Where It All Began: The Wash Horse Legacy

The Work Horse Legacy of Kleen Tex Mats

Innovation does not always arrive in the form of something flashy. Sometimes it begins with a simple idea that solves a real problem.

In 1969, Kleen Tex introduced cotton on a rubber backed mat that would quietly reshape the laundry industry. Developed and extensively tested with National Linen, one of the company’s first major customers, the product needed a name that reflected its durability and dependability. This is when the Work Horse was born, latter changed to Wash Horse.  It captured the spirit of the product: strong, reliable, and built to perform day after day.

This mat, however, had something extra, it was a washable product. Early advertising captured the idea perfectly, describing the Wash Horse as a Work Horse built for laundering. This simple but powerful innovation quickly gained recognition across the American laundry industry and soon began reaching customers beyond the United States.

Early marketing collateral

Adapting to Change

As the oil crisis of the 1970s drove up drying costs, laundry companies began looking for more efficient solutions. The demand for synthetic materials grew impossible to ignore. Kleen Tex responded with a space-dyed nylon-on-rubber mat that delivered both performance and visual appeal. This was named the Show Horse.

With expanded color options and improved durability, the Show Horse product laid the foundation for something new. The Graphic Inlay Logo Mat brought branding and functionality together in a single solution.

Ralph partying through the 70's

Strength That Lasts

In the early 1990s, Kleen Tex introduced solution dyed nylon mats designed to withstand fading and heavy use over time. Continuing the tradition, this next generation product became known as the Iron-Horse. A name that reflected its strength and longevity.

We are still here to fulfill your matting needs. 

Today, Iron-Horse remains one of the most trusted and widely used products in the industry. But its story did not stop in the 1990s. Modern Iron-Horse mats continue to carry that original promise forward. They are engineered to stand up to high traffic environments, maintain appearance through repeated laundering, and deliver long term performance where reliability matters most. From service routes to commercial entrances and industrial settings, Iron-Horse continues to do what it was designed to do, work