Brillo Turns 100

Brillo, the Walled Lake, Mich.-based household cleaning brand, will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013 with a year-long celebration featuring limited-edition nostalgic packaging, anniversary-themed advertising, social media contests and giveaways.

“Brillo has been cleaning American households for a century now,” said John Armaly Jr., president and CEO of Armaly Brands, maker of Brillo Soap Pads and Brillo Estracell sponges. “Our year-long celebration is a thank you to generations of loyal consumers who have found real results from our products over the years. We look forward to the next 100 years of providing consumers with the quality they have come to expect and trust from Brillo.”

In the early 1900’s, aluminum pots and pans were replacing heavy cast iron cookware in homes throughout the nation. The coal-fired stoves of the day quickly blackened the pots, however, rendering them unattractive and next-to-impossible to clean.

When a cookware peddler and a jeweler began using rouge, soap and fine steel wool from Germany, a new method to scour pots and pans was born. Demand for the steel wool began to rise, and, upon patenting the product on Jan. 31, 1913, Brillo was born.

In 2010, Brillo was acquired by Armaly Brands, maker of industry leading Estracell sponges. For more information, visit the official Brillo website.