Spic and Span is a major U.S. brand of all-purpose household cleanser, invented by a housewife named Elizabeth McDonald in Saginaw, Michigan around 1930. The powdered form must be mixed in water prior to use; a liquid version is also available. The product name is a slang synonym for "clean". [1] Although considered all-purpose, it is "not recommended for carpets, upholstery, aluminum, glass, laundry or mixing with bleach or ammonia". [2]
Until 2001, Spic and Span was made by Procter & Gamble, a major international manufacturer of household and personal products based in Cincinnati, Ohio. This product has sponsored many soap operas, serving perhaps most notably as the main sponsor of Search for Tomorrow for two decades.
In January 2001, Shansby Group, a San Francisco investment firm, purchased the brand from P&G along with the Cinch line of multi-surface cleaning products. GTCR Golder Rauner acquired the brand in 2004, after a reformulation of the Spic and Span product line. [citation needed]
In 1999, the Mexican-American organization LatinosUSA organized a boycott against Spic and Span because of the egregious use of the word spic, which is a derogatory term for a person of latino descent. The combination of the terms is also offensive in the regards that "Spic and Span" is a slang from 1950s Harlem refering to a mixed race couple of African American and Puerto Rican origin.[1]
The current owner, Prestige Brands, continues to market the product for consumer use. Procter & Gamble still markets Spic and Span for commercial use.
