Since humanity’s early ancient years, the use of chemical additives along with water was a common practice for cleaning and washing cloth materials. In ancient Egypt, the use of ashes with silicates had a softening effect on water which gave it greater cleaning properties. In ancient Rome, the use of sulfur with charcoal water was a notable method. Soaps were the first true detergents.

People do not usually know much about the history of the powerful, heavy duty laundry detergent. Today’s blog will discuss a little bit about that.

Does the Heavy Duty Laundry Detergent Have an Inventor?

One specific name stands out and that would be Dr. Otto Rohm who was the owner of Burnus (a candle and soap manufacturer). In 1907, he introduced a new idea – enzymes. He thought they would have great benefits for cleaning laundry. And in 1914, his research proved the theories as correct. The new revolution had started.

Later on, during World War One, there was a soap shortage in Germany, so a new plan arrived – to create synthetic detergents. They are non-soap washing products which are put together. Later during the ’30s, the company Proctor & Gamble began mass production of heavy duty laundry detergent. By using techniques from Germany, an engineer by the name of Robert Duncan discovered his home industry was not using vital surfactants. By closely cooperating with German companies, he eventually began production of the first synthetic detergent in the US. The product was not powerful enough to remove nasty stains so a new solution had to come from elsewhere. For fourteen years of experimenting and research, Dave Byerly created the Tide laundry detergent. By 1949, his product was the most popular in the US. By 1953, people were using heavy duty laundry detergent more often than soap.

In the ’70s, a new trend arrived – to use liquid detergents instead. They were easy to use and didn’t cause clogging damage to washing machines. They also dissolved faster in water. The new formulas kept surpassing the old ones. As plastic became more common in the everyday life of everyone, there was a need to invent a heavy duty laundry detergent for it. Sanitizing tablets and bar glass washing methods were also on the rise. In the early 2000s, the first dissolvable pre-measured liquids were manufactured. In recent years, formulas are becoming more effective and efficient. Small capsules alone hold enough cleaning power to wash away all sorts of stains. Nowadays, manufacturers and marketers also focus on the fact heavy duty laundry detergents are dangerous and should be kept away from small children.

Glissen Chemical is the Right Choice for Your Laundry

We have special heavy duty laundry detergents ourselves. They are both in powder and liquid form. They have top-quality, efficiency, are easy to use, and work well in all cleaning temperatures. The super concentrated formulas guarantee no dirt or dust will remain. They remove fat, grease, and gravy vegetable food colors with ease. Our amazing products also include bar glass washing powders, sanitizing tablets, pizza suds, and more!