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Swarfega

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244:", to signify the newness of the company and its products. The introduction of nylon stockings threatened to render it superfluous; however, Williamson purportedly suggested that mechanics had already found it useful for cleaning their hands. This may have been a myth encouraged to attract interest, but the product was reformulated and marketed as Swarfega, becoming the company's main product. (The company's name had been changed to Deb Chemical Proprietaries Ltd.) Before Swarfega, mechanics used a variety of harsh home-brewed cleaners such as paraffin (kerosene), sand and petrol. These removed the skin's natural oils, leading to dry, cracked skin and the risk of 27: 124: 268:" now commonly refers to the metal shavings and chips resulting from metalworking operations. The word did not originally mean oil or grease as Deb claimed, but rather the waste material from a grindstone (or similar material resulting from wear in a machine). This material would be a wet or oily mixture of grit abraded from the wheel and filings from the workpiece. 297:
Two Fives and Rozalex Gauntlet. Deb have even repositioned their own "Suprega" and "Tufanega" for industrial use. This has an orange colour, emphasising its "natural" origins and citrus oil ingredients. A similar orange-coloured product called "Dirty Paws" was available in the UK in the 1950s but is
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In the UK, the word "Swarfega" may be used as a generic term for all similar cleaners, particularly if they have the same green jelly-like appearance as genuine Swarfega. According to the company website, the name derives from "swarf", a Derbyshire word for oil and grease, and "ega", as in "eager to
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dirt from the skin. Swarfega is used by working a small amount into dry skin, then wiping or rinsing off. As with other such cleaners, it can be more effective than soap or other common cleansing products at removing such dirt; accordingly, Swarfega has become virtually ubiquitous in environments
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Deb expanded its product range and has long offered a range of products either related to detergent ingredients, or sold to the same mechanical trades. Many of these, such as
275:, a water-rinsable degreaser used for washing mechanical parts rather than mechanics, first defined the original market for a new product that has now become commonplace. 435: 272: 538: 221:
Swarfega was invented in 1947 by Audley Bowdler Williamson (28 February 1916 - 21 November 2004), an industrial chemist from
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It was reported on 3 March 2010 that the manufacturer of Swarfega had been sold to an investment firm for £325 million.
91: 110: 63: 70: 48: 77: 330: 528: 256:; in combination with an emulsifier (Trideceth-5 in current formulations). These are more efficient at 248:. The effectiveness of Swarfega is due to the hydrophobic ingredients, including medium-chain (C9-C16) 465: 307: 59: 44: 409: 523: 245: 37: 282: 206: 229:. In 1941, he had founded a detergent-sales company, Deb Silkware Protection Ltd., based in 533: 293:
Swarfega has lost the ubiquity it once had. There are now many competing products, such as
8: 189: 84: 181:. It is used in engineering, construction and other manual trades, such as printing. 137: 443: 373: 170: 517: 395: 253: 210: 197: 201: 185: 226: 178: 351: 335: 241: 26: 237: 123: 188:
substance, dark green or orange in colour, which is used to clean
294: 257: 249: 230: 222: 169:) is a brand of heavy-duty hand cleaner made by Deb Limited, a 155: 265: 174: 146: 234: 161: 508: 193: 158: 410:"Derbyshire-based Swarfega manufacturer sold for £325m" 233:, to produce a formulation for extending the life of 152: 143: 140: 149: 51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 515: 325: 323: 205:where this kind of dirt is common, such as 320: 111:Learn how and when to remove this message 281:In 2015, Deb Group Ltd. was acquired by 122: 458: 260:oil and grease than a detergent alone. 516: 331:"Audley Bowdler Williamson (Obituary)" 478: 288: 49:adding citations to reliable sources 20: 13: 479:Prior, Jeremy (23 November 2007). 127:Swarfega - heavy duty hand cleaner 14: 555: 502: 388:"For the Home | Swarfega is Born" 136: 25: 16:Heavy-duty hand cleaning product 36:needs additional citations for 472: 428: 402: 380: 358: 349:"Latest Wills", The Register, 343: 1: 539:Companies based in Derbyshire 313: 7: 544:Products introduced in 1947 481:"Watford's vanishing trick" 301: 10: 560: 355:, 19 August 2006, page 67. 216: 308:List of cleaning products 240:. The name derived from " 200:, or general persistent, 283:S. C. Johnson & Son 246:occupational dermatitis 128: 398:on 20 September 2017. 298:no longer available. 126: 184:It is a gelatinous, 45:improve this article 485:Our Watford History 376:on 3 December 2020. 339:. 14 December 2004. 289:Competing products 129: 529:Cleaning products 436:"Company History" 366:"Company History" 173:company based in 121: 120: 113: 95: 551: 496: 495: 493: 491: 476: 470: 469: 466:"Tufanega range" 462: 456: 455: 453: 451: 442:. Archived from 432: 426: 425: 423: 421: 406: 400: 399: 394:. Archived from 384: 378: 377: 372:. Archived from 362: 356: 347: 341: 340: 327: 168: 167: 164: 163: 160: 157: 154: 151: 148: 145: 142: 116: 109: 105: 102: 96: 94: 53: 29: 21: 559: 558: 554: 553: 552: 550: 549: 548: 514: 513: 509:Company website 505: 500: 499: 489: 487: 477: 473: 464: 463: 459: 449: 447: 446:on 23 June 2015 434: 433: 429: 419: 417: 408: 407: 403: 386: 385: 381: 364: 363: 359: 348: 344: 329: 328: 321: 316: 304: 291: 219: 139: 135: 117: 106: 100: 97: 54: 52: 42: 30: 17: 12: 11: 5: 557: 547: 546: 541: 536: 531: 526: 524:British brands 512: 511: 504: 503:External links 501: 498: 497: 471: 457: 427: 416:. 3 March 2010 401: 379: 357: 342: 318: 317: 315: 312: 311: 310: 303: 300: 290: 287: 218: 215: 119: 118: 33: 31: 24: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 556: 545: 542: 540: 537: 535: 532: 530: 527: 525: 522: 521: 519: 510: 507: 506: 486: 482: 475: 467: 461: 445: 441: 437: 431: 415: 411: 405: 397: 393: 389: 383: 375: 371: 367: 361: 354: 353: 346: 338: 337: 332: 326: 324: 319: 309: 306: 305: 299: 296: 286: 284: 279: 276: 274: 269: 267: 261: 259: 255: 251: 247: 243: 239: 236: 232: 228: 224: 214: 212: 211:machine shops 208: 203: 199: 198:printer's ink 195: 191: 187: 182: 180: 176: 172: 166: 133: 125: 115: 112: 104: 93: 90: 86: 83: 79: 76: 72: 69: 65: 62: –  61: 57: 56:Find sources: 50: 46: 40: 39: 34:This article 32: 28: 23: 22: 19: 488:. Retrieved 484: 474: 460: 448:. Retrieved 444:the original 439: 430: 418:. Retrieved 413: 404: 396:the original 391: 382: 374:the original 369: 360: 350: 345: 334: 292: 280: 277: 270: 262: 258:solubilizing 254:cycloalkanes 220: 183: 131: 130: 107: 98: 88: 81: 74: 67: 55: 43:Please help 38:verification 35: 18: 534:Soap brands 202:hydrophobic 186:thixotropic 518:Categories 468:. Deb Ltd. 314:References 227:Derbyshire 179:Derbyshire 71:newspapers 60:"Swarfega" 440:Deb Group 370:Deb Group 352:The Times 336:The Times 264:clean". " 242:debutante 238:stockings 414:BBC News 392:Swarfega 302:See also 132:Swarfega 101:May 2013 490:12 June 420:12 June 295:Rozalex 250:alkanes 217:History 207:garages 171:British 85:scholar 450:2 July 231:Belper 223:Heanor 190:grease 87:  80:  73:  66:  58:  273:Jizer 266:Swarf 175:Denby 92:JSTOR 78:books 492:2020 452:2020 422:2020 252:and 235:silk 209:and 64:news 194:oil 147:ɔːr 47:by 520:: 483:. 438:. 412:. 390:. 368:. 333:. 322:^ 285:. 225:, 213:. 196:, 192:, 177:, 156:iː 494:. 454:. 424:. 165:/ 162:ə 159:ɡ 153:f 150:ˈ 144:w 141:s 138:/ 134:( 114:) 108:( 103:) 99:( 89:· 82:· 75:· 68:· 41:.

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/swɔːrˈfɡə/
British
Denby
Derbyshire
thixotropic
grease
oil
printer's ink
hydrophobic
garages
machine shops
Heanor
Derbyshire
Belper
silk
stockings
debutante
occupational dermatitis

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