Bon Ami Cleaning Powder is Bon Ami cake substitute (NOT Bon Ami Polishing/Powder)

[michaelbsc]

Hello gang! I bring good news! At least it's good news to me. Maybe others knew it already, but I sure didn't.

From info@bonami.com: "The Bon Ami Cleaning Powder (NOT Bon Ami Polishing/Powder Cleanser) is the exact same formula as the Cake, it may not be as user friendly but at least the ability and cleaning power is still available."

I've been working on getting decent ferrotype plates, and trying to learn the secrets of the old masters. One item that always comes up is "clean the plates with Bon Ami cake."

Well, I gave up ever finding it, and started trolling the evil auction site, only to get outbid on several auctions. I didn't want to pay over $10 for a 4 oz bar. After all, it's basically a bar of soap. And all those other bidders really just want the old wrapper intact, not the soap.

So, I went straight to the source. The Bon Ami company. Surprisingly, they aren't some division of Procter and Gamble or Colgate-Palmolive or some other conglomerate. They're still a dinky little company making green cleaning products. Or at least they present themselves this way.

Below is the answer I got from customer service.

==========

From Info BonAmi <info@bonami.com>
To xxx@Y.com
date Thu, Jun 24, 2010 at 10:33 AM
subject RE: Bon Ami cake soap
mailed-by bonami.com


Dear Michael,

Thank you for your recent email regarding your interest in our Bon Ami products. We always appreciate consumer correspondence. Unfortunately, we have discontinued the Bon Ami Cleaning Cake, we stopped making it in the late 90's.

Manufacture of this product will probably not be renewed, only because the Cleaning Cakes were formed and cut by hand and in today's market the cost of that labor would increase the price of the cake beyond what people are willing to pay for a cleaning product. Some people have had success in finding the Bon Ami cake on auction sites online; other than that route there's no definite answer. The Bon Ami Cleaning Powder (NOT Bon Ami Polishing/Powder Cleanser) is the exact same formula as the Cake, it may not be as user friendly but at least the ability and cleaning power is still available.

The lists that we offer are those retailers that we have contracts through for a particular state, and then each location decides whether or not they have the market for each individual product. If it is not on their shelves they should be able to order it through their distributor. We recommend that you call ahead and speak with a manager to make sure that Bon Ami Cleaning Powder is in stock. You should be able to locate Bon Ami Cleaning Powder at the following participating retailers: Do It Best Hardware and True Value Hardware.

You may also purchase any of the products from our Bon Ami line through Agelong Catalog online at www.agelong.com or call toll free
1-800-892-8022.

Thank you for taking the time to email us and should you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us again.

Sincerely,

Annie Longberg
Consumer Specialist

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Batchelor [mailto:xxx@Y.com]
Sent: Monday, June 21, 2010 9:11 PM
To: Info BonAmi
Subject: Bon Ami cake soap

Hi,

I'm looking for the old cake soap.

Years ago the cake soap was the product of choice for cleaning photographic ferrotype plates. Basically the soap would not scratch the mirror like metal surface. Even minute scratches are obvious on the glossy finish photographs. And I'm trying to resurrect the process using authentic materials.

I can find cake soap on eBay but it is expensive.

Is the powder the same ingredients? Therefore a reasonable substitute?

Will it lather like the cakes?

Thanks,
Michael
--
Michael Batchelor

 

[epatsellis]

An old trick taught to me when gilding glass was to scrub with Bon Ami powder on a wet cloth, I suspect cleaning plates for coating is about the same as getting water and gelatin to stick to it.

 

[mike c]

Very considerate and informative replay,sounds like nice people work there.

 

[David William White]

Might work for ferro plates, but still can't get blood stains off piano keys. (sorry for the interruption)

 

[Anscojohn]

I wonder if the cleaning powder in combo with Murphy's Oil Soap would do the trick? Ye olde lab ratz told me that the tallow in the Bon Ami Cake was part of the reason for using it on ferrotype tins. BTW, a little bit of the cake went a looong way.

 

[removed account4]

if it's felspar
you can always contact ruggle's mine
in central new hampshire, they used to
sell it in the gift shop