Drain plunger

A device such as this, with which clogged drains can be easily made open again, is very familiar to all of us. Nevertheless, it always raises the question of what the correct name might be. In fact, most people know it as Pümpel, Pömpel or Plümper, but it is also called drain cleaner, Klostampfer or Hebamme, in Austria Hektor (after the first manufacturer) and the dialectal colloquial language knows many more names. After an internal survey, we agreed on Pömpel.
The origin of the term is not entirely clear: It could derive from pump as well as from Pummel or Pumpel/Pümpel, which refer to something round, thick, also the pestle of a mortar was once called Pummel or Pümpel. The dictionary considers the plunger simply as a "suction bell", which does justice to its function, and that is what we are concerned with here rather than its appearance. The suction bell is also the actual utensil to remove the blockages in the drain by rapidly changing overpressure and underpressure.

In contrast to many other plungers, the suction bell in our model is made of natural rubber, which is obtained from the sap of the rubber tree. The white sap, also known as (natural) latex, is obtained by cutting the bark at an angle and collecting the escaping "milk" in small vessels; it contains about one-third rubber.
For the handle, water-insensitive thermowood is used - in keeping with its area of application. For this purpose, the ash wood used is subjected to a thermal treatment, thanks to which it is permanently protected from moisture. This is due to the fact that at 180-220 °C the wood changes and "caramelizes", which leads to its typical darkbraunen color. Some components of the cell walls (hemicellulose) are broken down, transformed and recrystallized. The remaining elements close the cavities. After this cell transformation, the thermowood hardly absorbs water and is therefore ideal for things that are often in contact with water.

The French family business Andrée Jardin has been manufacturing brushes and brooms since 1947. The fact that here not only the company and the craft knowledge have been passed down for three generations, but especially the passion for brush making, can be seen in every single product. In traditional production - many steps, such as drawing in the trim fibers, are still carried out by hand - durable brushes and brooms that sweep well over the long term are created from sustainable raw materials. For example, beech and ash wood from sustainably managed forests in the region is used for the brush bodies. The respective trimmings also consist of natural materials such as plant fibers, pig bristles or horse hair.
In 2012, the grandsons of founder Georges-René Julio took over the family business and renamed it in honor of their grandmother Andrée Jardin. The range was also expanded in the process and they manufacture more utensils for household needs.