Product: Bon Ami Cleaners
Price: $3 - $4
Rating: Recommend*
After we wrote a post on how to shop for green cleaners, Bon Ami sent some test products to our office to see how they stacked up against other non-toxic green cleaning brands. Recently rebranded with a lighter, more streamlined look (that still preserves the classic chick logo), the kit included the classic powder cleanser, dish soap, all-purpose cleanser, and liquid cleanser.
While we've used the powder scrub before, this was our first time trying out the liquid cleaners — all of them are very mild products that don't rely on harsh chemicals to do their job.
Bon Ami has been around since the 1890s, when J.T. Robertson started using leftover feldspar from New England mines to make soap. Feldspar is a gentle abrasive cleaner, and it was seen at that time as a waste product from quartz mining, so it was cheap and readily available. Bon Ami still uses North Carolina and North Dakota feldspar in their cleaners, along with baking soda, corn oils, coconut oils, palm oils, citric acid and other non-toxic ingredients.
We've sung the praises of the powder scrub before — while it doesn't have the super-white-scrubbing ability of harsh chemicals like bleach, it's one of the most effective green cleaners we've found. The feldspar abrasive provides just enough friction to get under dirt, but it's mild and doesn't scratch up surfaces.
The dish soap and liquid cleansers are likewise very mild. To be honest, the dish soap might be a little too mild for our liking. While it works well, the consistency is a little watery, and we find ourselves using it up more quickly than other dish soaps.
The all-purpose cleaner is a good product that doesn't have a strong scent (a bonus in our book) and works well for wiping up counters and surfaces. We haven't yet tried the liquid cleanser on shower tile or bathroom surfaces — where it's really meant to be used — so we'll hold off comments on that one for now.
Overall, we're giving it a solid thumbs up, with the strongest recommendation for the classic powder cleanser. The liquid cleansers are also mild, with a scent that's fresh but soft, and they're effective, although a little watery.
Any first-hand reviews of Bon Ami to add? Let us know in the comments!
*Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us the product for testing and review purposes.
*Our Ratings:
Strong Recommend
Recommend
Weak Recommend
Don't Recommend
Photos: Bon Ami
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I've never used the newer products, but I love the original scrub. It's one of the few reasons I still go to Whole Paycheck.
I've always used Barkeepers Friend but will definitely give Bon Ami a try.
i love all the bon ami stuff. the liquid cleanser and all purpose spray are fantastic and dont have the sometimes less than amazing smell of some of the seventh generation products. the dish soap works well but its probably the weakest our of all of their products especially compared to other eco dish soaps. if you cant find them in you're local store - no where in pittsburgh or western pa stocked them, you can order them through alice dot com
I love Bon Ami. Its the only scrub I use at it was recommended to me after my cat jumped into my tub while I was using Ajax to clean it. Bon Ami is harmless if ingested (hopefully that will never happen again!)
I love Bon Ami too. I'll be sticking to the powder only most likely since I make my own all purpose cleaner with Dr. Bronner's and/or vinegar, but might try out the all-purpose cleaner based on your all's recommendation.....
It might be worth mentioning whether or not Bon Ami's palm oil is certified sustainable. The quest for palm oil is killing off large cats, orangutans, and other important rainforest dwellers: http://blog.ted.com/2009/03/05/orangutans_and/.
Since I learned about this issue last spring, I've been double-checking all the ingredient lists of the products I have used in the past and have been surprised by the prevalence of palm oil there. So, I've changed my habits and now use only products containing either certified sustainable palm oil or no palm oil at all. But that's mostly because I love big cats, orangutans, and rainforests, in general.
I've been a big fan of Bon Ami powder cleanser for a long time. I like that I can send my kids off to clean the toilets with it and not worry about harsh chemicals/safety.
I love and use the powdered scrub. As for the dishwashing liquid, love the very mild scent and it did do a good job cleaning and breaking down grease on dishes but I felt like I had to use more of the product to accomplish this.
Are the liquid products packaged in plastic bottles? I'm afraid that would be the deal-breaker for me.
I've used the powder for decades, too. Our tub and shower still look new after all these years.
About the packaging for the new Bon Ami products, they are made from 100% Post Consumer Recycled plastic (100% PCR), if that helps the decision process...
I use bon ami exclusively during pregnancy-- it's so mild and does not emit even a trace of scent.
Wow - they changed the labels, eh?
Oh yes, the Palm Oil. I work for Bon Ami, and earlier this year we too were worried about the dangers of using Palm oil. Upon further investigation, we found out that we actually don't use this ingredient at all. We have made this change on the packaging moving forward, but for ecological and economical reasons we decided to use up the labels we had already printed. Rest assured my good friends, that we are continually committed to creating the best cleaning products for the home and the environment.
i see someone from celery has commented, but i wanted to chime in as well: beyond being a great product, celery design has used their redesign as a case study in eliminating waste of materials and resources at every stage of the packaging. it was a really impressive presentation, and i was happy to see a company like bon ami supporting best practices.
I find Bon Ami at Safeway and Fred Meyer (Kroger family of stores) in my town. I usually see it in the "regular" grocery stores...it's MUCH more mild than BKF - and Bon Ami has their ingredients listed online, for everyone to see. BKF is not so transparent, and about 2x the price....
Thanks for that info, AmityF! Although it may be helpful to update the website as well.
Original Bon Ami cuts the grease my teeny tiny kitchen is plagued with like nothing else I've used. Happily my everyday grocery store carries it, but I wish they'd carry the other stuff too as I've been wanting to try the newer products.
Website has been updated!
I used the Bon Ami powder on my old stove all the time. My roommates would always leave gunk everywhere: caked on oil, burnt on grime, stuck of food and grease. With ten minutes, Bon Ami powder and a sponge, I could get the stove even more clean than it was when I moved it. I love this stuff!