“Like a leathern squilgee…”
The history of the floor squeegee, from Melville’s oily deck to the modern factory floor.
“Edgewise moved along the oily deck, it operates like a leathern squilgee; and by nameless blandishments, as of magic, allures along with it all impurities.”
— Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, Chapter 94, “A Squeeze of the Hand”
The earliest idea: moving water, oil and dirt
Before the modern rubber squeegee existed, workers used whatever flexible materials were available to clear liquid from surfaces. On ships, where wet and oily decks were part of daily life, scraping and pulling tools were essential. Melville’s “leathern squilgee” gives us a rare literary glimpse of such a tool in action.
The word itself may look unusual in the original spelling — “squilgee” — but the function is unmistakable: a flexible edge drawn across a surface to collect and remove impurities.
From leather to rubber
The major transformation came with rubber. Leather could be useful, but rubber offered something better: flexibility, resilience, grip and water resistance.
A decisive breakthrough came in the 19th century, when Charles Goodyear developed the process of vulcanization. By treating natural rubber with sulphur and heat, rubber became far more stable, elastic and durable. It no longer softened so easily in heat or became brittle in cold conditions. This made rubber suitable for countless practical applications — including blades, strips and flexible edges used in cleaning tools.
As rubber production developed, the squeegee became more reliable and more widely used. The blade could now adapt to uneven surfaces, push water efficiently and withstand repeated use in demanding environments.
This changed the squeegee from a makeshift scraping tool into a specialized cleaning instrument: no longer just a piece of leather drawn across a wet surface, but a purpose-made rubber tool shaped for performance, hygiene and durability.
The rise of the floor squeegee
The floor squeegee became especially important wherever large wet surfaces needed to be cleaned quickly:
food production areas,
industrial workshops,
warehouses,
garages,
public buildings,
swimming pools,
professional kitchens.
Its advantage was simple: unlike a mop, a squeegee does not absorb water. It moves water. That makes it faster, more hygienic and more efficient when the goal is to clear a surface rather than soak it up.
A simple design, refined over time
A floor squeegee seems basic, but every detail matters:
the hardness of the rubber,
the shape of the blade,
the angle of the profile,
the quality of the frame,
the connection with the handle,
the resistance to oils, chemicals or outdoor conditions.
Different environments require different rubber qualities. That is exactly why we spent years developing our vulcan rubber: a versatile rubber quality designed for demanding liquid-cleaning applications.
It has the right balance between firmness and flexibility. Firm enough to push water, oil and other liquids efficiently across the surface. Flexible enough to adapt to different floors and deliver a clean, controlled result.
Our vulcan rubber is highly resistant to wear, deformation, water, oils, cleaning products, detergents, temperature changes and intensive daily use. This makes it a durable and reliable choice for workshops, warehouses, food production areas, garages and professional cleaning environments.
A tool with history. A tool for today.
From Melville’s oily deck to the modern factory floor, the squeegee has remained true to its original purpose: moving water, dirt and impurities away with effortless precision.
Its design may be simple, but its usefulness is timeless.