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The German company, Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co, KG, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of cleaning equipment and best known for its high-pressure cleaners. Kärcher products are synonymous with cleaning, whether they are for home or commercial use. The company was founded in 1935 by inventor-entrepreneur Alfred Kärcher from Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany.

In the early 1930s, after many trials and experiments, Kärcher hit upon a specialised design in submersible heating elements with salt smelters that were heated by immersion heaters. This led to the creation of the Kärcher Salt-Bath Furnace, which went on to become a success. By 1945, over 1200 units had been sold. Alfred Kärcher died at age 58 in 1959, but his company is still a family-owned business.

Today Kärcher produces a range of home and industrial cleaning equipment and solutions that include hot and cold high-pressure washers, wet and dry vacuum cleaners, steam cleaners, spray extraction units, high-powered city sweepers, scrubbers, driers and water pumps. Kärcher further cemented its reputation as a market leader in the cleaning industry by successfully servicing the automotive industry with its steam cleaners. Kärcher has seen an annual turnover of one billion Euros. The company operates through its subsidiaries in 36 countries and has a large team that continually offers sales and service support. Kärcher UK was established in 1976 and today has over 200 staff.

Kärcher has seen rapid growth over the years and has a presence in France, Poland, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Kärcher subsidiary in Dubai, the commercial capital of UAE, had a registered 40 per cent growth in 2004–2005. This has led to the setting up of a Kärcher Academy, Customer Service Centre and modern facilities at the Jebel Ali Free Zone in the UAE.

Kärcher’s range of specialised products is so popular that they were used for the restorative cleaning of cultural monuments around the world. Kärcher has been involved in cleaning Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, Mount Rushmore in the US and Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square in the UK.

The high-pressure cleaning equipment lived up to the company’s “high” standards with the cleaning of the granite 51.86 metre Nelson’s Column. The sandstone statue of Admiral Nelson also got a thorough wash. The cleaning was commissioned by the Mayor of London. Kärcher deployed two of its HDS 745 hot water machines with three 20 metre extension hoses. By using hot pressure washers, the cleaning and drying time were reduced by 80 per cent. Kärcher continues to follow it’s motto to “simply clean!”