Product Focus: Charlie's Soap

The Not-So Nutshell about Charlie’s Soap
Charlie Sutherland, Jr. while working for the local textile mill was instructed to create an oil for the knitting machines. It worked fantastically. Unfortunately, the oil was getting everywhere and making a big mess. Management said, fix the oil problem; make us a cleaner that clears up the oil, or we'll drop the oil and you. Through trial and error, he came up with what is essentially the Grandpappy of Charlie's Soap All Purpose Cleaner in 1976. Back then it was called 1001 or SPC-2069.

Long story short, Charlie eventually ended up taking over the little soap company that had been created to provide the cleaner to the textile mill. The mill started using it to clean thousands of machines that were destined for China, sort of the instrument of our own demise, we were. Literally tons of soap was used and as the workers were now in the stuff up to their knees, they started to realize that it was getting their own clothes clean, and not just the machines they were working on. So they started stealing it. When we finally cleaned the very last exported knitting machine, the textile workers, who had come to call it Charlie's Soap (named after Charlie Sr. who was delivering the soap) insisted they still be able to purchase the soap; they were hooked!

Although we had lost over 90% of our business after the last machine as cleaned and shipped… the employees wouldn’t let us die! They used it liberally, and told their friends who then told their friends. Now, as a result, we have outlets all over the country and even the world; all as a result from little bubbly soap in a drum in some guy's garage.

What’s in Charlie’s Soap?
Charlie’s Soap is made from a special blend of coconut oil based surfactants, and a water base. The All Purpose Cleaner also has a special solvent that helps loosen surface stains. The Laundry Liquid, which came years later doesn't have that solvent and is reformulated to be thicker and more effective for washing clothes. The recent addition, the Laundry Powder is the same as the Laundry Liquid but we use high-grade fine washing soda instead of water as the base. All of the products work on the same principle. You don't have to destroy surfaces or even stains to clean properly. You just have to effectively break the stains' hold on surfaces. Our blend of surfactants goes in and very gently, breaks that bond and dirt just falls off. You don't have to be toxic to do it, and in our case, you can do it with a very earth-friendly product. In our Laundry products we don't have to add perfumes, fabric softeners or brighteners; the product simply goes in there, removes the soils causing the problems and you have fresh smelling clothes that feel and wear as if they were brand new.

Why choose Charlie's?
First off, it works. Spray, pour, sprinkle it on, rub in, let it sit and rinse away, and no more dirt. We lose sleep making sure that it is the best and safest cleaner that money can buy. Sure you can use super harsh, caustic or acidic chemicals to clean, but why would you want to go through the pain of donning a chemical exposure suit just to clean the tub? Use Charlie's Soap and you and yours are clean, really clean, safely. Another good thing to focus on this day and age is just good ole' “Made in the USA.” We formulate, blend, and package all Charlie’s Soap products in North Carolina and we plan to keep it that way. Additionally, we're just really nice, down-to-Earth people and truly take the time to talk to customers if they have issues.