PIERRE D´ARGILE, PIERRE VERTE, PIERRE BLANCHE, PIERRE NATURELLE
One day while browsing through Alcampo's cleaning products, I was struck by a small yellow jar with the name of Pierre Verte, reading the use of this cleaner, I thought that it would be ideal for cleaning the terrace, on the label among other wonders claimed to clean and protect cars, boats, caravans, motorcycles, airplanes.... and on top of that it was ecological, so I decided to try it with some varnish and rust stains on the terrace tiles that usually cost me blood, sweat and tears to remove. My surprise was great when I found that they were removed with little effort, perhaps this was also due to the fact that I imagined myself on the deck of a catamaran as a well applied cabin boy, suggestion works wonders sometimes you know...
The fact is that I kept on trying to clean other things quite dirty, such as the oven, white sneakers and some metals and I have to say that this product has been a real discovery and perhaps the only cleaner that has really impressed me for its effectiveness, the wide range of materials it cleans, the small space it occupies, the fact that it is ecological and non-toxic and its price. What intrigues me most is how such a thing seems to be not widely known.
I have done some research on the subject and it seems that in France it is known as Pierre d´argile, Pierre Blanche or Pierre Verte.
The jar I bought is made up of micronized clay, soap flakes, glycerin, lemon oil, sodium and vegetable fat. As you can see, natural and ecological biodegradable products. It does not contain phosphates or acids. Like I said, it's non-toxic and not dangerous to children. It is a very durable product, which takes up very little storage space and one does not need to have a lot of jars or packages with which to contaminate the beautiful countryside and it requires little water for its use, you just have to wet a sponge by the product, until it foams, to clean the object, leave a few seconds for its effect and then proceed to rinse with clean water.
Its use is devilishly effective and very broad. Ceramic, tiles, glass, bathrooms and taps, metals, marble, white sneakers (it even leaves the soles immaculate), oven, plastic terrace chairs, iron steel, Thermomix... and yes, the motorcycle, car or yacht of the luckiest ones. :D
The only thing in which it should not be used is in wooden furniture because it removes the shine and leaves it matt, in this case it is recommend to use orange oil instead, which they say is a natural solvent and especially suitable for degreasing wooden kitchen furniture.
In Spain you can find it under the name of Pierre Naturelle, white or green stone, Pierre verte, etc. in supermarkets, department stores, El Corte Inglés, Amazon, etc. But if you want to make it by yourself, here is the DUY recipe shared by a person whose online alias is Mariakine and which is the following:
- 15 g grated Marseille soap
- 80 ml water
- 30 g white clay
- 10 g green clay
- 1 Tbs. baking soda
- 1 Tbs. vinegar
- 20 drops of lemon essential oil
Instructions: Melt the soap with the water in a bain-marie, then add the clay, baking soda and vinegar (be careful because it might make some foam), and when it is cold, the essential oil. Put it in a jar and let it dry for a few days and that's it!
Here it is also another recipe that Mariakine shared in the same forum, more in paste than in solid texture, for those who don't have (or don't want to use) clay.
In an airtight jar or container, mix the following ingredients in the following order:
- 1 cup and 2/3 baking soda
- ¼ cup of liquid soap or dishwasher liquid
- 2 Tbs. water
- 2 Tbs. vinegar
You can optionally add some essential oil to perfume and increase the bactericidal and disinfectant power such as tea tree, thyme, lemon, etc.
I hope it will help you with your cleaning chores.