The past, present and future of better living

Founded in Sweden in 1919 by entrepreneur Axel Wenner-Gren, Electrolux has shaped living for the better for 100 years by reinventing what great taste, care and wellbeing experiences for our consumers. This is our story.

Electrolux was founded on the idea of making vacuum cleaners lighter and easier to use, promoting them around the world as a tool to improve health and hygiene. From founder Axel Wenner-Gren’s innovation to put runners on the Model V vacuum cleaner, to the launch of the world’s first robotic vacuum, this journey continues.

The washing machine has been dubbed the greatest invention of the industrial revolution, because of the impact it had on women’s role in society. With contributions including the revolutionizing “floating wing” washing machine in the 1940s, Electrolux has enabled consumers to spend time on the things that really matter, whether it’s education or spending more time with their family.

To create enjoyable eating experiences has always been the driving force behind our innovations in the kitchen. Throughout our history, we’ve drawn from our unique professional heritage to make it happen. The groundbreaking Assistent food processor and CombiSteam ovens are just a couple of examples.

In 1939, Electrolux gave Swedish designer and engineer, Alvar Lenning, the task of converting a professional restaurant kitchen device into a smaller, more compact gadget that would be convenient for domestic use. Few would have suspected that the Electrolux Assistent food processor would become one of the company’s most durable products, praised both for its sturdy reliability and design.

Model V had runners which allowed it to skid across the floor of the home to effectively suck up dust and dirt, even though it was smaller and significantly lighter than its upright predecessors. It was Wenner-Gren himself who had come up with the idea of the runners. The fact that the appliance was a worthy representative of the new industrial design of the era, in the spirit of German architect Peter Behrens, did not hurt.

The D10 dishwasher, nicknamed “The round tin”, is launched in 1959. It is the world’s first countertop dishwasher. At a time when most kitchens were not adapted to housing dishwashers, the could be installed in most kitchens without the need for major kitchen renovation.