My Cleaning Friend, My Bon Ami
For decades I used good old Comet to scrub the tub, kitchen sink, and other surfaces with stuck on crud. Then a couple years back, in my attempt to go "greener," I started using Bon Ami Powder Cleanser.
I will never go back.
You see ...
Bon Ami was a green company long before "green" became a product category. They didn’t start out striving to be green. They just started out with simple ingredients and simple processes to make products that work without dangerous chemicals, and that are biodegradable, nontoxic and hypoallergenic.
Take my favorite, Bon Ami Powder Cleanser for example. It's made of five simple ingredients.
- Alkyl polyglucoside (glucose and fatty alcohols inherent in the natural oils of corn and coconut)
- Feldspar
- Limestone (calcium carbonate)
- Soda Ash (sodium carbonate)
- Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate)
The result is a natural, effective cleaner.
How I Use Bon Ami Powder Cleanser
In our home, there are two cleaning applications where the Bon Ami Powder Cleanser really shines—in removing scorch marks from cookware (stainless and enamel-coated) and dissolving soap scum.
Cleaning Cookware
Bon Ami products will not scratch enamel-coated cookware like Le Creuset. Thanks goodness! Since I use Bon Ami on mine all the time. Bon Ami is great at removing cooked-on—even burnt-on—food from enamel cookware. But do note that over time and with lots of use, the enamel itself will start to deepen in color. The pros call it "curing," and are rather proud of it. It isn't really possible to take the enamel back to new. But that curing does not hurt future meals in any way. To remove heavy-duty messes from cookware I make a paste of water and the powder cleanser and apply a coating over the cooked-on food or scorch mark. After letting is sit for 30 minutes, I use a little elbow grease and a sponge and voila, sparkling clean!
Cleaning the Bath and Shower
Moving on to the bath and shower, I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am with how sparkling this cleanser leaves my acrylic tub and walls. I give the entire surface a quick spray down with water and then apply a thin coat of the powder cleanser with my hand. I let it sit for 15-20 minutes then wipe down—using a little elbow grease as needed. You will feel the grime release. Please note that when it it comes to shower and bath surfaces it's always best to test a small, inconspicuous place.
Use with Care on Glass
You may know the famous tagline the Bon Ami chick chirps, but not many know why she says “Hasn’t scratched, yet!” Well, just as Bon Ami won't scratch surfaces, a brand new baby chick doesn't yet scratch at the earth for the first few days of its life. Hence, Bon Ami’s promise to be tough on messes, but gentle as a baby chick.
Bon Ami has traditionally been the go-to product for cleaning glass and mirrors. And it's still safe for glass if you are absolutely certain that what you are cleaning is only glass. That's because the feldspar in Bon Ami is a softer material than the silica traditionally used to make glass.
That said, these days not all glass is only glass. Safety glass, UV coatings, tinted windows, non-shattering windshields, and other window materials are all coated with various kinds of plastic. These coatings make life safer, but they need non-abrasive cleaners.
Lexie's Kitchen Readers Love it Too!
Now let's hear from some rockin' Lexie's Kitchen readers on how they use Bon Ami Powder Cleanser!
"I have used this product for many years and started using it to polish my stainless steel fridge, dishwasher, and wall oven. In addition, I used it to totally clean my outdoor grill. Everything always looks so beautiful, clean, and polished when I am finished using this product."
"I use it almost everywhere and my favorite natural food store now carries Bon Ami in liquid form for cleaning and washing dishes. Yeah!"
"I've been using it for oh, 30 years now because it doesn't have weird chemicals and chlorine in it. I use it everywhere in the house to scrub, including in the bathroom along with vinegar and tea tree oil."
"I love Bon Ami! I use it on my white ceramic sink. It gets out all the scuffs and stains...making it look like new. It's cheap, I can get it at Target, and it works great!"
"I use it for my sink, but just the other day I used it on the outside of my stainless steel Kitchen Aid bowl to get the hard water off!"
"Toilets, ceramic sinks, tubs, shower, glass shower door, stainless steel, and grout! Just a few places really!"
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Reader Comments (92)
I've heard about Bon Ami for years. Would love to try these.
My mom swears by this stuff! She has a huge, white sink in the kitchen, and she will only clean it with this because it gets in every nook and cranny and leaves it super shiny and clean, but also doesn't leave behind any scratches or residues. She won't use anything else. Awesome giveaway!
Great post, never heard of this product but I definitely want to get my hands on it now.
Thanks for the great and thorough review.
I just shared this on Pinterest.
I just liked them on Facebook too :) Thanks for the fun giveaway!
I haven't tried Bon Ami yet! Your glowing review makes me want to give it a try though :)
I pinned this post on Pinterest :)
I liked Bon Ami's Facebook page
I have used Bon Ami for years, mostly to clean sinks and porcelain in the bathroom. Love it!!
I've never tried Bon Ami before but would love to.
What a great giveaway! I'd love to try out Bon Ami.
I shared it on twitter! https://twitter.com/chelseagirl483
AND I liked their facebook page! good luck to me!
So cool! I would definitely love to try these out.
Just liked and shared it on FB!
And liked their FB page.
I liked the Facebook page!
And this is my initial comment. :)
And I google plus-Ed it. :)
I would love to try their new stuff!
I have never heard of this product but would love to try it. I have been attempting to make my life a little greener and Bon Ami product line has me intrigued. Thanks for sharing!
Liked their page! Never heard of them before...very interested to try.
My second post. Sounds like a great product
Never heard or seen this product. Really want to try it now!
Re-pinned on Pinterest!
I'd love to try these products out! Thanks for the great review and giveaway.
I liked them on facebook.
Tweeted about the giveaway as well @nograinnopain
I love Bon Ami cleanser, especially on my ceramic pots and stove. Thank you (and Bon Ami!) for the chance to win some!
I am already following Bon Ami on facebook as Rust Hawk.
I pinned this post http://pinterest.com/pin/225461525066355295/
Thank you so much for sharing. I've heard of it but haven't tried. Hope it's available on Alice's grocery store site.
never tried Bon Ami before but would love to try it! thanks for the info
liked on Facebook
I had often wondered about Bon Ami, but didn't know much of anything about it. I'm SO glad that you shared this post with us. Now I know I need to try it!
I've been using Bon Ami for OVER 50 years. Hasn't scratched yet :-) Would love to try the other products.
I've been trying to go green and would love to win the Bon Ami gift pack!!! Thanks for the great giveaway!
I "heart" Bon Ami!!
I LOVE Bon Ami! I started using the cleanser last year to get rid of the bad cleansers. I found it worked just as well. I had no idea they had more products so thanks for this post. I'm looking forward to trying them!
I am also sharing your post on my facebook page with my followers to help get the word out.
www.facebook.com/redefinedfoodie
I also LIKED Bon Ami page.
I did not know that Bon Ami had new products. Would love to try! Thanks, Dee
OH I would LOVE to try these! And this reminds me I need to try their cleaner in our tubs! They are So hard to clean!! I liked them on facebook!
I shared this product with my friends on Pinterest!
I liked the Bon Ami Facebook page!
I liked the Bon Ami Facebook page!
I would LOVE To try these new products! I am dying to find some new cleaners that don't mess with my son's allergies!
I'm with you, the powder cleanser is the best. And I love that Bon Ami has adopted the vintage label.
I would love to try these products!
I liked Bon Ami on Facebook!