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Thread: ‘Swarfega’ inventor dies

  1. #1
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    ‘Swarfega’ inventor dies

    Audley Bowdler Williamson, the inventor of Swarfega, the emerald gel famed for its phenomenal efficacy against engine oil , grease and grime of all kinds has died, aged 88.

    “AB” as he was known, created the emerald-green gel in 1947 at his works in Belper, near Derby, following the failure of his mild detergent for silk stockings due to the flooding of the market by nylon stockings by US troops!

    Falling back on his early memories of oily-handed motor fitters washing their hands with petrol, paraffin and sand — and suffering from cracked skin and dermatitis — he decided to develop a skin cleaner which would remove engine oils and grease, but leave the body’s natural oils intact. And so, in 1947, Swarfega was born; it was the first hand cleaner of its type in the world.

    Anyone that has ever worked on an oily engine should give a word of thanks to “AB”.
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    THanks AB ... † ... R.I.P
    THe hand's farster than the eye ... keepan eye onda feet .. .

  3. #3
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    Thank you "AB". My hands are clean. May you RIP

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    and it still is the best cleaner out there. i have been using an orange based one recently which smells nicer, but it just rips the oils out of my skin.

  5. #5
    My first job where I 'served my time' and worked for 10yrs (off and on) was next door to a factory called Industrial Chemicals,owned and run by Mr Brown - coming back to NZ after serving in WWII,be brought back the rights to a new hand cleaner and started up his own business making Swarfega.We serviced all their cars,but old Mr Brown couldn't be shifted out of his VE Regal even when the reps had flash new cars....I enjoyed taking the bronze 318 on test drives,doing full throttle U turns on the Xply tyres.

    Of course we had as much Swarfega as we wanted,it was smelly shit and made a mess of my hands.These days I only keep small containers and constantly change brands - I find if you use one brand for too long you get some kind of inbalance in the natural oils,keep them rotating and my hands stay in better condition.

    Anyway,good on him - Swarfega was the only handcleaner out there for decades.
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Motu
    I find if you use one brand for too long you get some kind of inbalance in the natural oils,keep them rotating and my hands stay in better condition.
    Have you tried using those mechanic gloves?

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    Quote Originally Posted by カワサキキド
    Have you tried using those mechanic gloves?
    toughen up ya poofters!
    i have cleaned my hands for the last 20 years with turps/petrol and all other kinds of cleaners....... my finger is a bit shorter now and where my thumb was........


    what a ride so far!!!!

  8. #8
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    That stuff smells great - good memories.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by カワサキキド
    Have you tried using those mechanic gloves?
    Oh yes,and latex,nylon and gloves in a bottle - my hands have seen some extreme abuse,a bit late,but I look after them now.
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Motu
    Oh yes,my hands have seen some extreme abuse.


    i don't think our younger viewers need to know that.....


    what a ride so far!!!!

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