So you check food labels and avoid products with long lists of unpronounceable components. What about cleaning products? For Veles, a new spray-on surface cleaner, Amanda Weeks — an entrepreneur from Staten Island, with a background in marketing — turned back the clock to the 19th-century pantry, when vinegar and baking soda were the Fantastik of their day. Acetic acid, lactic acid and alcohol are the active ingredients in Veles. Like most cleaning products, this one is mostly water, purified in this case. But the water in Veles comes from food waste, which the parent company, Ambrosia, uses for product development. Veles is its first product, is effective on counter tops and bathroom fixtures, and has a strong smell that’s quick to dissipate. It comes in an aluminum spray bottle that can be refilled or recycled.
Veles, $16 for 16 ounces, veles.com.
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