Back when there were no chemical-based cleansers, artificial stain removers and factory-manufactured detergents, our resourceful lolas had to put their thinking caps on to find the most effective household cleaning tools. The result of their constant search for cleaning supplies yielded an arsenal of household cleaning weapons made from all-natural and, therefore, Earth-friendly substances. Although they come in the guise of ordinary kitchen and household items, generations of satisfied homemakers with interesting and memorable experiences will attest to their effectiveness in the realm of cleaning.

You’ll be astonished to find out what they used to remove the toughest stains: Vinegar. Even the baking soda found its calling when it became not just a baker’s essential ingredient, but also a potent deodorizer that gets rid of the stink to make our kitchen sinks and closets smelling heavenly again.

These same ingredients — vinegar and baking soda — with the addition of aromatherapy oils, are also the same ingredients you’ll find in Messy Bessy, a household cleaning brand that revolutionizes the idea of tidying up.

An ‘accidental’ eco-warrior

I first met Messy Bessy, the product, in our office when I chanced upon a bottle of their disinfectant aroma spray in our Life section. Fresh from a cleaning fit at my house over the weekend, I wanted to make sure that my workspace was also spic and span, so I began spraying the product over my desk. I was so used to the pungent, sometimes cough-inducing smell of chemical-based sprays, but I noticed that this smelled different — gentle, citrusy and fresh — and yet, it did the job quite well. To my surprise, when I read the bottle it said that it contained just rosemary, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus essential oils and water. It sounded too good to be true. Nonetheless, I was hooked. A few phone calls later and I met the woman behind this gem of a product, the matriarch of Messy Bessy Cleaners Inc., Krie Lopez.

Krie assured me there really is zero chemical found in her cleaners. I later saw this to be true when I took a tour of their modest production area.

Messy Bessy, Krie admits, started not because she is a hardcore environmentalist. Although not a tree-hugger nor a passionate eco-warrior, she has always been ecologically aware and mindful of what she puts out to the environment. She is actually an "accidental" eco-warrior.

Messy Bessy Cleaners was born out of her advocacy to help the people from Virlanie Foundation where she has been a volunteer for many years now. Her brainchild is part of an umbrella project that she also spearheads, HOuSE or Helping Ourselves Through Sustainable Enterprises.

"I actually started as an advocacy person, not as Messy Bessy. I really wanted to put up something that helps them (the people from the foundation), but at the same time doesn’t rely on other people’s donations. It’s too hard to beg. I wanted a sustainable program, social entrepreneurship. So I studied this model in the States of Delancey’s Street Foundation and I actually visited them and I looked at how they did it. I was with them for two weeks, chopping onions, etc. I worked with them," she narrates.

Delancey’s inspired her to pursue the same idea. "(Delancey’s) actually takes in the bottom two percent of the society, like ex-cons, ex-drug addicts and they put up businesses that train and employ them," explains Krie.

When she came back from her trip, she was raring to apply what she had learned. However, the question of what venture she should pursue still hung in the air. "We started with a temp agency (a manpower agency that provides contractual employees), but it didn’t work so well. Then green cleaning just happened. Parang I felt like we needed it locally."

In the flurry of eco movements and switching to Earth-friendly, go-green ways, Krie and her team of happy workers found their rightful seat — with household cleaning tools! When everyone else is going herbal, au naturelle, and chemical-free in the cosmetic and body essentials arena, Krie chose to channel her business expertise in the realm of home cleaning. "It’s a bit of a sophisticated idea pa, a niche market, but the response is good naman," she muses.

Iconic to the brand is the logo of a rather plump woman’s face with that vintage feel. It brings to mind a mother from the 1960s who’s dressed in a pretty dress while minding her household chores. The logo is actually a painting that Krie did years back and only when she had Messy Bessy did her sister remind her that it was a perfect "face" for the brand. It also fits the character of the Messy Bessy brand like a glove because it’s something like a well-meaning, traditional mom will use.

Meet the cleaners

Although in recent years the bait of chemicals as powerful cleaners have gotten the best of us and practical, earth-friendly cleaning tools took to the back of the cleaning supplies closet again, the awakened sense of eco-awareness makes sure that all-natural and chemical-free are part of the homemaker’s vocabulary again.

To give you an idea of how eco-savvy Messy Bessy items are, when you look at the list of ingredients at the back of their bottle or jar, you will not find words that are difficult to pronounce. There are none of those highfalutin terms like isopropylparaben or tricedyl neopentanoate. Chances are, you know most of the things included in the product — like water, aromatherapy oils, baking soda and the like.

Krie reveals that the company began with only nine products that she created herself. The Internet, she says, basically taught her to create these products. The net became her source of information for possible "recipes." "I made a few products at home at first and my siblings were my guinea pigs," she quips. A few months later when there were already enough earnings, they were able to bring in a chemist to assist them and perfect the formulations.

From only nine items, today the Messy Bessy brand carries All-Purpose Cleaners, Specialty Cleaners, Disinfectants and Deodorizers, Kitchen Sink Mates, Messy Baby, Laundry Mate and Bug Controllers in their roster of products.

So far, their bestseller, which is also the owner’s personal favorite, is the Eucalyptus All-Purpose Scrub. Even if it is made without any chemicals, the all-purpose scrub is the nemesis of germs, dirt and grime you’ll find in open spaces, sinks, toilets and scrubs. Joining this in the All-Purpose Cleaners line is the Minty Orange Surface Cleaner that comes in a spray bottle. As the name suggests, it tidies up surfaces while leaving a refreshing, orange smell.

Their Specialty Cleaners are also creating a buzz because of their distinct uses, not to mention their aromatic smells sans the artificial fragrance. In this line are the Squeaky Clean Window Cleaner, Tea Tree Mold and Mildew Spray and Jasmine Carpet Cleaner.

Still to relieve your home of those obnoxious smells are the disinfectants and deodorizers, including their Disinfectant Aroma Spray, Lavender Linen Spray and Odor Absorber. There is also their Laundry Detergent, a coconut-based, lavender-infused detergent for hand or machine washing.

Since a spic-and-span kitchen is of utmost importance in any home, their Kitchen Sink Mates also come in handy. They have a Dishwashing Liquid, Aloe and Green Tea Hand Wash and Fruit and Veggie Wash.

Their newest line yet, Bug Controllers, are also a hit because they are effective repellants that do not pollute the air around you. The Anti-Roach Spray and Insect Repellant will ensure that your home is free from roaches and flies.

Loving moms will also find it helpful that a Messy Baby line caters to babies’ needs. "Babies are more susceptible to chemicals. They absorb more harmful chemicals than we do," Krie emphasizes. This line is comprised of Gentle Soap Flakes, a laundry detergent for baby’s delicate washables; Pure Dishwashing Paste for cleaning baby bottles; Diaper Bin Odor Absorber to get rid of the odor in the diaper hamper; and Handy Nanny, a gentle, odorless disinfectant for baby’s toys.

Although they have grown rapidly, Krie acknowledges that they still have a long way to go. "My goal is like this: I can clean my own house with only Messy Bessy, and right now, it hasn’t happened yet." Krie, however, assures that they have more products brewing.

While they have eco-friendliness and social aspects to their advantage, the young entrepreneur isn’t keen on marketing the brand on those bases alone. "I don’t really push the items so much as earth-friendly or social. I want them to sell as good products. I want them to be good products first before being green or something that gives back." Even if they are pursuing noble causes, she wants her products to also be known for their quality. After all, this also determines the success of the company and the longevity of the livelihood it’ll provide for her employees.

More to come

As special as these products are, the advocacy behind them is also significant. Messy Bessy Cleaners Inc. now employs 10 persons who came from foundations like Virlanie and International Justice Manila. By giving jobs to these deserving individuals, Messy Bessy serves to ease these people’s transition of coming from the foundation to living on their own.

Truth be told, their stories aren’t the most comforting tales anyone will want to hear. But through the appropriate help they receive from their respective "homes" and through employment opportunities such as Messy Bessy, they have been able to turn their lives around.

In the upcoming months, three more people from the aforementioned foundations will be added to the Messy Bessy family. They are also hoping to launch their CSR project, Misis Linis, in Cavite. With this, the company pays it forward by selling what Krie calls their "super affordable products" so other folks can make a living out of it. These are still eco-friendly but don’t contain "extras" such as essentials oils and use only basic packaging.

Aside from these, they have a few more things cooking up. There’s the Messy Doggie for pooch owners who hope to tidy up their pets without polluting the environment, and two products that Krie’s also excited about: Wood and Floor Cleaners, which makes her that much closer to her goal of using exclusively Messy Bessy in her home cleaning.

Products such as those in Messy Bessy would’ve made our dear lolas proud. They provide jobs, they are green and all-natural, they contribute to the social progress and they give back. But what homemakers will most appreciate is the simple fact that they get rid of the mess.

You can visit Messy Bessy at Rustan’s Flower Shop, Beauty Bar, AC+632 in Greenbelt, The Legaspi Sunday Market, Echo in Serendra, Eco Market in Metro Gaisano Market! Market!, Healthnest in Hi-Top Supermart and GreenStream Organic Shop in Marikina. For more information, you can call 0915-7892030, e-mail messybessycleaners@gmail.com or visit www.messybessy.com.