A scouring pad or scourer is a small pad of metal or plastic mesh used for
scouring a surface. Some scouring pads have one side made of a soft sponge-like material and the other is the aforementioned mesh.
History
The scouring pad has been reincarnated in several forms over the years. In 1928, R. B. Kingman patented the scouring ball, which was one of the first scouring pads made of a metal mesh.
[Free Patents Online: Search results for "scouring pad"]
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On 30 September 1941
United States patent 2,257,456
was issued to Joseph R. Crockford of Chicago, IL for a scouring device of the type employed for "cleansing and scouring pots, pans and other household implements." The invention provided for a "plate of non-corrosive metal, arched or curved to fit the fingers."
In 1942, David J. Kelman patented a toroid
In mathematics, a toroid is a surface of revolution with a hole in the middle. The axis of revolution passes through the hole and so does not intersect the surface. For example, when a rectangle is rotated around an axis parallel to one of its ...
al metal scouring pad. This was, and still is, used as an abrasive scrubbing pad, however, it is becoming less common, as it removes non-stick surface
A non-stick surface is engineered to reduce the ability of other materials to stick to it. Non-stick cookware is a common application, where the non-stick coating allows food to brown without sticking to the pan. Non-stick is often used to refer ...
s off pans.sponge
Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through t ...
material was patented by Hans J. Hartmann. This enabled the scouring pad to float. To achieve this, he used a technique to thread the metal mesh through the sponge and wrap it around the outside. This was meant to stop the scouring pad from dropping to the bottom of the sink.
Use
Using scouring pads on non-stick surface
A non-stick surface is engineered to reduce the ability of other materials to stick to it. Non-stick cookware is a common application, where the non-stick coating allows food to brown without sticking to the pan. Non-stick is often used to refer ...
s such as Teflon
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. It is one of the best-known and widely applied PFAS. The commonly known brand name of PTFE-based composition is Teflon by Chemou ...
is not advisable as they may strip away the coating. It is advisable to use protective equipment such as rubber gloves
A rubber glove is a glove made out of natural rubber or Synthetic rubber. The term ‘rubber’ refers to durable, waterproof and elastic material made from natural or synthetic latex. Rubber gloves can be unsupported (rubber only) or supported ( ...
when using scouring pads as this is known to prevent (or at least hide) any irritation caused by use.
See also
* Scotch-Brite
Scotch-Brite is a line of abrasive products produced by 3M. The product line includes Scouring pad, scouring pads and tools for home uses such as dish washing and scrubbing, as well as various types of surfaces for industrial applications, such as ...
, a brand of polymer-based scouring pad produced by 3M
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scouring Pad
Cleaning products