Bon-Ami (Was RainX, etc.

[Kelvin]

DAWSON-MD commented...

>A few years ago the TV show "Shadetree Mechanic" toured the R&D facilities
>of a large wiper manufacture (Tricon?) where they used BonAmi to clean their
>windshields. I have used it successfully since then, it will really take the
>road film off. BonAmi is the ONLY brand to use as it is made from, if I
>remember correctly, a corn by-product. 
If I recall correctly, Bon-Ami is made from powdered feldspar, a soft 
mineral that usually gives granite its color, and calcium carbonate, an 
even softer mineral (and both are softer than almost every kind of glass, 
even old fashioned soda-lime glass). The manufacturers of Bon-Ami almost 
went under a decade or so ago because of lousy marketing but managed to 
revive the product. It's invaluable as a windshield cleaner but also in 
your house where it will clean porcelain and stainless steel without 
scratching them. In other words your bath tub and sinks will last years 
longer if cleaned with Bon-Ami.

>Comet and other brands are made with
>fine abrasive mineral particles, ie. liquid sandpaper!
Aptly put. They do, in fact, usually contain very fine silicon dioxide, 
otherwise known as sand, or when fused, glass, plus a range of bleaches 
and other aggressive chemicals.

Kelvin Kean