Jump to content

Windex: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m Reverting possible vandalism by Bdids6ix to version by Shintaraguru. Report False Positive? Thanks, ClueBot NG. (3912411) (Bot)
AnomieBOT (talk | contribs)
Bots
6,540,274 edits
m Dating maintenance tags: {{Needs more sources}} {{Cn}}
 
(43 intermediate revisions by 34 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{needs more sources|date=October 2024}}
{{Short description|American brand of glass and surface cleaners}}
{{infobox brand
{{infobox brand
| name = Windex
| name = Windex
| logo = [[File:Windex Logo.png]]
| logo = [[File:Windex Logo.png]]
| image = [[File:Windex (48089717956).jpg|200px]]
| image = [[File:Windex (48089717956).jpg|200px]]
| caption = Current Iteration of Windex
| caption = Current iteration of Windex
| type = Window cleaner
| type = Window cleaner
| currentowner = [[S. C. Johnson & Son]]
| currentowner = [[S. C. Johnson & Son]]
| origin = United States
| origin = United States
| introduced = 1933
| introduced = 1933
⚫
| markets = [[United States]], [[Canada]], [[Germany]], [[Australia]], [[Sweden]]
| discontinued =
| related =
⚫
| markets = United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, Sweden
| previousowners = [[Drackett]]<br />[[Bristol-Meyers]]
| previousowners = [[Drackett]]<br />[[Bristol-Meyers]]
| trademarkregistrations =
| trademarkregistrations =
| ambassadors =
| tagline =
| website = [http://www.windex.com/ www.windex.com]
| website = [http://www.windex.com/ www.windex.com]
}}
}}


'''Windex''' is an American brand of glass and [[hard-surface cleaner]] that was invented by the [[Drackett]] Company in 1933 and has been marketed throughout the intervening decades<ref>{{cite news|last1=Horstman|first1=Barry|title=Philip W. Drackett: Earned profits, plaudits|url=http://www.cincypost.com/living/1999/drack052199.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20051205202014/http://www.cincypost.com/living/1999/drack052199.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 5, 2005|access-date=15 June 2017|work=The Cincinnati Post|date=May 21, 1999}}</ref>—originally in glass containers, later in plastic ones.
'''Windex''' is an American brand of glass and [[hard-surface cleaner]]s<ref>{{cite news|last1=Horstman|first1=Barry|title=Philip W. Drackett: Earned profits, plaudits|url=http://www.cincypost.com/living/1999/drack052199.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20051205202014/http://www.cincypost.com/living/1999/drack052199.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 5, 2005|access-date=15 June 2017|work=The Cincinnati Post|date=May 21, 1999}}</ref>—originally in glass containers, later in plastic ones.


Drackett sold the Windex brand to [[Bristol-Meyers]] in 1965.<ref>{{cite news|title=COMPANY NEWS; HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS UNIT FOR SALE AT BRISTOL-MYERS|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/30/business/company-news-household-products-unit-for-sale-at-bristol-myers.html|access-date=15 June 2017|work=New York Times|date=July 30, 1992}}</ref> [[S. C. Johnson & Son|S. C. Johnson]] acquired Windex in 1993 and has been manufacturing it since.<ref>{{cite news|title=S. C. JOHNSON & SON WINS APPROVAL FOR DOW PURCHASE|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/24/business/company-news-s-c-johnson-son-wins-approval-for-dow-purchase.html|access-date=15 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=January 24, 1998}}</ref>
The name "Windex" (from "[[window]]" + "-ex") is a [[registered trademark]]. [[Drackett]] sold the Windex brand to [[Bristol-Meyers]] in 1965.<ref>{{cite news|title=COMPANY NEWS; HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS UNIT FOR SALE AT BRISTOL-MYERS|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/30/business/company-news-household-products-unit-for-sale-at-bristol-myers.html|access-date=15 June 2017|work=New York Times|date=July 30, 1992}}</ref> [[S. C. Johnson & Son|S. C. Johnson]] acquired it in 1993 and has been manufacturing it since.<ref>{{cite news|title=S. C. JOHNSON & SON WINS APPROVAL FOR DOW PURCHASE|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/24/business/company-news-s-c-johnson-son-wins-approval-for-dow-purchase.html|access-date=15 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=January 24, 1998}}</ref>


The original Windex was yellow. Today, there are varieties marketed in several colors (ocean fresh blue, sunshine lemon, and citrus orange) and fragrances (spring bouquet, ocean mist, lavender, and tea tree), with a number of additives such as vinegar, lemon, [[Lime (fruit)|lime]], or [[Orange (fruit)|orange]] juice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.windex.com/en-us|title=Windex.com|access-date= February 10, 2019}}</ref>
The original Windex was yellow. Today, it is commonly blue. Varieties are marketed in several colors (ocean fresh blue, sunshine lemon and citrus orange) and fragrances (spring bouquet, ocean mist, lavender and tea tree), with a number of additives such as vinegar, lemon, [[Lime (fruit)|lime]] or [[Orange (fruit)|orange]] juice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.windex.com/en-us|title=Windex.com|access-date= February 10, 2019}}</ref>


==Ingredients==
==Ingredients==
On August 26, 1969, Melvin E. Stonebraker and Samuel P. Wise received U.S. patent #3,463,735<ref>{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US3463735A/en|title=Glass cleaning composition|publisher=Google Patents}}</ref> for a glass cleaning composition, listing example formulae, one of which is 4.0% [[isopropyl alcohol]], 1% [[2-Butoxyethanol|ethylene glycol monobutyl ether]], 0.1% [[Sodium dodecyl sulfate|sodium lauryl sulfate]] (a surfactant), calcium (Ca) 0.01%, [[tetrasodium pyrophosphate]] (a water softener), 0.05% of 28% [[ammonia]], 1% of a dye solution, and 0.01% perfume. This formula was not only inexpensive to manufacture but allowed the product to be packaged in glass bottles and dispensed with a [[spray bottle|plastic sprayer]].{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} In 1989, Windex was a 5% [[ammonia]] solution.<ref name="Lewis">{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Peter H. |title=PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Cleaning Screens Safely|work=[[The New York Times]] |page=9|date=August 8, 1989 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/08/science/personal-computers-cleaning-screens-safely.html}}</ref> The product was reformulated in 2006.<ref>{{cite press release |author=S.C. Johnson & Son |title=SC Johnson Honored With Presidential Award for Corporate Leadership in Ceremony at the White House |date=January 5, 2006 |publisher=S.C. Johnson & Son |url=http://www.scjohnson.com/family/fam_pre_pre_news.asp?art_id=225 |access-date=July 19, 2013}}</ref> In 2009, S.C. Johnson started publishing ingredients for all of its products, including Windex.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Scelfo|first1=Julie|title=Good Chemistry for some Household Sprays|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/garden/11clean.html|access-date=15 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=February 10, 2010}}</ref> The S.C. Johnson website lists Windex's ingredients as water, 2-hexoxyethanol, [[1-Amino-2-propanol|isopropanolamine]], [[Alkylbenzene sulfonates|sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate]], [[Lauryldimethylamine_oxide|lauramine oxide]], [[Ammonia_solution|ammonium hydroxide]], fragrance, and Liquitint sky blue dye.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/us/en/brands/windex/windex-original-glass-cleaner|title=: SC Johnson|first=SC|last=Johnson|website=SC Johnson - What's Inside}}</ref>
On August 26, 1969, Melvin E. Stonebraker and Samuel P. Wise received U.S. patent #3,463,735<ref>{{cite web|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US3463735A/en|title=Glass cleaning composition|publisher=Google Patents}}</ref> for a glass cleaning composition, listing example formulae, one of which is 4.0% [[isopropyl alcohol]], 1% [[2-Butoxyethanol|ethylene glycol monobutyl ether]], 0.1% [[Sodium dodecyl sulfate|sodium lauryl sulfate]] (a surfactant), calcium (Ca) 0.01%, [[tetrasodium pyrophosphate]] (a water softener), 0.05% of 28% [[ammonia]], 1% of a dye solution and 0.01% perfume. This formula was not only inexpensive to manufacture but allowed the product to be packaged in glass bottles and dispensed with a [[spray bottle|plastic sprayer]].{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
In 1989, Windex was a 5% [[ammonia]] solution.<ref name="Lewis">{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Peter H. |title=PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Cleaning Screens Safely|work=[[The New York Times]] |page=9|date=August 8, 1989 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/08/science/personal-computers-cleaning-screens-safely.html}}</ref> The product was reformulated in 2006.<ref>{{cite press release |author=S.C. Johnson & Son |title=SC Johnson Honored With Presidential Award for Corporate Leadership in Ceremony at the White House |date=January 5, 2006 |publisher=S.C. Johnson & Son |url=http://www.scjohnson.com/family/fam_pre_pre_news.asp?art_id=225 |access-date=July 19, 2013}}</ref> In 2009, S.C. Johnson started publishing ingredients for all of its products, including Windex.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Scelfo|first1=Julie|title=Good Chemistry for some Household Sprays|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/11/garden/11clean.html|access-date=15 June 2017|work=The New York Times|date=February 10, 2010}}</ref> The S.C. Johnson website lists Windex's ingredients as water, [[2-Hexoxyethanol|2-hexoxyethanol]], [[1-Amino-2-propanol|isopropanolamine]], [[Alkylbenzene sulfonates|sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate]], [[Lauryldimethylamine_oxide|lauramine oxide]], [[Ammonia_solution|ammonium hydroxide]], fragrance and Liquitint sky blue dye.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whatsinsidescjohnson.com/us/en/brands/windex/windex-original-glass-cleaner|title=SC Johnson|first=SC|last=Johnson|website=SC Johnson - What's Inside}}</ref> An alternative variant also for household use cites water, hexoxyethanol, isopropanolamine, [[ammonium hydroxide]], sodium C10-C16 alkylbenzenesulfonate, [[lauramine oxide]], sodium xylene sulfonate, colorants and fragrances.{{cn|date=October 2024}}<!--this is directly from a 1.37 gal Windex Cleaner jug intended for refilling spray bottles, as obtained in November 2021-->


==Competition==
==Competition==
Windex's main competitor in the window cleaning market is [[Glass Plus]]{{cn|date=September 2020}}, a glass cleaning product produced by [[Reckitt Benckiser]], who purchased the brand from Windex’s current owner [[S. C. Johnson & Son]]{{cn|date=September 2020}}
Windex's main competitor in the window cleaning market is [[Glass Plus]]{{cn|date=September 2020}}, a glass cleaning product produced by [[Reckitt Benckiser]], which Windex's current owner [[S. C. Johnson & Son]] was required to divest to gain the approval of the [[Federal Trade Commission]] to acquire [[Dow Chemical Company]]'s DowBrands consumer products division (the original owner of the Glass Plus brand).<ref>{{Cite news |title=S.C. Johnson Agrees to Sell Assets to Settle FTC Charges |url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/1998/01/sc-johnson-agrees-sell-assets-settle-ftc-charges |website=[[Federal Trade Commission]] |date=January 23, 1998 |access-date=October 15, 2021}}</ref>


{{clear left}}
{{clear left}}

Latest revision as of 05:04, 28 October 2024

Windex
Current iteration of Windex
Product typeWindow cleaner
OwnerS. C. Johnson & Son
CountryUnited States
Introduced1933
MarketsUnited States, Canada, Germany, Australia, Sweden
Previous ownersDrackett
Bristol-Meyers
Websitewww.windex.com

Windex is an American brand of glass and hard-surface cleaners[1]—originally in glass containers, later in plastic ones.

The name "Windex" (from "window" + "-ex") is a registered trademark. Drackett sold the Windex brand to Bristol-Meyers in 1965.[2] S. C. Johnson acquired it in 1993 and has been manufacturing it since.[3]

The original Windex was yellow. Today, it is commonly blue. Varieties are marketed in several colors (ocean fresh blue, sunshine lemon and citrus orange) and fragrances (spring bouquet, ocean mist, lavender and tea tree), with a number of additives such as vinegar, lemon, lime or orange juice.[4]

Ingredients

[edit]

On August 26, 1969, Melvin E. Stonebraker and Samuel P. Wise received U.S. patent #3,463,735[5] for a glass cleaning composition, listing example formulae, one of which is 4.0% isopropyl alcohol, 1% ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, 0.1% sodium lauryl sulfate (a surfactant), calcium (Ca) 0.01%, tetrasodium pyrophosphate (a water softener), 0.05% of 28% ammonia, 1% of a dye solution and 0.01% perfume. This formula was not only inexpensive to manufacture but allowed the product to be packaged in glass bottles and dispensed with a plastic sprayer.[citation needed]

In 1989, Windex was a 5% ammonia solution.[6] The product was reformulated in 2006.[7] In 2009, S.C. Johnson started publishing ingredients for all of its products, including Windex.[8] The S.C. Johnson website lists Windex's ingredients as water, 2-hexoxyethanol, isopropanolamine, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, lauramine oxide, ammonium hydroxide, fragrance and Liquitint sky blue dye.[9] An alternative variant also for household use cites water, hexoxyethanol, isopropanolamine, ammonium hydroxide, sodium C10-C16 alkylbenzenesulfonate, lauramine oxide, sodium xylene sulfonate, colorants and fragrances.[citation needed]

Competition

[edit]

Windex's main competitor in the window cleaning market is Glass Plus[citation needed], a glass cleaning product produced by Reckitt Benckiser, which Windex's current owner S. C. Johnson & Son was required to divest to gain the approval of the Federal Trade Commission to acquire Dow Chemical Company's DowBrands consumer products division (the original owner of the Glass Plus brand).[10]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Horstman, Barry (May 21, 1999). "Philip W. Drackett: Earned profits, plaudits". The Cincinnati Post. Archived from the original on December 5, 2005. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  2. ^ "COMPANY NEWS; HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS UNIT FOR SALE AT BRISTOL-MYERS". New York Times. July 30, 1992. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  3. ^ "S. C. JOHNSON & SON WINS APPROVAL FOR DOW PURCHASE". The New York Times. January 24, 1998. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Windex.com". Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  5. ^ "Glass cleaning composition". Google Patents.
  6. ^ Lewis, Peter H. (August 8, 1989). "PERSONAL COMPUTERS; Cleaning Screens Safely". The New York Times. p. 9.
  7. ^ S.C. Johnson & Son (January 5, 2006). "SC Johnson Honored With Presidential Award for Corporate Leadership in Ceremony at the White House" (Press release). S.C. Johnson & Son. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  8. ^ Scelfo, Julie (February 10, 2010). "Good Chemistry for some Household Sprays". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  9. ^ Johnson, SC. "SC Johnson". SC Johnson - What's Inside.
  10. ^ "S.C. Johnson Agrees to Sell Assets to Settle FTC Charges". Federal Trade Commission. January 23, 1998. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Windex&oldid=1253842228"