Don Aslett Cleaning Empire and Museum Founder

Don Aslett’s Rise from Student to Cleaning Empire

In 1957, Don Aslett, a college student who’d never made his own bed, put an ad in the paper: “Don Aslett: Professional Cleaner. ” He needed cash for tuition.

Soon after, he and friend Arlo Luke started Varsity House Cleaning.

The tiny operation grew fast, jumping from 50 workers to 500 across three states by his graduation in 1963. Yet Aslett wasn’t done.

By 2013, his company had 4,000 staff in all 50 states. Meanwhile, a trip to the Henry Ford Museum in 1984 sparked another dream.

After spending $6 million and collecting 6,000 artifacts, Aslett opened his Museum of Clean in 2011. Today, his Pocatello treasure house showcases cleaning history like nowhere else on earth.

A College Kid Who Never Made His Bed Started a Cleaning Empire

Don Aslett put an ad in the newspaper saying “Don Aslett: Professional Cleaner” in 1957 while going to Idaho State University. The funny part?

He had never made his bed before starting a cleaning business. Aslett needed money for college, so he took a chance on something he knew nothing about.

He teamed up with fellow student Arlo Luke to start Varsity House Cleaning Company, which grew into a nationwide cleaning business.

The Dynamic Duo Split Their Business Roles Perfectly

Aslett called himself the “crazy entrepreneur” while Luke took the role of “strong facilitator.”

Their different skills helped them balance each other – Aslett brought big ideas and energy, while Luke kept things running smoothly. This teamwork let them take on more jobs and grow faster than either could alone.

Their business styles worked together perfectly for decades.

Mountain State Telephone Gave Them Their Big Break

The small cleaning company got its first big client when Mountain State Telephone and Telegraph hired them. This contract helped Varsity House Cleaning grow from two guys to 30-50 workers.

The phone company’s big offices meant steady work and a chance to show their cleaning methods worked well. More businesses throughout Idaho soon hired them after hearing about their good service.

His College Graduation Came With 500 Employees

By 1963, when Aslett got his Physical Education degree, his side job had grown much bigger. The company, now called Varsity Contractors, had spread beyond Idaho into two nearby states.

With 500 workers, Aslett had built a regional cleaning company while still taking classes. The PE major found his true calling not in gyms but in making things clean.

The 90s Brought Massive Growth Across the Country

Varsity Contractors kept growing through the 1980s and into the 1990s. By 1990, Aslett’s company had 2,500 workers in 14 states from coast to coast.

The company made special cleaning programs for hospitals, schools, and office buildings.

Aslett created training systems that turned cleaning into a science, helping the company win jobs with big companies and government buildings.

From Dorm Room Dream to $190 Million Business

The business really took off in the early 2000s, reaching $190 million in total money by 2006. The company changed its name to Varsity Facility Services as it grew from basic cleaning to full building management.

By 2013, Varsity had 4,000 workers in all 50 states plus Canada.

The college kid who once couldn’t make his bed now ran one of North America’s biggest private cleaning companies.

An Old Vacuum Cleaner Sparked His Museum Dreams

While visiting the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan in 1984, Aslett saw an old hand-pumped vacuum cleaner that caught his eye.

Seeing this old cleaning tool made him think, “there are cow museums and hammer museums and button museums, but what’s more important on the face of the earth than clean?”

This chance meeting planted the seed for his second big project: creating the world’s only museum about cleanliness.

He Started Collecting With Just One $250 Vacuum

After seeing that first vacuum at the Ford Museum, Aslett bought his first collectible: a $250 pump vacuum from the early 1900s.

He started looking for more old cleaning tools at antique shops, auctions, and estate sales.

His collection grew piece by piece over the years as he added mops, brooms, washboards, soap ads, and other cleaning items. Each piece told part of the story of people’s fight against dirt and disease.

A Boston Collector’s Treasure Trove Cost Him $300,000

The museum project got serious when Aslett learned about Peter Frei, a Boston collector who owned 230 pre-electric vacuum cleaners. In 2006, Aslett spent $300,000 to buy Frei’s entire collection.

This big purchase included rare working models of early vacuums, original patent papers, and unusual mechanical cleaning devices from the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The purchase instantly gave Aslett’s planned museum importance among cleaning history fans.

The Old Warehouse Took Six Years to Transform

Aslett bought a six-story warehouse built in 1915 in Pocatello, Idaho to house his growing collection. The building needed lots of work to become a proper museum.

He spent six years and $6 million changing the space into a modern facility with climate control to protect the items.

Workers fixed the brick outside while completely rebuilding the inside to fit exhibits, storage, and visitor areas.

The Museum of Clean Finally Opened Its Doors in 2011

After 27 years of planning and collecting, the Museum of Clean welcomed its first visitors in November 2011.

The finished museum houses 6,000 historical artifacts, including the world’s only surviving 1860 Daniel Hess Carpet Sweeper and a massive 1902 horse-drawn vacuum cleaner.

Visitors can explore an 88-seat theater showing films about cleanliness, browse cleaning-themed artwork in the gallery, or shop for unique souvenirs in the gift shop.

Aslett’s unlikely journey from cleaning novice to museum founder had come full circle.

Visiting Museum of Clean, Idaho

The Museum of Clean at 711 S. 2nd Ave. in Pocatello tells Don Aslett’s story from messy college student to cleaning empire founder. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p. m. , admission costs $10 for adults, $5 for kids 3-15, or $25 for families.

You can see over 1,000 vacuums from 1860-1969 and try vintage cleaning equipment yourself. Guided tours run 45-60 minutes through this quirky museum celebrating all things clean.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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