Cleret

Cleret is an American brand of squeegees and related cleaning products based in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Its best-known product is the Cleret Glass Cleaner, a redesigned shower and glass squeegee developed around the idea that a familiar household tool could be made more comfortable, attractive, and effective. Rather than following the conventional T-shaped squeegee format, the product uses a curved body, twin wiping blades, and a tubular rubber grip positioned parallel to the blades. This arrangement was intended to make the wiping motion more natural in confined spaces such as shower stalls, while reducing strain on the hand and wrist. The business began with Alan Hansen, who started developing the product in 1986. At the time, Hansen was working as a corporate audit director at Nike; he had previously worked at Louisiana Pacific Corporation. After experimenting with designs for a more appealing squeegee, he commissioned Ziba Design, a Beaverton, Oregon design firm founded by Sohrab Vossoughi. Hansen reportedly invested $10,000 of his own money in the design work. The name Cleret was derived from the phrase “clear it” and was chosen to give the product a more upscale and distinctive identity. Hanco Inc. was established in Lake Oswego in 1987 to manufacture the product. The company was subsequently renamed Cleret. The original squeegee attracted attention before it reached the broader market: in 1989, its prototype received a Gold International Design Excellence Award from the Industrial Designers Society of America. The product was also sold through the Museum of Modern Art’s gift shop in New York and was described by design and newspaper reviewers as an unusually elegant example of functional household design. Cleret experienced rapid early commercial growth. The company recorded $14,000 in sales in 1989, then generated more than $1 million in its first year of official market availability. High-end catalogues, including Hammacher Schlemmer, accounted for a substantial share of those early sales. Reference material also reports annual revenues of $16 million by the company’s second year on the market; this figure is historical and is not treated as a current financial measure. In 1990, Hansen moved the operation from his home to an office in Portland’s Johns Landing neighborhood and left Nike to concentrate on Cleret and further product development. The brand expanded outside the United States in 1991, entering Canada, Europe, and Japan. The original Cleret squeegee later gained recognition beyond the retail market. In 1997, the 1989 design entered the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution as part of its Product Design and Decorative Arts collection. This distinction reinforced Cleret’s positioning as a design-oriented household-products brand rather than merely a commodity cleaning-tool maker. The company subsequently broadened its range beyond shower applications. Its products have included squeegees intended for windows, kitchens, patio doors, and automobiles. Cleret products are described as being manufactured and assembled entirely in Oregon. The brand’s identity remains closely associated with ergonomic redesign, dual-blade cleaning performance, compact storage, and the presentation of an everyday maintenance tool as a considered design object. Detailed current information about its ownership, leadership, website, product range, and present commercial scale is not established in the supplied reference material.

Cleret originated with Alan Hansen’s attempt to rethink the ordinary household squeegee. Hansen began working on the concept in 1986 while serving as a corporate audit director at Nike, after earlier employment at Louisiana Pacific Corporation. His objective was to create a squeegee that looked more attractive and was easier to use, particularly in the restricted space of a shower stall. Instead of retaining the conventional T-shaped handle, the design placed a tubular rubber grip alongside curved twin blades. Research into the hand positions used by window washers and filling-station attendants informed the decision to keep the user’s hand close to the blade. The resulting arrangement was intended to support a more direct wiping motion and reduce stress on the wrist and hand. Hansen hired Ziba Design, a Beaverton, Oregon firm founded by Sohrab Vossoughi in 1984, to develop the product. He invested $10,000 personally in the design work. The resulting brand name, Cleret, was derived from “clear it” and was selected to sound more refined than a purely descriptive cleaning-tool name. Hanco Inc. was founded in Lake Oswego in 1987 to manufacture the product and was later renamed Cleret. The design gained recognition while still at the prototype stage. In 1989, the squeegee received a Gold International Design Excellence Award from the Industrial Designers Society of America. That same period marked the beginning of the product’s commercial development. The company recorded $14,000 in sales in 1989 and then achieved more than $1 million in its first year of official market availability. High-end catalogues, including Hammacher Schlemmer, represented a large portion of the early business. Historical reference material reports annual revenues of $16 million by the second year on the market, although no current financial information is provided. In 1990, Hansen moved the company from his home into an office at the Water Tower development in Portland’s Johns Landing neighborhood. He also left Nike to focus on managing Cleret and designing additional products. International distribution followed in 1991, when the brand was introduced in Canada, Europe, and Japan. The original product was sold through design-conscious channels, including the gift shop of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Contemporary commentary emphasized its unusual appearance, ergonomic handling, ability to stand upright for storage, and the cleaner result associated with its dual blades. Cleret’s design reputation was later institutionalized when the original 1989 squeegee entered the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent Product Design and Decorative Arts collection in 1997. The company also extended its product scope beyond shower glass to windows, kitchens, patio doors, and automobiles. The products are described as manufactured and assembled entirely in Oregon. The supplied references do not establish the identity of current executives, ownership, corporate structure, official website, or present operating scale. Accordingly, Cleret is best documented as an Oregon-based, privately held design-oriented cleaning-products brand whose historical significance rests on turning a commonplace squeegee into an ergonomic and culturally recognized product-design object.

• 1997

  Original squeegee enters Smithsonian collection

  [1]Clereten.wikipedia.org

  The original 1989 Cleret squeegee becomes part of the Smithsonian Institution’s permanent Product Design and Decorative Arts collection.

• 1991

  International expansion begins

  [1]Clereten.wikipedia.org

  Cleret products are introduced in Canada, Europe, and Japan.

• 1990

  Company moves into a Portland office

  [1]Clereten.wikipedia.org

  Hansen moves the operation from his home to an office in Portland’s Johns Landing neighborhood and leaves Nike to focus on Cleret.

• 1989

  Prototype receives design award

  [1]Clereten.wikipedia.org

  The Cleret squeegee receives a Gold International Design Excellence Award from the Industrial Designers Society of America.

• 1987

  Hanco Inc. is founded

  [1]Clereten.wikipedia.org

  Hanco Inc. is established in Lake Oswego, Oregon, to manufacture the Cleret squeegee.

• 1986

  Hansen begins developing the Cleret squeegee

  [1]Clereten.wikipedia.org

  Alan Hansen begins designing a more attractive and ergonomic squeegee while working at Nike.

Design-led, ergonomic household cleaning tools that combine practical wiping performance with premium visual design.

• Shower and glass squeegee · 1989

  Cleret Glass Cleaner

  Cleret’s signature product is a redesigned glass squeegee for shower stalls, mirrors, and similar surfaces. Its curved form uses twin wiping blades and a tubular rubber grip rather than a conventional T-shaped handle. The grip sits close to the blades to support a direct wiping motion, while the dual blades are intended to leave glass cleaner than a single blade. The tool can also stand on its end for storage and became known for combining ergonomic function with a sculptural appearance.

• Window-cleaning tool

  Cleret Window Squeegees

  Cleret expanded its original squeegee concept into products intended for windows and other broad glass surfaces. The supplied reference material does not specify individual model names, dimensions, materials, or current availability.

• Kitchen cleaning tool

  Cleret Kitchen Squeegees

  The company later produced squeegees for kitchen applications, extending the brand beyond bathroom and shower use. Detailed model-level information and launch dates are not established in the supplied sources.

• Patio-door cleaning tool

  Cleret Patio-Door Squeegees

  Cleret’s broader product range included squeegees designed for patio doors and related large glass surfaces. Available references do not identify specific product variants or current retail status.

• Automotive cleaning tool

  Cleret Automotive Squeegees

  The brand also expanded into squeegees for automobile-cleaning applications. The supplied material does not provide model names, distribution information, or technical specifications.

• 1991

  Expand beyond the United StatesStrategy

  Background

  The brand’s early commercial performance supported distribution outside its domestic market.

  Action taken

  Cleret products were introduced in Canada, Europe, and Japan.

  Aftermath

  The brand became an internationally distributed niche household-products brand, although the supplied sources do not quantify later market performance.

  Source

• 1990

  Hansen leaves Nike to concentrate on CleretStrategy

  Background

  After the product gained commercial traction, Hansen needed to devote more time to management and continued product design.

  Action taken

  Hansen left his position at Nike and moved the company from his home into a Portland office.

  Aftermath

  Cleret continued developing its product line and preparing for international expansion.

  Source

• 1987

  Create a dedicated manufacturing company for the squeegeeStrategy

  Background

  Hansen’s prototype required a dedicated business structure for production and commercialization.

  Action taken

  Hanco Inc. was founded in Lake Oswego to manufacture the Cleret squeegee and was later renamed Cleret.

  Aftermath

  The company developed the product into a commercial brand and subsequently expanded its range and geographic reach.

  Source

1. 1Clereten.wikipedia.org