EVERETT — They aren’t made by elves but they are made by Elfs — Janine and Andy Elf to be exact. All-natural products from Elf Naturals are safe, nontoxic, eco-friendly and locally produced.
Right now about 70 stores in Washington and Oregon carry Elf Natural cleaners and health a
nd beauty products. The first was Whole Foods Markets, a place where Janine Elf still holds some of her green cleaning classes.
Elf has a lot of experience in the green cleaning industry. She ran a natural cleaning service for 15 years.
“I was green before green was cool,” she said.
The change to natural cleaning products was a matter of necessity for Elf, who had developed a sensitivity to the chemicals she used in the course of her cleaning job. Always interested in natural products and foods, Elf began to develop her own products to use on the job.
Angel Scrub was the first product that Elf developed. It’s a gentle nonabrasive cleaner that can softly scrub different surfaces — from sinks and tubs to mirrors and stainless steel.
Elf admits to having a certain big-name commercial product in mind when she developed Angel Scrub. But unlike the product she wanted to replace, Angel Scrub had a natural mineral and vegetable soap base making it safe for use around children and pets.
Her clients loved it, Elf said, and she knew from her own experience as a cleaning professional that her product could outperform the competition. Nevertheless, she admits to being a little nervous when she took the product to a local vendor seminar at the University of Washington in late 2007.
It was there that she first linked up with a marketing professional from Whole Foods. Whole Foods expressed an interest in the product but it wasn’t until Elf was signed up to teach one of her green cleaning classes at the Roosevelt Way Whole Foods store in Seattle that the magic happened.
Renowned chef and restaurateur Tom Douglas was scheduled to do a cooking demonstration at the store soon after Elf’s class. She dug in and cleaned the demonstration kitchen with her product.
“It looked fantastic as I knew it would,” Elf said.
The Northwest buyer for Whole Foods agreed. A few months later, her cleanser was on the shelf.
Husband Andy Elf, a corporate chef, came in to help Janine as the venture began to expand. He knew that a nonsynthetic, nonpetroleum-based product would be popular with those in his own profession where kitchen safety is vital.
Other Elf cleaning products soon followed Angel Scrub. Lift counter spray features a plant-based thickener so it is ideal for vertical surfaces. If you spray it on a cabinet, it doesn’t run before you wipe.
All-natural Kissed dish soap comes in lemon, lavender and cranberry scents. Streak-free window cleaners come in lemon scent and a unique ginger-lime combination. Original Angel Scrub has a light lavender fragrance but also comes in a citrus scent and an unscented version.
More cleaning products are soon to be released.
Elf Naturals has also expanded into health and beauty products. Janine Cream is a deep penetrating moisturizer for the face made only with plant-based natural ingredients and essential oils.
In the works for the near future is another venture called Chef Andy Inc. Andy Elf will use his professional knowledge to create what he calls entree enhancers. There are other projects in the works, too. He hopes to get Chef Andy Inc. up and running by the end of this year.
In Snohomish County, Elf Naturals products are available at Central Market and will soon be on shelves at QFC stores. They are also available online at www.elfnaturals.com.
There is no animal testing for Elf Natural products.
“Unless you count the fact I sometimes use the Angel Scrub to clean my dog once in a while,” Janine Elf said.
Elf says there is no item that you need to clean that doesn’t have a natural way to clean it. To prove her point, she has started creating online videos to show people how to clean things both with and without her products.
Find these videos and other Elf Naturals information on Facebook at tinyurl.com/fbelf or place an order at www.elfnaturals.com.
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