How a Family Idea Revolutionized the World of Promotional Cleaning Cloths

The origins: from knitting underwear to creating technical fabrics

The story of Arpe begins with more than eight decades of experience in the textile industry. Montse and Joan’s grandparents founded a small weaving workshop in the 1930s in Argentona (Catalonia, Spain), dedicated to producing cotton underwear. It was an artisan, fully family-run business.

The second generation brought technical innovation: their father, a brilliant and self-taught mechanic, developed industrial wipes for the automotive industry that left no residue, and patented them. For 25 years, these wipes became a flagship product for major car brands.

This textile know-how is the foundation of Arpe.

A key moment: the call from Mercedes

One day, Mercedes-Benz contacted the company looking for a customized wipe to give to their customers. Montse, who combined her work as a graphic designer with supporting the family business, imagined a revolutionary idea:

Transforming a simple wipe into an advertising medium: useful, aesthetic, and 100% customized.
At that time, digital textile printing applied to a finished product didn’t yet exist. But Montse researched, tested, experimented… and found the solution.

That was the birth of what we now know as the personalized promotional cleaning cloth.

The commitment to digital sublimation: pioneers in Spain

The early days weren’t easy. They worked with small plotters, manual presses, and lots of homemade setups. But they achieved quality, detail, and precision at a time when no one else was doing it.

Arpe was one of the first companies in Spain to apply digital printing directly onto textile products, not just samples.

This allowed them to offer:
• unlimited color,
• photographic detail,
• full customization,
• local, controlled production.

And the market responded immediately: Essilor/Varilux trusted Arpe, and for five years they produced thousands of cleaning cloths for optical stores across Spain.

International expansion: Germany as a turning point

With their success consolidated, Arpe took the leap into Europe through the PSI trade fair in Düsseldorf. From there:
• they entered the international promotional sector,
• worked with brands such as Camper, Barça, and Real Madrid,
• specialized in museums and cultural shops,
• and expanded the cleaning cloth into all kinds of sectors.

The Arpe model was clear: useful textile products + premium customization + local, sustainable production.

A constant evolution: innovation and sustainability

From the first industrial wipes to today’s recycled microfiber, Arpe has always maintained a clear philosophy:
• using high-quality technical fabrics,
• offering durable and reusable products,
• avoiding single-use materials,
• producing locally (km0) in Catalonia,
• investing in technology to reduce waste.

Their patented Textile Info Brochure: a cleaning cloth that replaces paper leaflets — a clear example of this vision.

Today: European leaders in customized cleaning cloths

Arpe has evolved into a benchmark company in the world of promotional textile products:
• with in-house production,
• flexible manufacturing,
• full customization,
• international distribution,
• and strong values of sustainability and innovation.

And all of this without losing what matters most: the family spirit that started it all.