P R E S S R E L E A S E

Tennant has lost court case regarding advertising claims for “activated water”

Final judgement: “ec-H2O” no better than tap water

Winnenden, September 2013 – So-called “activated water” is no more effective than tap water. Tennant’s advertising claims ascribing the cleaning power of an all-purpose cleaner to water “activated” using the ec-H2O technology, are anti-competitive: This landmark decision by the Stuttgart Regional Court is now legally binding. Tennant has withdrawn its appeal.

“The evidence was overwhelming. We were always confident that the facts would prevail in the end. With the withdrawal of the appeal the court’s decision is now legally effective: ec-H2O cleans no better than tap water,” says Markus Asch, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG. “The court decision is a success that benefits all customers. Competitive cases such as this one create confidence and trust.“

Tennant is required to bear the costs of the proceedings. This judgment will make waves worldwide. It heavily relies on the findings of the independent expert Thomas Hofmann (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) who had been appointed by the court. Besides Kärcher, other competitors and associations had publicly thrown doubt on the effectiveness of “ec-H2O” and carried out scientific studies as well as practical tests regarding the alleged cleaning effect.

Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG
Press Spokesman Frank Schad
Alfred-Kärcher-Str. 28 - 40
71364 Winnenden