View source for Squeegee

{{Short description|Cleaning tool}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2016}}
[[File:2005 squeegee sponge chalk.jpg|thumb|upright|Squeegee, sponge, and chalk on a desk]]
A '''squeegee''' is a [[tool]] with a flat, smooth [[rubber]] blade, used to remove or control the flow of liquid on a flat surface.  It is used for cleaning and in printing.

The earliest written references to squeegees date from the mid-18th century and concern deck-cleaning tools, some with leather rather than rubber blades. The name "squeegee" may come from the word "squeege", meaning press or squeeze, which was first recorded in 1783.<ref>{{OED|squeege}}</ref> The closely related "squeedging" was reportedly first used in 1782, in the [[Royal Opera House|Covent Garden Theatre]],<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BDgUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA318
|title=The Works of Mrs. Cowley: Dramas and Poems (In three volumes)
|volume=1 (dramas)
|last=Cowley
|first=Hannah
|page=318
|date=1813
|location=London
|access-date=31 July 2016
|quote=This Comedy was brought out at Covent Garden Theatre in the year 1782.}}</ref> during the performing of the comedy ''[[Which is the Man?]]'' by [[Hannah Cowley (writer)|Hannah Cowley]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://wordwizard.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=17812
|title=Squeegee
|last=Greenwald
|first=Ken
|date=13 December 2014
|website=Wordwizard
|access-date=31 July 2016
|quote=[...] the OED [Oxford English Dictionary], which defines ‘squeege’ as a strengthened form of ‘squeeze,’ tells us that ‘squeege’ had been used as a verb some half century earlier than ‘squilgee’ came on the scene and gives the following 1782 nautical example. Also, to go from ‘squeege’ to ‘squeegee’ seems to me like a pretty logical progression: <1782 “Such clattering, and SQUEEDGING [‘squeeging’] down the gangway staircase.”—‘Which is the Man?’ by H. Cowley>}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BDgUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA38
|title=The Works of Mrs. Cowley: Dramas and Poems (In three volumes)
|volume=1 (dramas)
|last=Cowley
|first=Hannah
|page=382
|date=1813
|location=London
|access-date=31 July 2016
|quote=[...] At length, when the Assembly broke up, such Clattering and squeedging down the gangway staircase! whilst the little Footboy bawled up from the Passage [...]}}</ref>

==Window cleaning==
[[File:Rakel (fcm).jpg|thumb|upright|A window squeegee]]
The best-known of these tools is probably the hand-held '''window squeegee''', used to remove the cleaning fluid or water from a [[glass]] surface.  A [[soap]]y solution acts as a lubricant and breaks up the dirt, then the squeegee is used to draw the now water-borne dirt off the glass leaving a clean surface.  Some squeegees are backed with a sponge which can soak up soapy water from a bucket for application to a dirty window.

Squeegees were in use for cleaning windows by 1918 when an American book on navy jargon explained that a deck-cleaning tool called a squeegee was "used in civil life to clean windows".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001622736|title=The navy explained.|first=Logan Elsworth|last=Ruggles|date=February 3, 1918|publisher=E. N. Appleton, inc.|via=HathiTrust}}</ref> This is the earliest written reference to a window cleaning squeegee given by the [[Oxford English Dictionary]]. (For earlier uses see "floor cleaning" section below.)

With the development of the [[skyscraper]] in the 20th century, a more efficient tool for the cleaning of window exteriors was needed.  Professional [[window washer]]s began using the '''Chicago squeegee''', a bulky tool with two heavy pink rubber blades.  Changing the blades required the loosening of twelve separate screws.  The modern single-blade window cleaning squeegee was patented by Ettore Steccone in 1936, who dubbed it the "New Deal".<ref name="Meet-Ettore">{{cite web
|url=http://www.ettore.com/professionals/about-us/history-part-2/
|title=Meet Ettore Steccone.
|website=Ettore
|access-date=31 July 2016
|quote=After much trial and error, he patented his innovative new squeegee in 1936 and dubbed it the NEW DEAL.}}</ref> It was made of lightweight brass with a very flexible and sharp rubber blade.<ref>{{cite web|last=Howser|first=Huell|title=Squeegee – California's Gold (5002)|url=http://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/2003/01/08/squeegee-californias-gold-5002/|work=California's Gold|publisher=[[Chapman University]] Huell Howser Archive|author-link=Huell Howser|date=January 8, 2003}}</ref> Steccone began a manufacturing process and sold the product in his garage.<ref name="Meet-Ettore" /> The Ettore Products Co. is still the leader in the squeegee market today.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.italystl.com/ra/1333.htm |title=The Ettore story |publisher=Italystl.com |access-date=August 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215163228/http://www.italystl.com/ra/1333.htm |archive-date=February 15, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Squeegee kits can include a telescoping pole to extend the washer's reach.

Simple squeegees are made in various shapes for household use, including the cleaning of shower doors, bathroom tile, and garage floors.

There is a double-sided squeegee model. On one side is the classic squeegee, on the other side is a soft sponge for applying the detergent.<ref>{{Cite web|title=11 Best Car Windows Squeegee for Streak-free Shine. Expert's Guide|url=https://www.bestnetreview.com/best-squeegee-for-car-windows/|access-date=2023-10-18|work=www.bestnetreview.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=How to Use a Squeegee Properly?|url=https://bestcleanertools.com/how-to-use-a-squeegee-properly/|access-date=2023-10-18|work=bestcleanertools.com|date=March 28, 2023 }}</ref> The squeegee is usually sold with a short handle.

Companies produce squeegees for home use, as well as professional squeegees for use by cleaning companies and private glass cleaners who provide services to the public.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cleaning Windows With A Squeegee – Tips From The Pros|url=https://nickswindowcleaning.ca/2017/how-to-clean-a-window-with-a-squeegee/|access-date=2023-10-18|work=nickswindowcleaning.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=A Comprehensive Guide to Skyscraper or High Rise Window Cleaning System|url=https://jobs-amst.com/blog/a-comprehensive-guide-to-skyscraper-or-high-rise-window-cleaning-system/|access-date=2023-10-18|work=jobs-amst.com|date=September 23, 2021 }}</ref>

Professional squeegees are made from:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Everything You Need to Know About Squeegee|url=https://www.mrwindowcleaning.com.au/everything-you-need-to-know-about-squeegee/|access-date=2023-10-18|work=www.mrwindowcleaning.com.au|date=March 13, 2023 }}</ref>
*plastic;
*stainless steel;
*sometimes a rubber non-slip coating is applied to the handle.

Tools can be equipped with swivel mechanisms - which is convenient if you need to reach the farthest part of the window or the surface has a rounded configuration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What equipment does a window cleaner need?|url=https://skyswc.com/what-equipment-does-a-window-cleaner-need/|access-date=2023-10-18|work=skyswc.com|date=October 21, 2019 }}</ref>

===Techniques===
The  "swivel method", or "fan method" as it is referred to by professionals, uses a series of strokes combined with turns that hold the water away from the leading edge of the squeegee; when the turn is completed in the opposing direction, there is no water and no dirt left isolated. Straight strokes, either horizontally or vertically, are normally much more efficient than “fanning” when using fixed handle squeegees; however, this method leads to more streaks and missed spots. If a few spots are missed, a [[chamois leather]] cloth works better for touch up than a towel of cloth or paper.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pacific Window Washing|url=http://pacificwindowashing.com|page=3 |access-date=26 Aug 2017}}</ref>

In 1992, Willie Erken invented the pivoting handle squeegee.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1997-07-21|title=Plenty of ideas, short of money|url=https://www.afr.com/companies/plenty-of-ideas-short-of-money-19970721-kb2af|access-date=2020-11-17|website=Australian Financial Review|language=en}}</ref>

Using a squeegee for window cleaning may sometimes produce run lines. These are caused by cleaning fluid being pushed up into the top edge of the window, or by fluid flowing from under the rubber blade into the dry area of the glass. The latter of these cases may be prevented by holding the squeegee at a slight angle relative to the direction in which it is being moved, directing fluid flow towards the wet area of the glass.

Worn-out squeegee rubbers and damaged equipment will negatively affect cleaning results.<ref>{{cite web |title=ISN’T WINDOW CLEANING SIMPLY CLEANING WINDOWS? |url=https://torontoclearview.com/services/toronto-window-cleaning/ |access-date=February 6, 2014}}</ref>

Another method used by window cleaners is to tap the blade on an already wet area of the glass to remove any excess water on the rubber blade.<ref>{{cite web|author=dontwc |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU6X8Vg8Nao  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/wU6X8Vg8Nao |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Window Cleaning Video | date=October 15, 2007 |publisher=Youtube.com |access-date=August 19, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Alternatively the rubber blade can be dried with a towel, although this method is slower and not practical when using extension poles.

According to [[Guinness World Records]], the world's fastest window cleaner is Terry Burrows of [[South Ockendon]], Essex, England, who cleaned three standard {{convert|114.3|x|114.3|cm|in|0|adj=on}} office windows set in a frame in 9.24 seconds at the [[National Exhibition Centre]] in [[Birmingham]] in March 2005. He used a {{convert|11.75|in|mm|-1|adj=on|order=flip}} squeegee and {{convert|2.37|USgal|l impgal USgal|0|order=out|abbr=off}} of water.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/fastest-window-cleaner?fb_comment_id=855974881091083_879195075435730|title=Fastest window cleaner|publisher=Guinness World Records|access-date=April 7, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fastestwindowcleaner.co.uk/terry.htm |title=The World's Fastest Window Cleaner |publisher=Fastestwindowcleaner.co.uk |access-date=August 19, 2012}}</ref>

==Floor cleaning==
The '''floor squeegee''' is similar to the window squeegee but has a long handle like a [[broom|push broom]], used to [[Floor cleaning|clean floors]] after they have been sprayed with water or soap, to push the water into drains.

This is often used in places that need the floors cleaned regularly, such as army barracks or the meat departments in supermarkets.  [[Hospital]]s sometimes use the floor squeegee to clean up any spills that occur in [[operating theatre|operating rooms]] or regular patient rooms, as the design of the squeegee lends itself towards a more sanitary cleanup.

===Decks of ships===
The earliest quotations mentioning squeegees in the Oxford English Dictionary refer to their use in cleaning decks on board ship: in 1844 a "squee gee" in an American book,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/texasgulfofmexic01hous|title=Texas and the Gulf of Mexico ; or, Yachting in the New World, volume 1|first=Mrs (Matilda Charlotte)|last=Houstoun|date=February 3, 1844|publisher=London : J. Murray, 1844.|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> in 1851 a "[[leather]]n squilgee" in ''[[Moby-Dick]]'', and in 1867 in a British book by Admiral [[William Henry Smyth]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T6Wx4_QMdN8C&pg=PA648|title=The Sailor's Word Book: The Classic Source for Over 14,000 Nautical and Naval Terms|first=W. H.|last=Smyth|date=February 2, 2010|publisher=Bloomsbury USA|isbn=9780851779720|via=Google Books}}</ref> Additionally, [[Richard Henry Dana Jr.|Richard Henry Dana]]'s 1840 memoir ''[[Two Years Before the Mast]]'' mentions “squilgeeing” in Chapter XIV.

The following are considered correct English terminologies, according to the [Canadian] Naval Terminology Standardization Committee:

* squeegee;
* deck squeegee;
* squilgee; and
* squillagee.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-eng.html?lang=eng&i=1&srchtxt=squilgee&index=alt&codom2nd_wet=1#resultrecs
|number=1994–06–02
|title=squilgee [1 record]
|website=TERMIUM Plus®. The Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
|date=October 8, 2009
|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref>

== Street cleaning ==
[[File:Rotating squeegee street washing machine.png|thumb|Kindling Street Washing Machine, also known as the Kindling Squeegee, c. 1911]]
Squeegees on broom handles were used for street cleaning in the later nineteenth century. This was the case in [[London]] by 1873.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PNpMAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA325|title=Once a Week|first=Eneas Sweetland|last=Dallas|date=February 3, 1873|publisher=Bradbury and Evans.|via=Google Books}}</ref> In the early twentieth century some cities in Europe and North America used horse-drawn machinery with rotating rubber squeegee blades on rollers behind a water tank connected to sprinklers. In 1911, this was described as "a German invention which has been for some years in successful operation in leading German cities".<ref name=grig>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/modernmethodsofs00grig|title=Modern methods of street cleaning|first=Marion William|last=Grigsby|date=February 3, 1911|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> A US version of the rotating squeegee machine, known as the Kindling Squeegee or Kindling Street Washing Machine, was in use by the time of that description.<ref name=grig /> It was manufactured in [[Milwaukee]] by Louis Kindling  who had migrated from Germany to Wisconsin in 1873.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI101582|title=2433 N WAHL AVE &#124; Property Record|date=January 1, 2012|website=Wisconsin Historical Society}}</ref> 

By 1915, some streets in [[Paris]], [[Washington DC]], and [[Philadelphia]] were being cleaned by this kind of machine, while London still depended on men with hand brooms and squeegees.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/002017365 |title=Elements of highway engineering |first=Arthur H. |last=Blanchard |date=February 3, 1915 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons; etc., etc. |via=HathiTrust}}</ref> In 1919, Kindling got a US [[patent]] for a design with "new and useful Improvements in Squeegee-Rollers",<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search |title=Search for patents|website=www.uspto.gov}}</ref> following another "improvements" patent for squeegee street cleaning machines filed in 1915 by the inventor and civil engineer Samuel Whinery (1845–1925) (resident of [[East Orange, New Jersey]]) and published in 1916.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US1191489|title=Street cleaning or washing machine - Patent US 1191489 A|website=Google Patents|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref>

In 1914, William H. Connell (Chief, Bureau of Highways and Street Cleaning in Philadelphia) explained that the street cleaning was done in batteries of "two and three squeegee machines preceded by sprinklers" reportedly about {{convert|200|yd|m}} ahead. The American Highway Engineers' Handbook of 1919 reveals that this method was used in order for the water:

{{quote|text=[...] to loosen up the dirt on the pavement without giving it time to evaporate. [...] The idea of sprinkling is to soften the surface and enable the squeegee to cleanse the streets of all slime as well as the coarser materials. The squeegees are followed by two men, whom immediately sweep up the windrows of dirt into piles, and a sufficient number of carts follow to remove the dirt from the streets.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phillyhistory.org/blog/index.php/2014/11/south-street-squeegee/|title=South Street Squeegee|last=Finkel |first=Ken|date=11 November 2014|website=The PhillyHistory Blog. Discoveries from the City Archives|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref>}}

The need for supporting labour and foot was seen as a disadvantage. Furthermore, the squeegee machines were pulled by horses, which would defecate on the streets which were attempted to be cleansed. Therefore, they were gradually replaced by mechanical street cleaning devices, which were introduced as early as 1911.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phillyhistory.org/blog/index.php/2014/12/when-mechanization-took-command/|title=When Mechanization Took Command|last=Finkel|first=Ken|date=13 December 2014|website=The PhillyHistory Blog. Discoveries from the City Archives|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref>

==Printing and photography==
[[File:OSCAL 2017 silkscreen printed materials 28.jpg|thumb|A squeegee used for screen printing]]
In [[screen printing]], a squeegee is used to spread ink evenly across the back of a [[stencil]] or [[silkscreen]], making a clean image on the printed surface. Screen-printing squeegees usually have much thicker and less flexible blades than the window cleaning variety.

A squeegee is also used in [[photography]] printing to dry the [[photographic paper]] after it is washed, preventing wrinkles or water spots. Photographic squeegees usually have thicker and more rigid blades than standard squeegees, to allow the photographer to apply more pressure and squeeze water out of the paper's fibers. A pair of squeegees mounted like [[tongs]] may also be used on [[photographic film]] to accelerate drying.

The earliest reference to a squeegee used for drying in photography is an 1878 description<ref>{{OED|squeegeee}}</ref> by chemist and photographer [[William de Wiveleslie Abney|William Abney]] of squeezing excess water away. His squeegee had no handle, and was "a flat bar of wood, into which is let a piece of [[india-rubber]] about 1/2 centimetre thick and 2 centimetres broad". The user should note that "the india-rubber of the squeegee must be brought to bear with considerable pressure on to the surface of the paper, and the strokes made with it should commence from the centre and finish towards the ends".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/treatiseonphotog00abne|title=A treatise on photography|first=William de Wiveleslie|last=Abney|date=February 3, 1885|publisher=London : Longmans, Green|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

==Sports==
The ice on [[Ice rink|skating rinks]] is resurfaced using a squeegee and other tools. Nowadays, they are all integrated in an [[ice resurfacer]] machine.

[[Tennis court]]s sometimes have squeegees to help keep them dry and control the flow of water.

==Other uses==
Stiff-bladed squeegees are used in addition to [[trowel|margin trowels]] and grout floats to apply [[grout]] or adhesive when applying ceramic [[tile]]s to a surface.

Squeegees with hard rubber or metal blades are used in [[stencil printing]] to apply [[solder paste]] to [[printed circuit boards]] (PCBs).<ref name="Tarr_2013" />

Small, hand-held plastic and rubber wedges with an edge formed as a blade are used in signwriting for the application of vinyl sheeting to decrease the possibility of air pockets.  Signwriters' squeegees come in different models, some of which do not have handles, but are approximately the size and shape of a credit card.

Automobile squeegees are used in some universities to clean [[chalkboard]]s.

During the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, Polish window washer Jan Demczur used a squeegee to free himself and five others from an elevator shaft in the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] in New York City. The squeegee is now currently on display at the [[Smithsonian]].<ref>[http://americanhistory.si.edu/september11/collection/record.asp?ID=35 Window washer’s squeegee handle] in collection of ''National Museum of American History''</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://usinfo.state.gov/albums/911/demczur1.htm |title=September 11: Victims and Heroes&nbsp;– Jan Demczur |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081114022030/http://usinfo.state.gov/albums/911/demczur1.htm |archive-date=November 14, 2008}}</ref>

===In popular media===
* The idea of a squeegee has been used by [[Associate Professor]] [[Burkard Polster]] of [[Monash University]], to illustrate the mathematical [[Kakeya set#Kakeya needle problem|Kakeya needle problem]].<ref>{{cite AV media |author=Burkard Polster|author-link=Burkard Polster |title=The Kakeya needle problem (the squeegee approach) |medium=Video |language=en |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM-n9c-ARHU  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/IM-n9c-ARHU |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|access-date=31 July 2016 |date=25 October 2015 |publisher=Mathologer}}{{cbignore}}</ref>{{non-primary source needed|date=September 2024}}
* It is claimed that comedian [[Bill Hicks]] used the phrase "Squeegee Your Third Eye" frequently in his acts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wilkeyway.blogspot.com/2009/09/squeegee-your-third-eye.html|title=Squeegee Your Third Eye|last=Wilkey|first=John|date=22 September 2009|website=Wilkey Way|access-date=31 July 2016|quote=One of my heroes, the late stand-up comedian Bill Hicks, used the phrase "Squeegee Your Third Eye" a lot in his act.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226021229/http://men.style.com/details/features/full?id=content_4121|archive-date=December 26, 2008|url=http://men.style.com/details/features/full?id=content_4121|title=Matthew McConaughey|last=Blasengame|first=Bart|website=Men.Style.Com|access-date=31 July 2016|quote=One of my heroes, the late stand-up comedian Bill Hicks, used the phrase "Squeegee Your Third Eye" a lot in his act.}}</ref>
* The "Squeegee Weegee Gazette" is the official periodical of the Sausalito Yacht Club.
* "Weegee" is the pseudonym of the photographer [[Weegee|Arthur (Usher) Fellig]]. One possible origin of his pseudonym is that it refers to his skills as a darkroom assistant (such an assistant is sometimes called "squeegee boy").<ref name="Mesmerizing-Nudes">{{cite web|series=Arts & Culture|date=6 December 2014|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/12/weegee-nudes_n_5485512.html|title=Mesmerizing Nudes Show A Softer Side Of America's Darkest Street Photographer (NSFW)|last=Brooks|first=Katherine|website=Huffington Post|access-date=31 July 2016}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Cleret]]
* [[Squeegee man]]
* [[Strigil]]
* [[Doctor blade]]

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="Tarr_2013">{{cite web |title=Screen and stencil printing |author-first=Martin |author-last=Tarr |date=2013 |work=Online postgraduate courses for the electronics industry |publisher=University of Bolton |location=UK |url=http://www.ami.ac.uk/courses/topics/0222_print/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528045354/http://www.ami.ac.uk/courses/topics/0222_print/ |archive-date=2014-05-28}} [https://archive.today/20150427143353/http://www.ami.ac.uk/courses/topics/0222_print/]</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
{{wiktionary|squeegee}}

{{commons category|Squeegees}}
* {{cite book |author-last=Lee |author-first=N. C. |title=Reflow Soldering Processes |publisher=[[Elsevier Science]] |date=2002 |isbn=978-0-08-049224-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S3O_usSajcIC&pg=SA5-PA94 |access-date=2016-07-25 |pages=94–97}}
* {{cite book |author-last=Ross |author-first=J. |title=Complete Printmaker |publisher=[[Free Press (publisher)|Free Press]] |date=2009 |isbn=978-1-4391-3509-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a7eRj_wbwzkC&pg=PA154 |access-date=2016-07-25 |page=154}}
* {{cite book |author-last1=Chopra |author-first1=K. L. |author-last2=Das |author-first2=S. R. |title=Thin Film Solar Cells |publisher=[[Springer US]] |date=2013 |isbn=978-1-4899-0418-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ayIDCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA238 |access-date=2016-07-25 |page=238}}

{{Cleaning tools}}

[[Category:Cleaning tools]]