Congratulations to her Majesty to Queen on her Platinum Jubilee. At Just Helpers we’re celebrating by taking a trip through 7 decades of cleaning trends – the products, the fads and the ads!
The Fifties
In this post-war decade we were looking towards a brighter future. And what could be more futuristic than the Space Race? The Hoover Constellation vacuum cleaner with Sputnik-inspired styling, actually took off – floating over the floor on a cushion of air. We have lift-off!
Back on earth, only around 33% of UK households owned a washing machine. But the growth in their popularity saw the launch of Daz washing powder – still going strong today.
The Sixties
A third of UK households had a fridge in the sixties, and twin-tub washers were the norm on laundry day.
In the cleaning aisle Vim boasted your sink would be “the cleanest clean it’s ever been” due to it’s Clorox bleach-based germicidal formula. Did it smell as harsh as it sounds?
The Seventies
By 1970, 65% of households owned a washing machine – so it’s not surprising that this was the decade that saw the launch of fabric conditioner, to make all that laundry smell nice!
This decade also saw some of the most memorable TV ads for cleaning products. Who remembers the Shake n Vac ad, first shown in 1979? Can you still sing the jingle?
Astonish – one of our favourite brands – was launched in 1973, selling oven and cookware cleaner door to door.
The Eighties
This decade was all about convenience. We saved time cooking ready meals in the new microwave ovens, and whizzed through the washing with front loading, automatic washing machines. Ariel laundry liquid was launched in 1985, and Ecover, another Just Helpers favourite brand, started in 1989 in Belgium.
The Nineties
The nineties saw a cleaning revolution with the first bagless vacuum cleaners from Dyson. After struggling to get any interest in his design from UK manufacturers, James Dyson sold the first of his new cleaners in Japan – before taking the USA and UK market by storm.
Vacuum cleaning might have been undergoing a revolution, but traditional ideas about housework were still very common. The Daz Doorstep Challenge ads ran throughout the nineties, filling mums with the fear of their grubby whites appearing on national TV.
The Noughties
We saw more floor-cleaning innovation in this decade, with the rising popularity of the Roomba robot vacuum.
With consumers becoming more conscious of the environmental impact of cleaning products, there are more green ranges launched this decade. In 2001 Method launched their first products, and The Pink Stuff Miracle Cleaning Paste appeared on shelves.
The Tens
Instagram launched in 2010 and gained over 10 million users in the first year. And with it came the rise of the cleaning influencers, and their impact on cleaning trends. The “Mrs Hinch” effect saw 100 year old brand Zoflora floral disinfectant back in vogue, with followers eagerly sharing their favourite fragrances.
The Twenties
We’re only a couple of years in, but it’s been quite a decade already! The COVID 19 pandemic unsurprisingly sparked a huge increase in global sales of surface cleaners. In addition, many people discovered the calming benefits of cleaning their homes during Lockdown. And we are seeing the rise of more eco-friendly cleaning trends – nicer for us, are homes, and the planet.
However you are celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, we hope you have a wonderful time.
