Long before there was Ajax (1947) or Comet Cleanser (1956), there was Bon Ami, a cleaning product made from soap and feldspar, and less gritty than the other powdered cleansers on the market. It was created in 1886 by the J.T. Robinson Co. in Connecticut. An effective marketing campaign in women's magazines made the scouring powder a national best-seller, until its rivals used radio and TV more aggressively in the 1960s, making Ajax and Comet more familiar household names. In 1971, the Beaham family of Kansas City, manufacturers of Faultless Starch, bought the brand and have revived its cachet by using recycled packaging for its Bon Ami line, which has long been a safe, biodegradable way to clean kitchens and bathrooms — and just about everything else.
