I can’t stop wiping my kitchen bench. Or my kitchen table. And mopping… I mopped twice yesterday.
It all started with a trip to my local kitchen/home-wares shop ‘Roost’ in Malvern where I was searching for a rocket-shaped cookie cutter. As I made my way to the counter I caught sight of the most gorgeously packaged apothecary style bottles of… something. I didn’t know what, all I knew was that whatever it was, I liked it. On closer inspection I realized that they were cleaning products. What’s more they were a ‘premium range of organic cleaning products’ and were ‘earth, food, child and pet safe’. I wasn’t disappointed. Actually, I was so excited! Not only am I BIG on cleaning (perhaps even verging on the neurotic) but I am always on the lookout for more eco-friendly cleaning options.
I have always tried to avoid regular supermarket detergents for the disconcerting conundrum: the products we use to keep our families safe and healthy, we now know, may be doing just the opposite. So, despite temporarily agonizing over the somewhat costly price (when compared to regular cleaners and my ‘old faithfulls’ – white vinegar and bicarb of soda), I couldn’t wait to get them home!
Murchison-Hume is the progeny of Max and Peter Kater. Disenchanted with the odious and uninspiring options on offer to the design-conscious housewife, Max Kater decided to create her own range of premium housekeeping products. Her ambition – ‘to create the finest household cleaning products in the world.’ That meant they had to be ecologically friendly, superbly effective and easy to use, but above all, they had to look and smell gorgeous.
And indeed they do. With names like ‘Spit & Polish’, ‘Counter Intelligence’ and ‘Boys Bathroom Cleaner’ it’s hard not to feel at least a little bit inspired to get scrubbing. And with timeless counter appeal, you will feel guilty storing them away under the sink. But, as gorgeous as these products may look, it’s actually what’s inside that counts. They are completely non-toxic and utterly safe to use with zero negative effect on the environment. That is, I think, good news for us all.
-Sara
Comments (9)
Wow, thank you! I’m always on the look out for beautiful and kind products, and these fit the bill perfectly. Looks like I’ll need a trip to Roost too…
Yes, I understand these products make you want to clean all day long!!
Do they come with that beautiful wooden box?
Yes! The timber caddy comes with as well as a re-usable hessian bag that is equally gorgeous!
They look great, but my willingness to clean cannot be increased by anything in this world!
Finally got around to buying the boys bathroom cleaner. Whilst not a fan of cleaning I love this product – thanks!
i can vouch for Sara using these products constantly! I am often at her house ( as i live next door) and she is always spraying her benches with these fantastic products
To say the Murchison-Hume products are “Ecologically friendly” and have “zero negative effect on the environment” is completely UNTRUE and misleading. Many of the Murchison-Hume products contain PALM OIL. Approximately 85 percent of palm oil is grown in the Indonesia and Malaysia on vast plantations that have severe impacts on the environment (due to deforestation), rural communities (who are being displaced), critically endangered species such as the Orangutan – not to mention the effects to the world’s climate. Be Kind – avoid Murchison Hume.
Hello Michelle,
I just saw this last week and although this comment is old, I thought I should reply! Let me start by saying this: We have never, ever had Palm Oil as an ingredient in our products.
Not that Palm Oil is in itself bad or harmful in anyway (it is in fact, a lovely ingredient)! But as I’m sure you are aware, it is harvested in such a reckless and harmful way as to render great swaths of the Malaysian and Indonesian jungles totally scorched (along with all of it’s animal inhabitants homeless and starving). Peter Kater and I lived in Singapore for 3 years and suffered the annual choking haze from the fires, so we know first hand how polluting and terrible it is.
So why does it say Palm Oil on some of our labels? We have Palm Oil listed on our early labels as an ingredient because in my Freshman Zeal to have full disclosure and extract every single ingredient from our (then) suppliers, they let slip that our products were made on the same lines as other products that have Palm oil as a main ingredient. In fact, we use plant-based surfactant. And when we talk about the “plant based” ingredients in our products, we are referring to these 3: safflower, sunflower and sugar cane.
Anyway. That’s the truth. We don’t get a lot of complaints, but when we do, we point out that not only are those old labels (they are technically wrong) since we never used Palm Oil as an input ingredient. But it was there. Like Traces of tree nuts in a cheap Anzac biscuit!
I hope this clears thing up for you and although we can’t undo the bad impression your comment made, we’d be delighted to change your mind about us and send you a bottle to use for yourself.
Max Kater, Eco-Warrior. Over and Out.
(word).
I love this stuff!! It makes me feel good that I’m using an eco-friendly product!