Ewbank Merit Carpet Sweeper » The Memory Box Project

Description:

The Ewbank Merit Carpet sweeper helps to keep your floors, rugs and carpets tidy. This item dates from the 1920’s/1930’s and was invented to make it easier to keep floors clean. In the past rugs were taken outside to be beaten or alternatively a dustpan and brush would be used.

This is a mechanical device that doesn’t need to be plugged in. There would have been a long wooden handle attached to the sweeper. By pushing the sweeper, it would turn two rollers covered in brushes and sweep the dust and dirt up into two pans located underneath. Once the job was finished these pans would be emptied ready for the next use.

Entwisle and Kenyon Limited was founded in 1864 in Accrington, Lancashire. By 1875 the company had started manufacturing manual washing machines and mangles. In 1889 the first Ewbank Carpet sweeper was sold and was named after where the factory was in Ewbank, an area of Accrington. The Ewbank carpet sweeper has been so popular it is still sold today.