Windex is a trademark for a glass and
Windex-like products typically contain detergents, ammonia, fragrance to moderate the odor of ammonia, and some form of dye. The original modern Windex was colored a light, transparent shade of blue, but varieties are marketed today in a variety of colors (ocean fresh blue, sunshine lemon & citrus orange) and fragrances (spring bouquet, ocean mist, lavender and tea tree), touting additives such as vinegar or lemon or lime or orange juice.
Typical window and glass cleaners have a pH level equal to or greater than 8.5, i.e. slightly above neutral, and therefore have a weakly alkaline basis.
The blue-green color of Windex has inspired bartenders to name similarly tinted mixed drinks after it. For example, a "Windex shot" typically contains vodka, triple sec, and Blue Curaçao for color. When the soda Pepsi Blue debuted, it was also compared to Windex.
The comedy film My Big Fat Greek Wedding presented Windex as a placebo or folk remedy for external use against most non-disabling ailments. (This parallels an actual folk belief in similar use of the WD-40 brand of penetrating oil.) This may be based in Windex's remarkable capacity for removing tight rings off fingers where more traditional remedies such as butter or soap are less effective[citation needed].
Contents |
Product history
When Windex was invented in 1933 by Erich Drafahl, it was essentially 100% solvent, and as a flammable product, it had to be sold in metal cans. When modern surfactants were introduced after World War II, the product was reformulated.
The Sam Wise patent #3,463,735 lists several example formulae, one of which is 4.0% isopropyl alcohol (a highly volatile solvent) 1% ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (a less volatile solvent), 0.1% sodium laurel sulfate (a surfactant), 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 significantly less expensive to manufacture, but allowed the product to be packaged in glass bottles and dispensed with a plastic sprayer.
SC Johnson acquired Windex in 1993 and has been manufacturing it since that time. The product was recently reformulated with more environmentally-desirable solvents[1].
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- Isopropanol
- 2-Butoxyethanol
- Ethylene glycol n-hexyl ether
- Water
- Ammonia
Isopropanol - Used as a solvent and reagent. This type of alcohol is used in ink and other products
There is a detailed ingredient list from the manufacturer for all formulas here.
Popular culture reference
Singer Mariah Carey mentions this product in her hit-single, "Obsessed" in a line which says "Seeing right through you like you're bathing in Windex".
Windex is mentioned in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. When character Gus Portokalos is confronted with any skin ailment, he says, "Put some Windex on it."
References
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2008) |
External links
- Windex home page
- SC Johnson Milestones page (1993 Windex)
- Windex Product Safety Information
- Common Household Product Material Safety and Data Sheets
Sources: "Philip W. Drackett: Earned profits, plaudits" By Barry M. Horstman, Cincinnati Post, May 21, 1999.
|
||||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
