History of detergents
When talking about the history of detergents, there is no specific date that can be designated to its origination, because the fact is that personal hygiene began with the beginning of human civilization. In fact, water is considered to be the oldest detergent ever used to clean off the mud accumulated on the human body and whatever little clothes they did wear.
However, as far as the first soap-type of object came into being somewhere around 2800 B.C. This soap-type of substance was found accumulated in the cylinders that belonged to ancient Babylon, as was found in the excavations of that region. Thus, historians generally attribute the beginning of detergents to be dated around in that era. According to the inscriptions on the cylinders this soap-type substance was made from a mixture of fats boiled with ash.
However, going down a little later in historical dates, an inscribed document belonging to the Egyptian civilization (1500 B.C.), defines a recipe for making a detergent like substance. According to this recipe vegetable and animal oils were blended together for washing, and also treating skin ailments.
As far as the Greek civilization is concerned, their association with detergents probably began with the use of objects such as clay, sand and ashes. According to historic recordings they also used a blend of ashes and oil for scrubbing their bodies.
However, while all this information on the history of detergents refers primarily to the prehistoric period, the term ‘soap’ is said to have originated from an ancient Rome. According to a legend, animals were sacrificed on Mount Sapo, and the fats and wood ashes that flowed down the Tiber River was used to clean effectively.
Coming closer to contemporary times is the Middle Ages, cleaning and bathing with detergent type mixtures became popular in almost every region of the world that included the nations of Europe; Japan and Iceland.
However, the most contemporary date registered in the history of detergents is recorded as 1916, when Germany is regarded to have developed the first synthetic detergent as a requirement for the soap shortage that occurred during World War I. Thereafter, the production of household detergents is said to have commenced during the 1930s in USA.
Ever since, detergent producing companies around the world have constantly been researching and developing innovative detergent blends that aid in perfect cleansing, removing the most stubborn of dirt and grease particles that take the form of stains.
