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POCATELLO, Idaho — A new tourist attraction in Idaho is drawing rave reviews, and it doesn't take dirt lightly.
Like many museums, it has a dinosaur, something from the space program and some antique furniture. However, the museum's artifacts are unique in that they have one common theme: cleanliness.
The museum's antique furniture is what some call "the throne."
"This was Queen Elizabeth's toilet, of Austria," said Don Aslett. "It came off a yacht."
The toilet is one of three dozen in the museum, in addition to some outhouses.
As for the artifact from the space program, the museum touts a zero-gravity trash compactor. The dinosaur on display is made from a vacuum cleaner.
The wacky and offbeat museum is united by its clean theme, giving it the name the Museum of Clean.
"We're talking about clean language, clean arteries," Aslett said. "Everything clean."
Aslett, a squeaky-clean man himself, is like the Pied Piper leading the kids off to a startling conclusion.
"You guys, cleaning is the most fun of anything. Isn't it fun?" Aslett said to an enthusiastic audience of kids.
With that hard-to-sell premise in mind, he came up with the idea for the museum — 70,000 square feet of clean. He wanted cleaning equipment, cleaning supplies and cleaning games, like potty toss.
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In a way, all couples are an "odd couple." Researchers say they have come up with certain tips that will help a 'clean freak' and a 'slob' live happily together.While Aslett has cleaning on the brain, he said he understands many people think it's a kooky idea.
"Most people do," he said. "They think they're going to be punished when they come here."
However, Aslett seems to be able to get kids to swing into action, doing what they would never do if it was a parent egging them on. Not every kid leaves the museum wanting to go home and clean the house, but most museum goers enjoy themselves while they're there.
Aslett has made a career out of cleaning and preaching about the religion of cleaning. On top of that, he's written more than 40 books. He swept his way to the top, making his fortune by cleaning with a national cleaning business.
"I've been doing it for 60 years," he said. "I've been cleaning because I like the profession, I like how it feels to be clean, I like to see people's lives change."
The museum is his gift for those who need to clean up, whether at home or in everyday life.
"I put everything I've owned into this," he said. "(I) put my savings, my 401(k), sold some of my stock in my company and everything else, because I'm a visionary."
When asked if he thought his fight against filth and grime is an uphill battle, Aslett said cleaning can be a hard sell.
"We punish our kids with cleaning," he said. "We say, ‘You little snot, behave or you're going to clean your room.' "
I'm still not going to do it at home. I'm more of a ask-my-mom-to-do-it-for-me type.
–Dylan Lacey
In the Museum of Clean, tiny conversions do happen, if only for a fleeting moment.
"Cleaning can be fun," said Lily Maheras, a student at Holy Spirit Catholic School who was visiting the museum. "I never knew that."
Dylan Lacey, another student at the school, said he liked cleaning at the museum but wasn't going to continue the fun at home.
"I'm still not going to do it at home," Lacey said. "I'm more of a ask-my-mom-to-do-it-for-me type."
