The Invention of the Fregona Broom

The Invention of the "Fregona"

• The "fregona" is a type of broom that allows users to clean the floor while standing, invented by Manuel Jalón Corominas in 1958.
• The invention was sparked by Jalón Corominas observing a woman cleaning the floor on her hands and knees in a humiliating position, leading him to create a solution that would allow women to clean while standing.

The Inspiration Behind the Invention

• In 1954, Jalón Corominas was sent to the United States to learn about the maintenance of F-86 fighter jets, where he saw men using long-haired brushes to clean oil from the floor.
• He adapted this idea to create a broom with long-haired brushes that could be used to clean floors.

The Development of the "Fregona"

• Jalón Corominas founded the company Manufacturas Rodex S.A. in 1958 with two associates to manufacture and sell the "fregona".
• The initial design consisted of a metal bucket and two rollers to wring out the cotton strips attached to the handle.
• Later improvements included more resistant fringes, a lighter plastic bucket, and an essoreuse (wringing device) copied from the helmets of civil guards.

The Reception of the "Fregona"

• Initially, sales were slow due to resistance from domestic workers and housewives who believed their arms were more effective than the broom.
• The first salesmen were men who traveled the country demonstrating the product in stores.
• The press began to write about the invention in 1958, highlighting its benefits for both men and women.
• The "fregona" became popular in hospitals and eventually spread to other countries through Spanish emigrants who took it with them.

The Legacy of the "Fregona"

• The "fregona" has contributed to restoring dignity to women worldwide, selling millions of units.
• The term "fregona" has been added to the Spanish Academy's dictionary, defining it as a useful object for cleaning the floor while standing.
• The inventor, Jalón Corominas, has been recognized for his innovative contribution to society.

The Invention of the "Fregona"

• Manuel Jalón Corominas invented the "fregona" in 1958, a broom that allows users to clean the floor while standing.
• The invention was inspired by Jalón Corominas' observation of a woman cleaning the floor on her hands and knees, leading him to create a solution that would allow women to clean while standing.

The Inspiration Behind the Invention

• In 1954, Jalón Corominas was sent to the United States to learn about F-86 fighter jet maintenance, where he saw men using long-haired brushes to clean oil from the floor.
• He adapted this idea to create a broom with long-haired brushes for cleaning floors.

The Development of the "Fregona"

• Jalón Corominas founded Manufacturas Rodex S.A. in 1958 with two associates to manufacture and sell the "fregona".
• The initial design consisted of a metal bucket and two rollers to wring out the cotton strips attached to the handle.
• Later improvements included more resistant fringes, a lighter plastic bucket, and an essoreuse (wringing device) copied from civil guard helmets.

The Reception of the "Fregona"

• Initial sales were slow due to domestic workers and housewives believing their arms were more effective than the broom.
• Salesmen demonstrated the product in stores, and the press wrote about the invention in 1958, highlighting its benefits for both men and women.
• The "fregona" became popular in hospitals and eventually spread to other countries through Spanish emigrants.

The Legacy of the "Fregona"

• The "fregona" has contributed to restoring dignity to women worldwide, selling millions of units.
• The term "fregona" was added to the Spanish Academy's dictionary, defining it as a useful object for cleaning the floor while standing.
• Jalón Corominas was recognized for his innovative contribution to society.

La Fregona's Origin

• 20 years ago, the author moved to France and discovered that the French had different cleaning habits than the Spanish.
• In 1956, two Spanish colleagues, including aeronautical engineer Manuel Jalón Corominas, invented the fregona, a broom with fringes, to make floor cleaning easier.

The Need for La Fregona

• Before the invention of the fregona, women had to clean floors on their knees, leading to health problems such as arthritis, back pain, and knee bursitis.
• The fregona was inspired by the cleaning technique used in the hangars of Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois, where men used long-haired brushes to clean oil from the floor.

The First Fregona

• In 1958, Jalón Corominas founded Manufacturas Rodex S.A. and created the first fregona, composed of a metal bucket and two rollers for wringing out the cotton strips attached to the stick.

Adoption of La Fregona

• Initially, domestic workers and housewives were hesitant to use the fregona, thinking their arms were more effective than a stick with cotton strips.
• Salesmen had to demonstrate the fregona in stores to convince people to use it.
• In 1958, newspapers started writing about the invention, and hospitals began using it.

Evolution of La Fregona

• Improvements to the fregona included replacing the steel bucket with a lighter plastic one and adding a wringer inspired by the helmet of civil guards.

Global Diffusion of La Fregona

• Spanish immigrants took their fregonas with them, which quickly gained popularity in other countries.
• The fregona became a revolutionary and useful object, restoring dignity to women worldwide.
• Jalón's creation is now listed in the Spanish Academy Dictionary as "an object used to scrub the floor standing up."