Somat
Somat is a brand for a machine dishwashing detergent and additional dishwashing products from the Henkel Group based in Düsseldorf- Holthausen. The brand belongs to the strategic business area “detergents and cleaning agents”. Somat is currently sold in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Eastern Europe and Turkey.
Historical development
In 1962, Henkel introduced Somat, the first cleaner in Germany that was specially developed for dishwashers. Initially, only two products were available, a powder cleaner and a rinse aid , which were also produced by Böhme Chemie . In 1976 the special salt was added to the product portfolio, in 1982 a machine cleaner followed and in 1989 the first dishwashing detergent in tablet form (“tabs”). In 1999 a new generation of Somat dishwasher tabs appeared with Somat 2in1, which combined two functions (detergent and rinse aid) in one tab. In 2001 the multitab segment was expanded to include Somat 3in1. Somat 5 and Somat 7 followed in 2005 and 2007 with various additional functions. Somat 9 followed in May 2009, which was replaced by Somat 10 in 2011.
The Somat product portfolio currently includes a wide range of detergents in powder and tablet form as well as additional products such as rinse aid, special salt, deodorants and machine care products.
background
When Somat was launched on the market, dishwashers were still a rarity and Somat was therefore only a niche product. In 1962, only about 20,000 households in West Germany had an electric dishwasher; in 1971 the number rose to over 1.7 million. At the beginning of the nineties, 30% and shortly before the turn of the millennium almost 47% of German households were equipped with a dishwasher. Today around 25 million dishwashers are in use in Germany. With a share of 87%, dishwasher tabs have now taken the dominant position compared to classic powder (status 02/2008).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mark Register
- ↑ Food Practice, No. 11, June 4, 1999
- ↑ Stiftung Warentest: Test dishwasher tabs test 02/2008, p. 66.