Zoflora

Zoflora is a brand of household cleaning products manufactured by Huddersfield, West Yorkshire based pharmaceutical company Thornton & Ross.

## History

Zoflora Concentrated Disinfectant was first invented in 1922, when business partners Nathan Thornton and Philip Ross founded Thornton and Ross. Thornton worked at a tar distillery and ammonia works where the range of coal tar by-products such as disinfectants and soaps sparked his passion for what would later become Zoflora.

In the early 1920s, Carbolic Acid was often used to clean public spaces however Thornton was dissatisfied with the unpleasant odour it left behind. Thornton spotted a gap in the market and used his specialist knowledge to start developing a fragranced disinfectant, using perfume oils extracted from flowers, that had twice the germ-killing power of Carbolic Acid.

The original version of Zoflora was intended to be used in commercial and industrial environments, such as factories and cinemas, however demand for a home version of the product led to the creation of the "domestic user" Zoflora, which came in a small (2fl oz) glass bottle and was initially only available at chemists for the price of three shillings. It was packaged alongside a larger 8fl oz spray bottle so diluted Zoflora could be sprayed around the home.

Over the years, new fragrances were added to the line-up of concentrated disinfectants. Until the early-mid 2000's, these fragrances were mostly floral, however "fresh" and fruity fragrances were added to the lineup later. Zoflora has released several limited edition fragrances over the years, as well as a line of 'seasonal fragrances', which are only sold during a specific time of the year (eg. Spring, Summer and Winter).

## Products

Zoflora's core product is their line of concentrated disinfectants. These have been available in a variety of sizes over the years, including 56ml, 120ml, 200ml, 250ml, 500ml and 1L bottle sizes. The bottles were initially made from glass however this was later changed to plastic for safety reasons (though the 56ml bottles remained glass until they were discontinued in 2018). Zoflora Fresh Home, a version of the disinfectant made for pet owners, was released in the late 2010's. Three fragrances, *Mountain Air*, *Green Valley* and *Coastal Breeze* are available.

As well as the concentrated disinfectants, Zoflora also manufacture several other household cleaning products; In the 1960's a Zoflora air freshener was released, though this has long since been discontinued. Zoflora Solutions Antibacterial Bin Fresh Gel was released sometime in the 2000's. This could be sprayed into the bottom of a bin to kill bacteria and eliminate odours.

In 2021, Zoflora introduced several new lines to their range; A multipurpose trigger spray, multi-surface cleaning wipes, and the revival of the long-discontinued disinfectant mist spray. These are available in a wide variety of fragrances. In 2022, Zoflora Power Bathroom cleaner was added to the line-up. This product is available in two exclusive fragrances; *Caribbean Grapefruit & Lime* and *Sweet Freesia & Jasmine.* Zoflora Carpet Fresh & Care Foam was released in 2023.

Aside from cleaning products, a range of other Zoflora homewares, including candles, wax melters, reed diffusers and car air fresheners, was released in 2023 exclusively at UK retail chain Home Bargains.

### List of Fragrances

Over the years, Zoflora has been available in a wide variety of different fragrances.