HOW BRASSO POLISHED UP
AN INDUSTRY
Brasso was developed in Britain in 1905 by Reckitt & Sons. Senior representative, W.H. Slack got the idea for Brasso shoe polish in Australia when he saw locals using a mess free metal polish instead of the powder, abrasive, and messy polishes previously used in Britain. He took samples of the Australian liquid polish and brought them to Rickitt & Sons in England and had chemists perfect the metal polish makeup. Brasso was officially released in 1920 and was sold in bulk to railways, hospitals, hotels, and large shops.
BRASSO’S MILITARY
SHINE LIVES ON
Brasso quickly became a hit in the 20th century becoming a staple in domestic cleaning kits and when the King’s Regulations and Army Orders required that all metal parts of uniforms be kept polished to a mirror-like finish, Brasso quickly became the preferred and most effective product. Because Brasso left a black stain on fabric every soldier was issued a button stick that slid under buttons to protect their uniforms. When Brasso was no longer mandatory for soldiers its reputation lived on becoming a staple household product for polishing domestic brass and copper. Brasso is still produced by the consumer goods company Reckitt today.
