Mr. Clean

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For other uses, see Mr. Clean (disambiguation).

Mr. Clean is a brand name of household cleaner from Procter & Gamble, first introduced in 1958. Mr. Clean is known as Mr. Proper in mainland Europe, and probably to avoid confusion with Mr. Sheen and Mr. Muscle in the United Kingdom it is known as Flash. Mr. Clean also makes the Melamine foam cleaner under the name-brand of Magic Eraser. In Spain, the name changed from Mr. Proper to Don Limpio (limpiar is the Spanish verb for "to clean"), while in Mexico he is named Maestro Limpio (Master Clean). In Italy he is named Mastro Lindo (Master Clean, as in Mexico).

Its mascot is the character Mr. Clean, a muscular, white, American, bald man who cleans things very well. According to the company, his image is supposed to be that of a sailor, although most people think he is a genie based on his earring, folded arms, and tendency to magically appear at the appropriate time. Mr. Clean has always smiled on the packaging, except for a brief time in the mid 1960's when he was frowning on the package.

[edit] Jingle

Mr. Clean's theme song has been around since the product's introduction, initially sung as a pop-music style duet between a man and a woman. The Mr. Clean advertising jingle was written by Thomas Scott Cadden.[1] It has been played as recently as 2005, usually in a contemporary musical setting or instrumental version. Excerpt:

Mr. Clean gets rid of dirt and grime

And grease in just a minute

Mr. Clean will clean your whole house

And everything that's in it

Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean

(ping-ping-ping of xylophone)

[edit] Mr. Clean in popular culture

Mr. Clean's bald head and muscular appearance has evoked comparisons to skinheads, although the character doesn't dress in typical skinhead styles, nor does he display other aspects of the skinhead subculture.

Mr. Clean's appearance with his tight muscle shirt, ear piercing, stylishly handsome looks, fastidious habits, and helpful but deferential persona in television commercials, has made Mr. Clean into something of a Chelsea boy-style gay icon. [2]

Mr. Clean has been used as a derisive term in the same manner as goody two shoes or Boy Scout, describing someone who displays conspicuous morally upstanding behavior. The term has been used by Dick Vitale to describe a basketball play that at first glance appeared to be a foul but, in fact, was not.