OUR HISTORY OF CREATING MEMORIES
Manufacturing quality equipment and products for over 80 years that are safe, and deliver the promise of clean flooring every day. Tucked between Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, you’ll find where HOST’s story begins in Racine, WI. The company was the first in the U.S. to produce non-resoiling detergents for carpet cleaning, rightfully recognizing that animal based soaps left a residue that contributed to rapid resoiling of the carpet.
Racine International, LLC, manufacturer of the HOST Dry Extraction Cleaning System, began as the Rench Manufacturing Company and was founded by Harry Rench.
Rench and the Bigelow Sanford Co. patented the first dry carpet cleaning powder, called “Powder-ene”. It was developed to solve a problem when water was used on wool carpet. The powder was brushed in as it absorbed the soil and held it until vacuumed.
The HOST Electric Up-Brush, which you could rent, allowed homeowners to easily brush the powder back and fourth through the carpet and then take their own vacuum and vacuum the powder.
HOST Dry Carpet Cleaner is introduced. A combination of water, detergents, safe solvent, and micro-sponges, this innovation is safer and more effective than the original “powder” and solved problems for carpet owners everywhere.
The first formulation of HOST Prep Traffic Lane Booster was invented, leading to the addition of more chemical “tools in the toolbox” such as the first HOST Spot Remover and HOST Smoke-X.
Carpet and cleaning education was first formalized as the HOST School. Over the years, tens of thousands of professionals have benefited from the increased effectiveness, efficiency, and professionalism they gained in training.
Our Computer Aided Maintenance Plan (CAMP) started. The first of its kind and ahead of its time, it designed easy-to-follow custom maintenance plans for commercial carpet owners.
HOST SJ was invented for special situations such as oily loop pile entryways, salt track-off, and light-colored wools, and the carpet-safe HOST spotZAPPER™ brush was designed for quick and easy spot cleaning.
An all-in-one concept that eliminates the need for drying times and multiple machines, the Liberator™ is introduced. It’s the first cleaning unit that can vacuum, pile lift, clean spots and traffic areas, and perform both maintenance or deep extraction jobs.
Grout brushes are added to the choices for HOST machines. The firm red nylon bristles provide the aggressive agitation needed to scrub out uneven surfaces like grout lines.
Green Seal, the premier independent eco-label in the United States, announces HOST Dry Extraction Cleaner and HOST SJ meet the criteria of GS-8 & GS-37, Green Seal’s environmental standard for institutional and industrial cleaners.
The company moves to new ownership and Racine Industries becomes Racine International, LLC, who continues to provide and improve on the same great products you’ve been able to rely on for generations. We continue to be focused on manufacturing the best quality and most environmentally preferable products on the market.
