| It is thankful that we live in a society whereby | | | | The Greeks were also recorded to have bathed for |
| cleanliness is absolutely essential for healthy living, | | | | aesthetic reasons, but according to historical facts, |
| aesthetic appeal and general hygiene purposes. | | | | they did not use soap and used ashes, sand, pumice |
| Industrial cleaning supplies are readily available for | | | | and clay before smearing themselves with oil. They |
| companies that take health and hygiene more | | | | would then scrape the oil and dirt off with a metal |
| seriously. Cleaning is more about reducing the number | | | | instrument called a strigil. |
| of bacteria or germs spreading from everyday dirt | | | | Soap was used for many years after, right through |
| and grime, However, some argue that too much | | | | to the Roman civilisation where the first of the |
| cleaning can have more damaging effects on your | | | | Roman baths was introduced around 312 B.C. They |
| health, from the harmful chemicals that are used in | | | | used soap and the waters from the aqueducts as |
| some cleaning products which can act as an irritant to | | | | recommended by the Greek physician Galen by the |
| the skin. | | | | second century AD. However, during the fall of the |
| The cleaning process is certainly not a new trend: | | | | Roman Empire cleaning standards had dropped |
| household and industrial cleaning suppliers have | | | | dramatically resulting in the deadly plagues of the |
| produced various products each year making the | | | | Middle Ages. By the 17th century, bathing and |
| content safer and improving the standard of | | | | personal hygiene came back into fashion in much of |
| cleanliness for consumers. Early usage of soap to | | | | Europe. |
| clean clothing and surfaces was nothing more than in | | | | Detergents |
| the form of ashes, animal and/or vegetable fats and | | | | The making of soap stayed more or less the same |
| clay. This soap-like substance was popular during the | | | | until around 1916. Post world war culture saw a lack |
| Roman civilisation and so gave rise to awareness for | | | | of essential supplies for the production of soap, |
| personal and general hygiene. | | | | namely vegetable and animal fats as a main |
| History of Soap | | | | ingredient. The first synthetic detergent was put |
| The birth of industrial cleaning supplies as we know it | | | | together from a number of different raw materials |
| was not discovered until much later into the early | | | | that were available. Normal soap when mixed with |
| 20th century. However personal cleaning can be | | | | mineral salts in water would form an insoluble |
| dated as far back as the prehistoric times, when the | | | | substance known as soap curd, whereas the new |
| earliest people living near water-based areas used to | | | | detergent would not have the same effect, which |
| clean themselves or mainly wash the mud off their | | | | was a main advantage of using synthetic detergent. |
| hands. The soap-like material was then discovered in | | | | Since then the production of detergents had |
| 2800BC, at the bottom of clay pots, during the | | | | surpassed the sale of soap in household cleaning. |
| excavation of ancient Babylon. The soap consisted of | | | | Detergents with soap are commonly used in either |
| water, alkali and cassia oil; the ingredients were | | | | liquid or powder form. This also sparked the |
| recorded on a Babylonian clay tablet around 2200 BC. | | | | production of more industrial cleaning supplies across |
| Ancient Egyptians are recorded to have bathed | | | | the globe, with companies and buildings using strong |
| regularly using a soap like product combining animal | | | | products that contain safe chemicals and non-toxic |
| and vegetable oils with alkaline salts; this was also | | | | solvents for use on various hard surfaces cleaning. |
| used to treat skin diseases as well as for washing. | | | | |