Pictorial PW History: photos from the past.

http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/social&CISOPTR=2715&CISOBOX=1&REC=17.  Employee of Fire Ball Distribution Company demonstrating a portable steam cleaner on a vehicle, Seattle, ca. 1950 or 1951
Ogawa, Elmer, 1906-1970   

1968 Cat Pumps officially opened its doors for business with the introduction of the "A" Series Model 400 Cat Pump (4.0 GPM, 700 PSI). Originally designed for the pressure wash market, this pump revolutionized both the car wash and pressure wash industries, providing 10 times the life of previous pumps. http://www.catpumps.com/1968-1979.asp

Driver Arthur Wilson is seen here in the depot at Pine Mill in Oldham power washing the chassis of EBU 600K before it goes on a night trunk run. This vehicle was an 8LV Cabbed ERF 4x2 tractor unit fitted with a Gardner 180 6LXB engin. from: http://www.commercialmotor.com/big-lorry-blog/scotts-of-oldham--history-in-words-and-pictures-on-biglorry-blog#.UWyTDXaVv8s

 http://www.armedforces-int.com/article/75-years-of-innovation-for-customers.html

The American forces awarded the company a contract to service and repair “steam cleaners”, which had been invented in the United States in the 1920’s. Kärcher developed and optimized this technology further and presented the first European hot-water high-pressure cleaner in 1950, the KW 350 ('boiling-water cleaner'). It marked the company’s entry into the cleaning equipment market and laid the foundation stone for what was to become its core business.

Picture from: http://www.armedforces-int.com/article/75-years-of-innovation-for-customers.html Kärcher in the 1950's high pressure steam cleaning.

 

Picture from: http://www.palmercc.com/Photoalbum.htm. Keith Timm Sr. steam cleaning his 1951 Ford dump truck at PCCC’s Mine #11 preparation plant in Black Diamond circa 1952.

Washing_loco.jpg ‎(640 × 483 pixels, file size: 69 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)

Jack Delano, photographer

Mrs. Viola Sievers, one of the wipers at the roundhouse giving a giant "H" class locomotive a bath of live steam Clinton, Iowa, April 1943

Reproduction from color slide LC-USW361-643

LC-DIG-fsac-1a34807, FSA/OWI Collection

http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/boundforglory/images/bg0058.jpg

Title	Men inspecting a Fire Ball Distribution Company portable steam cleaner during an event, ca. 1950 or 1951
Photographer	Ogawa, Elmer, 1906-1970

Title

Men inspecting a Fire Ball Distribution Company portable steam cleaner during an event, ca. 1950 or 1951

Photographer

Ogawa, Elmer, 1906-1970

G3g 2412 getting a steam cleaning on the Glen shop track Monday, 6/22/1959. (CLC #2016 12/1942) Bob Krone. Picture from: Old Time Trains, http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_steam/2400.htm.

Seattle Municipal Archives
Photograph Collection Item No: 59059
Description: Mechanical equipment [Portable Steam Jenny]

Orig No: 18513-Q-2
Date: May 1, 1951
Collection: Engineering Department Photographic Negatives
Photo location: http://www.seattle.gov/default.aspx

http://www.seattle.gov/default.aspx. 

  May 31, 1955 Maintenance Equipment [1948 Steam Jenny]

Steam cleaning jeeps at Bechtel-McCone’s remanufacturing facility in Birmingham, Alabama. Photo form: http://www.ewillys.com/category/ordnance-remanufactureing

Pressure washing a car in 1928 (courtesy FMC and Industrial Cleaning Technology by Harrington). from: http://bittooth.blogspot.com/2012/11/waterjettting-3b-pressure-washers.html

Inventor of the first hot water pressure washer in 1950. From: http://www.karchercommercial.com/KarcherHistory.aspx

All pictures are noted and locations from the web are listed from where they are from. If you own any photo or link and do not want them posted please let us know and we will take them down. Cleaned by Pete hopes you enjoyed this trip back to see what and where this industry has grown from. Today's washers are much smaller, compact, powerful and easier to use. All things change washer, techniques, methods, equipment are still changing, but in a few cases some of the old methods and ways still have there place in today's line of cleaning equipment and Cleaned by Pete still implores some of the equipment and methods of yesteryear for today's cleaning needs.

Cleaned by Pete 417-459-7869 for your cleaning / washing needs in Springfield and Southwest MO.