GoKlean Simplifies Cleaning Product History
GoKlean Simplifies the History of Cleaning Products
Cleaning products have been sold to assist with cleaning needs for centuries, the modern versions we think of today have been sold for over 200 years. If you're like us, you get curious about how things got started so after simplifying the history of soap (https://www.goklean.com/gokleanblog/the-history-of-soap-simplified), simplifying the history of cleaning products seemed like the next logical step.
By the late 1800s, commercially made prewrapped bars of laundry soap were being sold in the United States, Europe, and parts of Asia. Some of these your grandparents used and some are still around today (they can be great from stubborn stains).
The first detergent was sold in Germany in 1916, having been developed due to a World War I shortage of fats for making soap. (Speaking of shortages - check out our liquid hand sanitizer blog (https://www.goklean.com/gokleanblog/liquid-vs-gel-hand-sanitizer) and learn about our awesome liquid plant-based hand sanitizer we started selling during the COVID shortage of hand sanitizer and other products.)
Like soap, detergent is a surfactant (unfamiliar with this term? check out our blog simplifying cleaning product terms (https://www.goklean.com/gokleanblog/goklean-simplifies-cleaning-product-terms)), a mixture grease and water, but detergents are made of synthetic rather than natural ingredients.
There are pros and cons to soaps versus detergents. When soaps are used with hard water scum develops over time, whereas this does not occur with detergents. But detergents are harsher on skin and more delicate surfaces like some cloths. There has been no shortage of products tweaks and developments to help you with these challenges.
After World War II, additives were introduced into detergents to make the surfactants bind better to grime. Bleach also was introduced in the modern form we know today.
Since then, specialized products have been developed for cleaning all sorts of surfaces, including concrete, metal, glass, tile, carpets, upholstery, and more! Detergents also are in things like toothpaste, vehicle fuel, and even fire-fighting foam.
At GoKlean, we can't help you with toothpaste, but we are here to simplify cleaning your concrete, metal, glass, tile, machinery, vehicles, and most other surfaces. Call our friendly team today.