2000 Flushes

Last updated
2000 Flushes
Owner WD-40 Company
Country United States
Introduced1978;46 years ago (1978)
Previous ownersFlushco Inc. (1978-1983)
Block Drug (1983-2001)
Website 2000flushesbrand.com

2000 Flushes is an automatic toilet cleaning product produced by the WD-40 Company. The toilet cleaner is dispensed from an in-tank package.

Contents

History

2000 Flushes was created by Al Eisen, founder of New Jersey–based Flushco, Inc. [1] According to the company, Eisen's wife asked him to clean the toilet; he hated the job and tried to find a better way. His initial experiment, a cup with chlorine weighted with rocks and installed in the toilet tank, worked well at keeping his toilet clean for months. The idea behind 2000 Flushes was born. [2]

The first newspaper advertisements appeared in 1978; [3] in March 1979 this was supplemented by simple broadcast advertising with the tagline If there's one job I hate, it's scrubbing the toilet. [4]

The product was well-enough received in its initial US markets to represent a credible rival to Vanish, which held a dominant market position at the time with a Sani-Flush like crystal toilet bowl cleaner. Before 2000 Flushes could complete its national expansion westward, Vanish began disparaging advertising suggesting calcium hypochlorite toilet cleaners damaged plumbing. In fall 1981, a group of manufacturers led by Twinoak (which made "120 Day Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner" since 1965) obtained an out-of-court settlement against Drackett Company, maker of Vanish. As part of the undisclosed cash settlement, disparaging advertisements were withdrawn. [5]

Block Drug purchased Flushco, acquiring "2000 Flushes" toilet bowl cleaner in 1983. [6] Block distributed multiple versions of the product, such as "2000 Flushes Blue" and "2000 Flushes Powder Foam". [7] It sold the brand as part of a larger 1998 corporate restructuring. [8]

Al Eisen (as inventor of 2000 Flushes) made personal appearances in many early ads for the product, in which he holds up four fingers and boasts "It works up to four months!" [9]

In October 1993, toilet fixture manufacturers reported rapid degradation of flush valve flappers; some new, water-saving toilets (introduced to meet a 1994 US federal water conservation deadline [10] ) were leaking within months of installation. The growing popularity of in-tank drop-in cleaning tablets quickly drew suspicion as many contain chlorine bleach; if a toilet is flushed infrequently, the amount of chlorine in the tank may build to problematic levels. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) began tests of flapper materials in 1994 to 1997. [11] By 1998, flappers had been redesigned to withstand continuous immersion in 2000 Flushes or Clorox bowl cleaners, then the most popular products. [12] A rival in-tank cleaner introduced by Vanish in 2000 caused problems until 2005, when new durability and marking requirements for flappers were added to the ASME A112.19.5 standard on "Flush Valves and Spuds for Water Closets, Urinals, and Tanks". [13]

In 2001, San Diego–based WD-40 Company acquired Global Household Brands, [14] [15] a company founded in 1998 to acquire X-14, 2000 Flushes and Carpet Fresh. [16]

2000 Flushes is now packaged as a solid tablet for in-tank use, like many of its rivals. There are multiple product versions and reformulations; some add a detergent, some add a concentrated bleach. In 2008, a disinfectant was added to "kill 99.9% of bacteria flush after flush" in an apparent response to competitive pressures; Ty-D-Bol has claimed to "kill 99.9% of toilet bowl germs with every flush" since 1994 and crystal bowl cleaners have made claims to "kill millions of germs" since Sani-Flush's 1911 introduction.

While toxicity varies between the differing 2000 Flushes formulations, most are not pet-safe. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flush toilet</span> Toilet that uses water to convey human waste down a pipe

A flush toilet is a toilet that disposes of human waste by using the force of water to channel it through a drainpipe to another location for treatment, either nearby or at a communal facility. Flush toilets can be designed for sitting or squatting, in the case of squat toilets. Most modern sewage treatment systems are also designed to process specially designed toilet paper. The opposite of a flush toilet is a dry toilet, which uses no water for flushing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toilets in Japan</span>

Toilets in Japan are sometimes designed more elaborately than toilets commonly seen in other developed nations. European toilets occasionally have a separate bidet whilst Japan combines an electronic bidet with the toilet. The current state of the art for Western-style toilets in Japan is the bidet toilet, which as of March 2016 is installed in 81% of Japanese households. In Japan, these bidets are commonly called washlets, a brand name of Toto Ltd., and they may include many advanced features rarely seen outside of Asia. The basic feature set commonly found on washlets consists of anal hygiene, bidet washing, seat warming, and deodorization.

A ballcock is a mechanism or machine for filling water tanks, such as those found in flush toilets, while avoiding overflow and backflow. The modern ballcock was invented by José Antonio de Alzate y Ramírez, a Mexican priest and scientist, who described the device in 1790 in the Gaceta de Literatura Méxicana. The ballcock device was patented in 1797 for use in steam engines by Edmund Cartwright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cistern</span> Waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water

A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. To prevent leakage, the interior of the cistern is often lined with hydraulic plaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wet wipe</span> Small moistened piece of paper or cloth

A wet wipe, also known as a wet towel, wet one, moist towelette, disposable wipe, disinfecting wipe, or a baby wipe is a small to medium-sized moistened piece of plastic or cloth that either comes folded and individually wrapped for convenience or, in the case of dispensers, as a large roll with individual wipes that can be torn off. Wet wipes are used for cleaning purposes like personal hygiene and household cleaning; each is a separate product depending on the chemicals added and medical or office cleaning wipes are not intended for skin hygiene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajax (cleaning product)</span> Brand of cleaning products

Ajax is an American brand of household cleaning products and detergents made by Colgate-Palmolive and Awesome Products Inc.

Vanish is an American brand of toilet bowl cleaner produced by S. C. Johnson in North America. They obtained the brand through the purchase of The Drackett Company in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toilet cleaner</span> Acidic cleaning agent for toilets

Toilet cleaners are chemical solutions designed specifically for cleaning a toilet bowl, usually in conjunction with a toilet brush.

Sani-Flush was an American brand of crystal toilet bowl cleaner formerly produced by Reckitt Benckiser. Its main ingredient was sodium bisulfate; it also contained sodium carbonate as well as sodium lauryl sulfate, talc, sodium chloride, fragrance and dye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleaning agent</span> Substance used to remove dirt or other contaminants

Cleaning agents or hard-surface cleaners are substances used to remove dirt, including dust, stains, foul odors, and clutter on surfaces. Purposes of cleaning agents include health, beauty, removing offensive odors, and avoiding the spread of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others. Some cleaning agents can kill bacteria and clean at the same time. Others, called degreasers, contain organic solvents to help dissolve oils and fats.

A low-flush toilet is a flush toilet that uses significantly less water than traditional high-flow toilets. Before the early 1990s in the United States, standard flush toilets typically required at least 3.5 gallons per flush and they used float valves that often leaked, increasing their total water use. In the early 1990s, because of concerns about water shortages, and because of improvements in toilet technology, some states and then the federal government began to develop water-efficiency standards for appliances, including toilets, mandating that new toilets use less water. The first standards required low-flow toilets of 1.6 gallons per flush. Further improvements in the technology to overcome concerns about the initial poor performance of early models have further cut the water use of toilets and while federal standards stagnate at 1.6 gallons per flush, certain states' standards toughened up to require that new toilets use no more than 1.28 gallons per flush, while working far better than older models. Low-flush toilets include single-flush models and dual-flush toilets, which typically use 1.6 US gallons per flush for the full flush and 1.28 US gallons or less for a reduced flush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toilet</span> Piece of hardware for the collection or disposal of human excreta

A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human urine and feces, and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting position popular in Europe and North America with a toilet seat, with additional considerations for those with disabilities, or for a squatting posture more popular in Asia, known as a squat toilet. In urban areas, flush toilets are usually connected to a sewer system; in isolated areas, to a septic tank. The waste is known as blackwater and the combined effluent, including other sources, is sewage. Dry toilets are connected to a pit, removable container, composting chamber, or other storage and treatment device, including urine diversion with a urine-diverting toilet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Block Drug</span> Pharmaceutical company

Block Drug Company was a pharmaceutical company based in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, that specialized in dental care products. Its most popular products included Polident denture cleanser, Poli-Grip denture adhesive, Dentu-Creme denture toothpaste, Nytol sleeping pill, Tegrin medicated shampoo for psoriasis, Lava hand soaps, Beano and Phazyme anti-gas products, Balmex diaper rash ointments, and Sensodyne desensitizing toothpaste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flushometer</span> Plumbing mechanism

A flushometer is a metal water-diverter that uses an inline handle to flush tankless toilets or urinals. It was invented by William Elvis Sloan and is a product of the Sloan Valve Company.

Niagara Conservation is a manufacturing company based in Fort Worth, Texas best known for its plumbing products and its water conservation efforts. Niagara Conservation also manufactures lighting fixtures, light bulbs, caulks, sealants, and weatherization products.

Ty-D-Bol is an American brand of toilet cleaner that was introduced in 1958. In its original format, the product is a blue cleanser/disinfectant liquid released into the toilet tank from an automatic dispenser.

Ekam Eco Solutions is an Indian startup company that markets products related to ecological sanitation and sustainable living. The company is best known for its Zerodor waterless urinal technology and CARE Natural Housekeeping & Home Care Solutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In-tank toilet cleaning tablet</span>

In-tank toilet cleaners are tablets or cartridges that add chemicals to toilet tank water to reduce toilet bowl stains. They are commonly used to prevent toilet bowl stains from calcium, limescale, mold, etc. Most contain chlorine bleach as its main active ingredient, however some may use other main active ingredients.

References

  1. ↑ US trademark #73176664, "2000 FLUSHES", CLEANER FOR TOILET BOWLS filed June 30, 1978
  2. ↑ "2000 Flushes History | Toilet Bowl Cleaners & Toilet Detergents". 2000 Flushes. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  3. ↑ New 2000 Flushes automatic bowl cleaner (Boscov's advertisement), Reading Eagle - Nov 11, 1978
  4. ↑ Newspaper advertisement, "I quit the job I hate most", The Pittsburgh Press - Apr 11, 1979
  5. ↑ Dougherty, Philip H. (1982-03-01). "Advertising - New Bowl Cleaners On the Way". NY Times. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  6. ↑ Goldblatt, Dan (September 7, 1994). "New Jersey's most private public company". Northern Business. p. 48.
  7. ↑ Lurie, Maxine N.; Lurie, Maxine; Mappen, Marc (2004). Encyclopedia of New Jersey. ISBN   9780813533254 . Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  8. ↑ "History of Block Drug Company". Funding Universe. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  9. ↑ "2000 Flushes History | Toilet Bowl Cleaners & Toilet Detergents". 2000flushesbrand.com. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  10. ↑ "Toilet Fixtures Introduction". Alliance for Water Efficiency. 1994-01-01. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  11. ↑ "Resources > Product Information > Toilet Fixtures > Flappers & Flush Valve Seals". California Urban Water Conservation Council. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  12. ↑ TOILET FLAPPERS: The Weak Link of Water Conservation, John Koeller, P.E, revised July 21, 2004
  13. ↑ Toilet flappers - The former weak link of water conservation Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine , Koeller, April 2008
  14. ↑ "WD-40 Company to Acquire Global Household Brands (press release)". 2001-04-30. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  15. ↑ "Learn What WD-40 Stands For and More About Our Company History". WD40 Company. Archived from the original on 2015-04-18. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  16. ↑ Kim, Hank (1998-05-18). "Global Household Brands Shops Bloom's X-14 Cleaner". Adweek. Retrieved 2014-07-27.
  17. ↑ Christine Church. House Cat: How to Keep Your Indoor Cat Sane and Sound . Wiley. p.  29 . Retrieved 2014-07-27.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.