Detergents

October 10, 2008

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Profile America — Friday, October 10th. Something many of us use every day made its first appearance on this day in 1933, when the first household detergent — named Dreft — went on sale. Until that time, the chemistry of making soap had changed little over hundreds of years. Shortages of fats for making soap during World War I sparked research. Detergents really took off following the second world war and by 1953, their sales had passed those of traditional soaps. Now, detergents have all but replaced soap-based products for laundry, dishwashing and household cleaning, and most soaps for personal hygiene also contain some detergents. Nearly $17 billion of detergents and soaps are made each year in the U.S. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: 440 International Calendar of Events
2002 Economic Census, NAICS 325611
http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/data/industry/E325611.HTM