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'''Softsoap''' is the trade name of [[Colgate-Palmolive]]'s liquid hand soap and [[body wash]].
{{Short description|Trade name of Colgate-Palmolive's liquid hand soap & body wash}}
{{Infobox brand
| name = Softsoap
| logo = Softsoap logo 2022.svg
| producttype = [[Soap]]
| currentowner = [[Colgate-Palmolive]]
| introduced = {{Start date and age|1980}}
| country = [[United States]]
| origin = [[United States]]
| tagline =
| website = {{url|https://www.softsoap.com/}}
}}
[[File:Softsoap commercial (1980).webm|200px|right|thumb|A 1980 Softsoap commercial]]
'''Softsoap''' (marketed as '''Softsoap Brand''') is the trade name of [[Colgate-Palmolive]]'s liquid [[Soap|hand soap]] and [[Shower gel|body wash]]. The company is noted for its soap dispensers' former aquarium theme, where the dispenser would be styled to make the it look like an aquarium with tropical fish printed inside of the plastic.


William Sheppard of New York was granted patent number 49,561 for his "Improved Liquid Soap" on August 22, 1965, for his discovery that a small amount of conventional soap could be mixed with large amounts of spirits of [[ammonia]] (or [[hartshorn]], as it was known at the time) to create a soap with a consistency of [[molasses]]. His invention became common in public areas, but could generally not be found in homes.
William Sheppard of New York was granted patent number 49,561 for his "Improved Liquid Soap" on August 22, 1865, for his discovery that a small amount of conventional soap could be mixed with large amounts of [[Tincture|spirits]] of [[ammonia]] (or [[hartshorn]], as it was known at the time) to create a soap with a consistency similar to that of [[molasses]].<ref>{{Cite patent|number=US49561A|title=Improved liquid soap|gdate=1865-08-22|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US49561A/en}}</ref> His invention became common in public areas, but was not generally available for use in homes.


In 1980, entrepreneur Robert R. Taylor (died August 29, 2013) began selling his product as Softsoap through his company, Minnetonka Corp. in [[Chaska, Minnesota]]. Taylor knew others would copy the soap-in-a-pump-bottle idea, so he shrewdly purchased 100 million small bottle hand-pumps from the only two U.S. manufacturers that made them, so that any competitors wouldn't be able to buy any for one year - enough time for him to establish the brand name. It worked; in six months, he sold $25 million worth of Softsoap. The package made it very easy to spot on store shelves when nearly all other soaps were in bar form. Taylor sold the Softsoap brand to [[Colgate-Palmolive]] in 1987.<ref>
In 1980, entrepreneur Robert R. Taylor began selling pump soap under the brand name of Softsoap, through his company, The Minnetonka Corporation, located in [[Chaska, Minnesota]]. Within six months, he had sold $25 million worth of Softsoap before selling the brand to [[Colgate-Palmolive]] in 1987.<ref>He had been able to give his product a leg up by buying all the bottles he could for the first run so no one else could release a similar product at the same time.


John Rogers for Associated Press, [http://bigstory.ap.org/article/robert-r-taylor-creator-softsoap-dead-77 "Robert R. Taylor, Creator of SoftSoap, Dead at 77"], ''bigstory.ap.org'', September 12, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2013.</ref>
John Rogers for Associated Press, [https://bigstory.ap.org/article/robert-r-taylor-creator-softsoap-dead-77 "Robert R. Taylor, Creator of SoftSoap, Dead at 77"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20160102183928/https://bigstory.ap.org/article/robert-r-taylor-creator-softsoap-dead-77 |date=2016-01-02 }}, ''bigstory.ap.org'', September 12, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2013.</ref>


==See also==
== See also ==
* [[Soft soap]]
* [[Soft soap (disambiguation)]]


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
* {{Official|https://www.softsoap.com/en-us}}
* [http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blsoap.htm About.com blurb]
* [https://archive.today/20120714204434/http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blsoap.htm About.com blurb]
* [http://www.sourcedesign.com/work_softsoap.htm Source/Inc.]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060414091810/https://www.sourcedesign.com/work_softsoap.htm Source/Inc.]
* US Patent and Trademark Office

{{Colgate-Palmolive}}


[[Category:Colgate-Palmolive brands]]
[[Category:Colgate-Palmolive brands]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1980]]
[[Category:Soap brands]]

Latest revision as of 17:21, 27 January 2024

Softsoap
Product typeSoap
OwnerColgate-Palmolive
CountryUnited States
Introduced1980; 44 years ago (1980)
Websitewww.softsoap.com
A 1980 Softsoap commercial

Softsoap (marketed as Softsoap Brand) is the trade name of Colgate-Palmolive's liquid hand soap and body wash. The company is noted for its soap dispensers' former aquarium theme, where the dispenser would be styled to make the it look like an aquarium with tropical fish printed inside of the plastic.

William Sheppard of New York was granted patent number 49,561 for his "Improved Liquid Soap" on August 22, 1865, for his discovery that a small amount of conventional soap could be mixed with large amounts of spirits of ammonia (or hartshorn, as it was known at the time) to create a soap with a consistency similar to that of molasses.[1] His invention became common in public areas, but was not generally available for use in homes.

In 1980, entrepreneur Robert R. Taylor began selling pump soap under the brand name of Softsoap, through his company, The Minnetonka Corporation, located in Chaska, Minnesota. Within six months, he had sold $25 million worth of Softsoap before selling the brand to Colgate-Palmolive in 1987.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ US49561A, "Improved liquid soap", issued 1865-08-22 
  2. ^ He had been able to give his product a leg up by buying all the bottles he could for the first run so no one else could release a similar product at the same time. John Rogers for Associated Press, "Robert R. Taylor, Creator of SoftSoap, Dead at 77" Archived 2016-01-02 at archive.today, bigstory.ap.org, September 12, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
[edit]
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