>> Wendy Tremayne ( gaiatreehouse.com) is renovating an RV park into a 100% reuse, off-grid B&B in Truth or Consequences, N.M. Another project, Swap-O-Rama-Rama ( swaporamarama.org), is a clothing swap and DIY workshop designed to offer people an alternative to consumerism.
P arties begin and end with cleaning. Many event producers agree that guests keep a clean space clean and make a messy space dirty because they follow the intention they feel in the room when they arrive.
But I recently learned from Amanda May, owner of The Purple Fig Cleaning Company, that some parties begin, end, and are entirely about cleaning. The Purple Fig, located in Austin, Texas, offers chemical-free cleaning services, a line of natural cleaning products, and DIY parties that educate, empower, and inspire.
May is anxious to point out that simple ingredients such as vinegar and baking soda will solve most household cleaning needs. With the addition of essential oils such as tea tree oil, anyone can make a plethora of products that are safe for people and the planet.
The Purple Fig offers more than products and services — they offer education about plants that clean the air, information about the off-gassing of common products, and natural suggestions for scouring, polishing, and sparkling.
A recent DIY party May hosted opened with biology student Corrina Kalish talking about the harmful effects of chemical cleaners.
After Kalish’s presentation, guests engaged in the making of a peppermint glass cleaner and an oregano-mint countertop spray, ate and drank, and had fun together. Host and guests alike received gifts such as cleaning products and air-cleansing plants.
Missy LaMunyon, a Purple Fig employee and event organizer, says, “I like knowing that if a toddler licks an oregano-mint countertop spray it won’t hurt them like bleach would.”
She adds that she enjoys the parties because she has friends who are working on environmental issues and she wants them to be healthy so they can do their work in the world.
May’s commitment to educating the public through seminars and DIY parties is in line with the ethic of a growing community of small business owners who opt to share knowledge rather than hoard it. Her perspective is that quality of life includes life itself, and not just her own life.
When I ask May if she is concerned that giving away information might turn would-be customers into makers of their own products, she says, “I count karmic points.”
Speaking about the challenges inherent in her work, May notes, “Most people know that they should use natural products to clean, but they are not sure how to use them. They’re also not entirely convinced that the products will work.”
She knows that she’s also helping people get off big brands: “I am teaching people to outsource one less aspect of their life to multinational corporations.”
Her ethic includes a return to “power to the people.” May believes that small companies like The Purple Fig can outshine the multinationals because people have a renewed interest in craftsmen and seek trust in the relationship between consumer and producer.
May’s future plans include serious testing of her products. She’s getting out the microscope so she can provide scientific data to support the effectiveness of natural cleansers.
She’s also preparing a class for fourth-graders. Do you ever wonder what happened to home economics? May knows that change often comes from the kids.
“Imagine if kids brought home an all-purpose cleaner that they made in class,” she says, “and then started looking on the back of the cleaning products at their house and asking their parents why they have these things.”
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