Historical View of Cleaners

The earliest prehistoric cleaner was simply plain water. Later, cylinders containing boiled fats with ashes were found during excavations of Babylon that date back to 2800 B.C. It is the first known use of soap. In 1500 B.C. the Egyptians combined animal and vegetable oils with salts to form a soap product used for treating skin diseases.

Soap got its name according to the Romans from Mount Sapo where animals were routinely sacrificed. The animal fat or tallow combined with wood ashes and clay along the Tiber River where women found this mixture to clean clothes with much less effort.

During the great Roman Empire (310 B.C.), bathing rose to a new level with the building of large bathhouses. Water was supplied via aqueducts and soap was recommended for both medicinal and cleansing purposes.

After the fall of Rome in 460 A.D., cleanliness lost importance and probably led to the unsanitary living conditions found in Europe. Disease and plagues rose throughout this period and continued until the 17 th century.

Since the 17 th century, cleanliness has become vital to our survival. Large cities have increased the population density and at the same time, much has been learned about bacteria and its relationship with disease. The past 100 years has seen rapid development for our modern world. Remember that many of our grandparents did not even have indoor plumbing. Bathing once per week was normal. For a time, water treatment meant dumping the tainted water into a river. My how we have progressed in just a few short years.

Cleaning practices and products remained the same for many years, until the 1940’s saw detergents developed. These “man-made” soaps have greatly improved our lives and it is hard to believe the everyday products we currently use were developed within the last 60 years. Looking back to 2800 B.C. puts some perspective on our lives and how sweet it is. Recent developments such as: liquid detergents, enzymes, antibacterial additives, anti-static additives, peroxides for whitening, plastic scrubbers, and low sudsing detergents are all recent developments we use everyday.