This year marks the 70th birthday of the well-known British brand, Swarfega. Famous for its green hand cleaning gel, it’s a business that’s been part of the fabric of everyday life for many plumbers, heating engineers and mechanics for generations. This month we’re taking a look at where it came from and get some hand care tips from their experts.
Swarfega was launched at a momentous time in history, with much of the world still reeling from the effects of the Second World War. In the UK, 1947 started with the nationalisation of the coal industry to help fuel the re-building of Britain and ended with the future queen of the United Kingdom, Princess Elizabeth, marrying the Duke of Edinburgh. Whilst the war had immense impact across the globe, it left Deb - the manufacturer of silkware protection rinse-aid for silk stockings - without a market for its products: nylon stockings had been introduced from America during the war, replacing their silk predecessors.
Company legend has it that Deb founder, AB Williamson, noticed that machinists were using the rinse-aid product to clean their hands at the end of their shifts. Following their lead, he changed focus from rinse-aid to hand cleaner. AB Williamson created the Swarfega name based on ‘swarf’ meaning oil in Derbyshire and ‘ega’ as in ‘eager to clean’ and began selling the product to people who work with their hands in a dirty environment. Up to this point, there were limited options available for heavy duty hand cleaning: home-made cleaners were widely used, often with harsh results on skin conditions.
On the back of success with the Swarfega hand cleaner, the Deb Group introduced additional products in the Swarfega range, many still in use today such as surface cleaners, tool cleaners, degreasing and maintenance products that make everyday jobs quicker and easier.
Over the years, there have been many strange off-label and unendorsed uses of Swarega reported, but none more so than a batch of counterfeit condoms that were found to have Swarega on them by the Scottish trading standards agency in 2014. This is something Swarfega definitely do not recommend trying!
The Deb Group is now a global business, developing and manufacturing cleaning products in Denby, Derbyshire only a few miles away from the site of the original factory. The original Swarfega green gel is still sold today, with its distinctive scent and ‘ringing’ qualities when its packaging is tapped.
Top Tips on Keeping Your Hands in Tip-Top Condition
Here are 5 top tips for those of you who get your hands dirty at work every day:
1. Start the day by applying a pre-work protection cream
2. When possible, wear gloves to prevent contaminants contacting your skin
3. Wash your hands regularly, but try to use the lowest strength hand wash that will shift the grime
4. Re-apply the protection cream after each wash
5. At the end of the day and before prolonged breaks use an after-work cream
These will help you minimise the risk of skin conditions such as dermatitis and even allergic reactions to contaminants that could cause you discomfort.
For more information on Swarfega products please click here.
Add new comment