Key Takeaways
- New York began as New Amsterdam, a Dutch trading town built inside the wider colony of New Netherland.
- The English takeover in the mid-seventeenth century renamed the place and shifted its politics, but many Dutch traces stayed in language and place names.
- A pressurized can sprays well only when its propellant, valve, and nozzle all work together; any leak or clog can turn a fine mist into a weak, watery stream.
- An old can may still contain liquid while having too little pressure, especially if propellant slowly escaped during storage.
- A printed manufacture date can explain age, even when no clear “use by” date is shown.
- Basic, safe checks—upright use, shaking, a clean nozzle, and room-temperature storage—often explain most “low spray” problems.
Story & Details
A city that started as a business plan
New York, in the United States (North America), did not begin as “New York.” It began as New Amsterdam, a small settlement built by Dutch colonists linked to the Dutch West India Company. The goal was trade—especially fur—and the settlement grew around a port economy. This broader Dutch colony was called New Netherland, and New Amsterdam became its key town on Manhattan.
The Dutch link is not a vague influence. It is the origin story. A company-backed colony, Dutch laws and customs, and a trading network tied the place back to the Netherlands (Europe). Over time, the settlement gained structure, rules, and a stronger civic life. New Amsterdam moved from outpost to city-shaped community.
The name change that reshaped the map
In the mid-seventeenth century, the English took control and renamed New Amsterdam as New York, after the Duke of York. England (Europe) gained a valuable harbor and a growing colonial center. The power shift changed flags and administration, but daily life did not reset overnight. Dutch families remained. Dutch culture remained. Even the idea of New York as a trading city fit the port logic that helped it grow in the first place.
That is the clean answer to the “founded from the Netherlands (Europe)” question: New York’s earliest European-founded core was Dutch, and it was built inside a Dutch-run commercial colony before it became English-run and then, later, part of an independent country.
The other kind of “pressure” people notice at home
A can of Lysol Disinfectant Spray, Lemon Breeze, is a very different kind of history lesson. It is a metal container that depends on pressure to turn a liquid into a mist. When the spray feels weak and looks like water, the story is usually mechanical, not mysterious.
A pressurized aerosol can holds product plus propellant. The propellant creates internal pressure. When the valve opens, pressure pushes liquid up the dip tube and out through the nozzle, where it breaks into droplets. If the system is healthy, the result is a fine mist.
Why a can can feel “not empty” but still spray badly
A can that feels like it still has about ten percent liquid can still spray weakly. Several real-world causes can stack up:
The first is a slow propellant loss. Over long storage, tiny leaks can happen at the valve or gasket. Liquid remains, but pressure drops, and the spray turns into a dribble or a weak stream.
The second is nozzle or valve blockage. Dried residue at the nozzle can narrow or distort the opening. Instead of a wide mist, the flow becomes a thin line, like water from a small hole.
The third is separation inside the can. Some products can settle or stratify during long rest. Shaking helps remix the contents so the spray pattern and dose become more consistent.
The fourth is orientation. Aerosols are designed to be used upright so the dip tube stays in liquid. When the can is tilted too far, it can pull mostly gas or an uneven mix, which can make the output sputter or lose atomization.
What the manufacture date can and cannot tell
A printed manufacture date—such as a date in January 2024—matters by January 2026 because it signals age. Many disinfecting products lose reliability over time, especially for germ-kill claims, even if they still “work” as a wet spray. Age does not always explain weak pressure, but it raises the chance that the can has had time for a slow leak, a sticky valve, or a clogged nozzle.
A missing “use by” date on the label is common. In practice, the manufacture date is often the most useful clue available on the can itself.
Safe, practical checks that often solve the mystery
A simple set of checks usually explains low pressure without risky experimentation.
The can should be at normal room temperature, stored away from heat and direct sun. It should be shaken well to remix the contents. The nozzle area should be kept clean; residue there is a common reason for “water-like” output. The can should be used upright, with short presses, to see if atomization returns.
If the output stays weak even after those steps, the most likely explanation is that pressure has been lost over time. In that case, replacement is usually the sensible move, and disposal should follow local guidance for household hazardous waste.
A tiny Dutch phrase lesson, kept simple and usable
Dutch shows up in New York’s earliest story, so a small phrase lesson fits the theme.
A friendly, everyday phrase is: “Dank je wel.” It is used for a clear, polite thank-you. Word-by-word: “Dank” is “thanks,” “je” is an informal “you,” “wel” adds emphasis, like “indeed” or “very.”
A simple, useful sentence is: “Ik begrijp het.” It is used to say understanding is present. Word-by-word: “Ik” is “I,” “begrijp” is “understand,” “het” is “it.” In real life it sounds neutral and calm, and it works in both casual and practical situations.
Conclusions
New York, in the United States (North America), carries an early Dutch foundation: New Amsterdam inside New Netherland, shaped by trade and by a company-driven colonial project tied to the Netherlands (Europe). Centuries later, a household aerosol can tells a smaller story about pressure, valves, and time. When a Lysol Disinfectant Spray can starts to spray like water, the cause is usually simple: low remaining pressure, a clogged nozzle, separation inside the can, or the awkward last stretch when little liquid remains. By January 2026, a manufacture date in January 2024 also signals that freshness and performance may no longer be a safe assumption.
Selected References
[1] U.S. National Park Service — “New Netherland: The Dutch Commercial Colony” https://www.nps.gov/sapa/planyourvisit/new-netherland-the-dutch-commercial-colony.htm
[2] U.S. National Park Service — “The Rise and Fall of New Netherland” https://www.nps.gov/mava/learn/historyculture/new-netherland.htm
[3] HISTORY — “New Amsterdam becomes New York” https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/september-8/new-amsterdam-becomes-new-york
[4] HowStuffWorks — “How Aerosol Cans Work” https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/aerosol-can3.htm
[5] Justrite — “Understanding Aerosol Can Propellants” https://www.justrite.com/understanding-aerosol-propellants
[6] Lysol Disinfectant Spray — Safety Data Sheet (Reckitt Benckiser LLC) https://content.oppictures.com/master_images/master_pdf_files/rac04675ea_sds.pdf
[7] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — “Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)” https://www.epa.gov/hw/household-hazardous-waste-hhw
[8] Live From New Amsterdam (YouTube playlist) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLccU8xvoXu4R0SReheKluFS8h7Cz92z7j
Appendix
Aerosol A spray system that uses internal pressure to push product out as a mist of tiny droplets.
Atomization The breaking of a liquid into many small droplets, usually by forcing it through a nozzle under pressure.
Charter A formal grant that recognizes a settlement or organization with defined rights and structure.
Dip tube The internal tube that draws liquid from the bottom of an aerosol can up to the valve.
Disinfectant A product meant to reduce germs on surfaces, with performance depending on correct use and remaining potency.
Dutch West India Company A seventeenth-century Dutch trading company that organized colonization and commerce in parts of the Atlantic world, including New Netherland.
Manufacture date The date a product was made, often printed as a code, and useful when no clear expiration date is shown.
New Amsterdam The Dutch-founded settlement on Manhattan that later became the core of New York.
New Netherland The broader Dutch colonial territory in North America that included New Amsterdam.
Propellant The gas or liquefied gas in an aerosol can that creates pressure and helps drive product out.
SARS-CoV-2 The virus name for the cause of coronavirus disease 2019, often referenced on disinfectant labels for claim scope.
Shelf life The time period when a product is expected to meet its labeled performance if stored as directed.
Vapor pressure A measure tied to how easily a liquid becomes gas; in aerosols, it helps determine how much pushing force is available inside the can.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 