Clean Up Week

Illustration of a woman in a blue dress, white bonnet, and red clogs holding a stick as if in motion on a yellow background with black text

Old Dutch Cleanser was developed by the Cudahy Packing Company of Chicago in 1905. Being meatpackers, they were looking for a soap product to use excess animal fat and created a scouring cleanser by combining soap with pumice. Their trademark was a little Dutch woman in a blue dress chasing away dirt with a stick. Around 1926, their advertising started using the tagline, “The symbol of healthful cleanliness.” At the same time, “Clean-Up Week” was becoming a popular trend to promote civic engagement and business development. People pitched in to do civic improvement projects and individual businesses did spring cleaning. Many found that this actually improved business. Clean Up Week partnered with Old Dutch Cleanser between 1927-1934. Cudahy sold Old Dutch to Purex bleach in 1955. As of 2025, the name is currently owned by Lavo in Montreal.

See an alternative version of this button in the museum's collection here.