Natural Cleaning Products
This is a fast-growing category that answers the need for good-quality, environmentally-friendly, naturally-scented cleaning, laundry and dishwashing products. Many mainstream manufacturers are climbing on the bandwagon with so-called “green” products that are more like “greenish”. Buyer beware.
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Neat Links
- BioBag Canada – Learn about the green altenative to the plastic bag! Available in various sizes for a range of purposes (green bin, kitchen catcher, doggie waste), BioBags are also the Foodstuffs shopping bag of choice. Buy some stuff, get a BioBag! Cool, eh?
Armenian Paper
Le papier d’armenie, or Armenian Paper, is the oldest natural air sanitizer and deodorizer. Easy to use and inexpensive, it can be used at home and abroad to remove bad smells (like pets, tobacco, cooking, dampness and mustiness) and to create a sense of well-being. It’s also useful during flu season and in a sick person’s room. Armenian Paper is made exclusively from natural products and produces none of the pollution of an aerosol air freshener.
A bit of history: In the late 19th century, Auguste Ponsot visited Armenia during a voyage through the Ottoman Empire. He saw the locals scenting and disinfecting their homes by burning Benzoin, a kind of tree resin prized by the perfumery world today.
Upon his return to France, M. Ponsot joined efforts with pharmacist Henri Rivier to find a Western method for burning Benzoin. After much dabbling, the men found that blotting paper was ideal: it absorbed a Benzoin/alcohol mix while preserving the original scent, and it burned slowly and without flames.
Armenian Paper was revealed to Western Europe at the Hygiene Exhibition of 1888 and the Universal Exhibition of 1889, where M. Ponsot and M. Henri demonstrated the antibacterial qualities of their invention using meat: meat that had been infused with burning Armenian Paper was still fit to be eaten after a week, while the control subject had started to rot. Gross, yes, but imagine the benefits for your green bin!
Today Armenian Paper booklets are produced in a workshop in Montrouge, where Mireille Schvartz, the great-granddaughter of Henri Rivier, runs the operation. Each booklet takes three months to complete.
Instructions: Tear off one strip of paper, fold it in the shape of an accordion, and place it on a small heat-proof container (an ashtray or an incense burner). Light it, then blow out the flame slightly; it should burn slowly.
Usage Advice: Burn a strip 3 or 4 times a week. Air the room regularly. Do not leave a strip burning without monitoring. Keep the product from children.
Armenian Paper can also be used without burning. Detach a whole sheet and place it in a drawer, a dresser, a book, etc. The sheet will infuse its new home with a subtle and pleasant scent.
Information obtained from the Armenian Paper booklet and from Naturadif.
