The Bone Scraper: A Whale of a Tale

Carpet bone scrapers are an essential tool for removing dried or solid debris from carpets and upholstery before proceeding with spot removal. But why are they called bone scrapers?

These scraping tools were originally made of whalebone. Metal isn’t a good choice because it can damage fibers, and wood tends to absorb and transfer dyes. Bone is a strong, flexible, and easily-worked material, and up until the 1960s bones from whales were cheap and plentiful. Bone does not absorb dyes, and has just the right hardness to scrape off debris without damaging fibers.

With the advent of plastics, the use of actual bone for these tools fell out of favor. Plastics are cheap, do not absorb dyes or damage fibers, and can easily be made into any shape and size for a wide variety of uses.

These days it's tough to find a "bone scraper" that's actually made out of bone, but the bone scraper name persists. But no worries! Today’s plastic versions work great, and they're a key part of every skilled cleaner’s toolbox.