Betx
Wettex is the brand name of a compostable sponge cloth that is used to clean surfaces. It consists of cellulose , which has been reinforced with cotton fibers. In addition to the natural ingredients, the cleaning utensil is characterized by its high absorbency, multiple uses and excellent washability. It was invented in 1949 by the Swedish engineer Curt Lindquist . Production has been carried out by Freudenberg & Co. KG and its subsidiary, Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions AG, since 1990 , with sales being carried out by the associated sales company Vileda .
history
Due to the successful development of a cellulose-based sausage skin, the civil engineer Curt Lindquist got a job at Nordisk Silkecellulosa AB (German AG) through the Swedish consumer cooperative (Kooperativa Förbundet). In 1942 he was promoted to managing director of the company. In 1949 Lindquist developed the sponge cloth as an alternative to conventional cleaning cloths. Due to his professional activity, he had cellulose sponges available, with which he privately experimented with the aim of producing highly absorbent and easy-to-use cleaning rags. He pressed the sponges through a meat grinder and made the first variants of sponge cloths from the resulting pulp. These prototypes were later developed into marketable products in his company. The product name goes back to Lindquist's wife Margaretha, who combined the English words “wet” and “textile” for the name.
Wettex has been manufactured continuously in Norrköping since its invention. In 1990 the Swedish consumer cooperative sold the company to Freudenberg & Co. KG. The textile pulp is obtained in part from the Swedish forest cooperative Södra (Södra Skogsägarna).
design
Wettex became a popular design object, especially in Sweden, since the late 1990s. The trigger for this was an exhibition project by Synnöve Mork , which stimulated interest in re-designs and screen printing of sponge cloths. The Wettex manufacturing company hires in-house designers to develop both the standard product and various limited editions.
In 2015 a “kitchen table book” was published in a sponge cloth format, which was written by two Swedes, Åsa Kax Ideberg and Anna-Karin Murén. The publication was published in Swedish and English, the latter being entitled “Dearest Sponge Cloth. The story of an invention from Sweden ”. In addition to the development history of the Wettex, the authors also deal in particular with various designs and designers of the sponge cloth. The book was presented in December 2015 in the city museum of Norrköping, the production site, including a panel discussion and mini-exhibition.
Sustainability and waste recycling
The Wettex manufacturer relies on sustainability in production and marketing. The commercially available packaging contains information on the biodegradable components as well as washing instructions for hygiene and care of the reusable product. The possible disposal through composting is highlighted. This type of waste recycling is a feature of most sponge cloth products - including no-name ones - that are made from a cellulose-cotton blend.
distribution
According to the sales company, the Wettex brand is the market leader in the field of sponge cloths in Northern Europe, Austria and Greece. In Australia, Wettex is marketed with the addition "the original european sponge cloth". In addition to the USA, Wettex's global sales market has now also reached Japan, where sponge cloths are favored because of their design and are widely used. The brand is currently being established in South Korea and is expected to be spread in other Southeast Asian countries as well.
Use of the term in Austria
Wettex is a protected brand name, which has also found its way into everyday language in Austria. In this regard, not only original branded items, but also sponge and dishcloths are generally referred to with the term. The use as a deonym for various cleaning textiles in Austria is an example of economic influences on Austrianism .
Regarding the article definition of Wettex there are two permissible spellings in Duden (2018): noun, neuter, or noun, masculine.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Åsa Kax Ideberg, Anna-Karin Murén: Dearest Sponge Cloth. The story of an invention from Sweden. Latvia 2015, ISBN 978-91-982862-1-2 (English, original title: Käraste disktrasa - Historien om en uppfinning från Sverige .).
- ↑ Kärleken till disktrasan (Eng. The love of the sponge cloth). August 28, 2015, accessed on January 5, 2020 (Swedish): “Köper du en trasa av Wettex är det Hög sannolikhet att den är gjord av Södras textilmassa och skogsägare i södra Sverige. If you buy a cleaning cloth from Wettex, there is a high probability that it was made from textile pulp by Södra and forest owners in southern Sweden.] "
- ↑ Åsa Kax Ideberg, Anna-Karin Murén: Dearest Sponge Cloth. The story of an invention from Sweden. Latvia 2015, ISBN 978-91-982862-1-2 , pp. 69 .
- ↑ Boksläpp: Käraste disktrasa - historien om en uppfinning från Sverige. In: Homepage: Norrköpings Stadsmuseum. Retrieved January 6, 2020 (Swedish).
- ↑ Working at Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions. Retrieved on January 5, 2020 (English): "Wettex has been a leading wiping brand and family favorite since 1949. Created as the original sponge cloth, it remains the No 1 wipe in the Nordics, Greece and Austria. [...] "
- ↑ Vileda Australia: Wettex - The Original European Sponge Cloth. Retrieved January 5, 2020 .
- ↑ Åsa Kax Ideberg, Anna-Karin Murén: Dearest Sponge Cloth. The story of an invention from Sweden . Latvia 2015, ISBN 978-91-982862-1-2 , pp. 129 ff .
- ↑ Duden editorial team: Wettex®, that or that. In: Duden online. Retrieved January 5, 2020 .