Founder Mary Ellen Edgar ventured into the world of alternative laundry during a trip to Australia. While visiting, a friend gave her the Ministry of Agriculture's home remedy for washing woolens; a lanolin-based, no-rinse laundry solution. Living in the Canadian countryside and accustomed to economizing with well water and a septic tank, Mary Ellen tested the formula herself. She was amazed at how beautifully her husband's wool sweater washed up. Encouraged and enthusiastic, she began producing the new product on a commercial basis.