- A spray bottle is really quite simple in its construction. A nozzle is attached to a tube, that goes down into the liquid. The individual squeezes the trigger and fluid is drawn up through the tube and sprays out. This is accomplished with a two-way valve system.
- There were spray bottles before the 20th century, though no one seems to be sure of where they originated. They were often rubber bulbs used to siphon the liquid. Liquid was drawn up when fast-moving air was created by squeezing the bulbs.
- The first person who seems to have been connected with the modern spray bottle is Dr. Jules Montenier. He developed the first commercial use. It was for "Stoppette." This was an underarm deodorant that was applied by squeezing the bottle. This came onto the public scene in 1947. It was right after World War II and the improvement in plastics coincided with Montenier's invention.
- Spray bottles took off from that point, but it wasn't until the 1960s that spray bottles with triggers appeared. These quickly became the norm because they were much less tiring to use. Spray bottles became disposable around that time. Prior to that, while plastics were improving, they still could be brittle and breakable. One sprayer was usually used again and again with new glass bottles containing window cleaning fluid or whatever liquid was being used.
- Spray bottles today can be used for everything from misting a plant to spraying cleanser on a window. They actually make a great discovery lesson for kids (and adults) who are interested in learning about how something as ever-present in our world as the spray bottle is really a machine. This simple piece of engineering that uses valves and a pump system to work can teach much about ingenuity and how things work.
