ami products. Made from feldspar and a gentle soap, it’s an incredibly easy to use and made quick work of my rust stains (it also worked on rust-stained jars). You just rub a web cloth or sponge over the Bon Ami bar and scrub. It’s a fantastic complement to my arsenal of vinegar spray and baking soda (I must say, their spray cleaner is also terrific and has the added bonus of not smelling like pickles).
Now, I realize that I sound a little like an ad here. But truly, I’m a bit smitten with the Bon Ami bar (and the powder too). I’ve always had a weakness for old fashioned ways of doing things (which is probably why I started canning in the first place) and so I get an unnatural amount of satisfaction from using something that my great-grandmother may well have applied to her own sinks and tubs.
You’ll be excited to learn that Bon Ami has given me two more of these cleaning kits to giveaway here. To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment on this post and share a story about cleaning unguents, solutions, powders or soaps (do you make your own cleansers? Did you grow up with Bon Ami? What’s your take on hand soap – bar or liquid?). Comments will close at 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. The winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. This giveaway is only open to residents of the United States (my apologies to all you reading from Canada and beyond).
One last thing. Because we’re in the social media age and all, I thought I’d mention that Bon Ami is on Facebook and they’re currently running a contest for a chance to win a green house cleaning. If you feel so moved, you can toss your hat in that ring too.
*I was sent this box of cleaning products at no cost to me. However, my elbow grease and opinions are all my own.
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I’m just starting to use vinegar for most household cleaning, but I’ve been meaning to check out Bon Ami as I’ve heard great things!
I love bon ami! I had no idea that they also have a bar and spray, as I only have the powder available in my grocery. I would love to try the spray and bar. Thanks for sharing such great products.
i have never used these products, but am fully committed to using vinegar and baking soda in cleaning on a regular basis. i typically use white vinegar for everything… some things apple cider, i guess! ok! i hope i win!
Oh, I would love to try the Bon Ami bar. I’ve got rust stains on one of my bathroom sink drains too. Cleaning products, well, I still use mostly conventional ones. Although, in the last couple of months I’ve been moving toward more natural hair and skin care products. Did you know a dilute apple cider vinegar solution is fantastic for making hair soft and shiny? So it’s probably just a matter of time until I move toward more natural household cleaners too.
I love Bon Ami — I’ve used the powder for years, as did my mother. I didn’t know that there was a cleaning bar, though. The thing about the Bon Ami powder is that it last forever, in addition to being cheap and low impact.
What’s not to like? I’d live to try the bar.
Thanks!
I would love to try a product that gets rust off jars! As far as cleaning products go, I try to stay natural but have had an awful time with burned on carbon on the cooktop and on cooking pans. A friend told me about Carbon-Off spray and it did the trick. Even safe on Aluminum.
I have been using baking soda to clean my counters, Comet to kill my ants, vinegar to soften my clothes. Now to discover the alternative to using the bleach/baking soda cocktail to remove stains on my porcelain sink. I would love to win one of the kits so I could discover how many other ways it could reduce my chemical exposure (and having pantry space not filled with cleaning products or cabinets full of allergy meds is a wonderful thing). Please keep blogging, I really enjoy reading your work.
Thanks.
I’ve been looking for natural and/or organic cleaning solutions since, lately (in the past 6-12 months), regular (chemical) products have been exacerbating my allergies. Talk about making cleaning a chore!
I don’t have a story about Bon Ami per se, but I do remember one of my history professors repeatedly telling a story about a friend in the USSR stocking up on Bon Ami, because you never knew what you’d be able to trade it for later. Do you think this would work to take stains out of a countertop? My roommate’s pots have left black circles on the white countertop.
I grew up in a Comet household. But my husband grew up with Bon Ami, and introduced me to it when we got married. Had no clue that they have a bar, however, so I will have to nag my local store to carry it!
I’ve always wanted to try Bon Ami – I’ve heard about using feldspar (sp?) in making home made laundry detergent. I would love to try this product!
We live in the land of vinegar, baking soda and boiling water (good for sticky drains). My mom used all of these when I was little, but man, scrubbin’ bubbles was my favorite cleaner when I was a teen… it rocked through the grime with very little effort, just like it promised. It felt so satisfying to have the chemical do all the work…
I’d never heard of Bon Ami till I was in my 30s or so – we were a Comet household too, as I was growing up. I tried making my own dishwasher soap for a while, but found it kept drying out in the bottle (even capped) and becoming quite useless, along with scratching my glassware. I do still try to use vinegar around the house when I can. Unfortunately, my husband hates the smell of it. So I’ve mostly switched to Mrs. Meyers and Seventh Generation for cleaning products (depending on what our grocery stores choose to carry and who has unscented at the time). I do still use white vinegar in the laundry, however. As for personal hygeine – liquid soap all the way. No bar soap for me or my husband.
My mom uses bon ami and swears by it. I would love to give it a try and see if it works as well as everyone says.
We like the bar soap called Kirk’s Castile. I keep a bar at my mudroom sink and it’s great for cleaning up greasy, grimy hands that come in from the barn, shop or garden. I also make my own cleaners. One I like is for a powdered cleanser. You take 4 parts baking soda and 1 part borax. Add essential oils (opt) and pour into a cheese shaker. It shakes out much better than straight baking soda. I like homemade laundry powder too. 1 bar Fels Naptha (or Ivory Bar), 1 c. washing soda, 1 c. borax, 1 c. baking soda. My daughter is using it for her baby’s laundry as well as her everyday laundry. I use it too.
I’d love to try the Bon Ami bar. I’ve never seen it.
Jody
What a fun giveaway! I grew up using Comet and Ajax, but was introduced to Bon Ami by my hippie Berkeley roommates. I’ve actually switched over to the Bon Ami powder completely, but have never seen the cleaning cake before and am super curious now.
I use a vinegar mix with lavender and eucalyptus oils, they seem to kill the scent when combined.
Would love to try the Bon ami, baking soda isn’t cutting it!
I love Bon Ami powder already but I’ve never seen the bar. Please consider me entered, oh randomizer of fortune!
Just tonight, I was researching how to make homemade laundry detergent and here this is. Need to get me some!
I like to put a little bit of essential oil in my homemade cleaners. Though I admit, I still use the chemical stuff for some things. The Bon Ami bar sounds pretty awesome–I will definitely have to try it (even if I don’t win
).
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