Karcher

Frequently asked questions about Kärcher

• Is Karcher a German brand?

  Yes, Kärcher is a German brand founded in 1935, by Alfred Kärcher in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt. After starting by creating innovative hot-air blowers for warming up aircraft engines, in 1950, Alfred developed Europe's first hot-water high-pressure cleaner. In the 1960s, his wife Irene Karcher orientated its focus onto cleaning, for perfection throughout the house, and 50 years later Kärcher invented the world's first window vac in 2008, selling over 21 million across the globe. Today, Kärcher is an industry leader in its innovative cleaning technology, selling the most popular pressure washers worldwide in over 70 countries.

• What does Karcher mean in English?

  Kärcher is named after its founder, Alfred Kärcher, so doesn't translate directly into English. However, it's synonymous with high-pressure cleaners, with 'le karcher' being added to the French dictionary in 2007, and 'kärchern' meaning 'high pressure' in German.

• What is the difference between Karcher GREY and yellow?

  Kärcher’s yellow range is designed for home and garden use, while their grey anthracite cleaners cater to professional and industrial cleaning.

• Who is the owner of Karcher?

  Kärcher remains a family-owned business, managed by the Kärcher family since its founding in 1935. They continue to innovate new cleaning appliances to this day, with 632 active patents built into its award-winning designs. Sustainability is embedded into the supply chain and family ethos, from green electricity to people-focused working conditions, winning them the German Sustainbility Prize in 2022 and 2025. Today, they keep breaking new ground, with cleaning solutions from multi-purpose wet and dry vacuum cleaners, to steam cleaners that kill 99.9% of common household bacteria, for deep results with light effort.