Museum of Clean: Your Guide to Everything Clean

What’s one difference between a vacuum cleaner and the Museum of Clean in Pocatello, Idaho? It doesn’t suck. #DadJoke In fact, it’s a pretty interesting museum that provides numerous interactive exhibits for kids – from washing windows to being a chimney sweep on the rooftops of London.

Looking for things to do in Pocatello, Idaho? Well, if you’ve wondered if the Museum of Clean is worth a visit, here’s a rundown on our family trip to Pocatello’s cleanest museum. Then you can decide for yourself if it’s worth a stand-alone day trip, or something to help break up a longer road trip as you pass through Pocatello.

Vacuums, Vacuums Everywhere

Sadly, many of the vacuums at the Museum of Clean are so old they don’t suck. Haha! As an adult, I found it interesting to look at the more than 1,000 vacuums in display. From manual-powered pumping vacuums to early versions of a plug-in Dustbuster.

While vacuums probably don’t appeal to kids – because they usually associate those with chores – the dinosaur made of vacuum tubes and parts may interest them. It’s one of many photo opps found throughout the museum.

You can’t miss the world’s first motor-powered vacuum (circa 1900). It sits in a large horse-drawn wagon and sets the stage for what is arguable the world’s largest collection of vacuums.

Playtime and Other Interactive Exhibits

Adult’s will find numerous things to look at, but kids will likely seek after the interactive exhibits. Because a hands-on museum is much more fun than a stuff art museum.

Here’s a rundown of the hands-on exhibits that will likely draw the attention of your kids as they explore three floors of the museum. The majority of the interactive exhibits are on the top floor, but there are some scattered throughout as well.

• Manual-powered vacuums (main floor)
• Wash socks with basins, wringers and a clothes line (main floor)
• Plunger shuffle board (top floor)
• Toilet seat basketball (top floor)
• Washing-machine tube ring toss (top floor)
• Red cloth vacuum sucker (top floor)
• Squirt-bottle shooting gallery (top floor)
• Beat a rug (basement)
• Become a chimney sweep (basement)

Our pre-teen and younger kids enjoyed many of these exhibits. But our teenagers were too cool to enjoy the Museum of Clean.

Kid’s Planet – A Play Place for Fun

Just inside the entrance is a large green dome. On the walk up to the dome, kids can get vacuumed and wash windows. Once inside the dome, they can check out typewriters, a rotary phone, and an old calculator.

As they climb the various levels inside the dome, there are other toys to enjoy. A doll house for Barbie, a firehouse with figures, and even a small bed, tent and cloth tunnel. While it’s probably geared more for the younger toddler age, our younger kids (and even the teenagers) enjoyed some element of Kid’s Planet.

Toilets, Cleaning Supplies and More

Did you now you can clean a bathroom in three minutes? It’s true. We stood next to toilets through the ages and watched a short video that took you step by step on how to clean a bathroom that quickly. I guess the caveat is that if you do this every day, it saves the 30 minutes of cleaning once a week.

My teenage daughter did find the toilet exhibit interesting. From chamber pots to the toilet-inspired suitcase Don Aslett (founder of Varsity Cleaning) would use when we traveled – for his clothes, not his bathroom needs.

Areas on all three floors have little kiosks that highlight different artifacts related to cleaning. For example, cleaning in the military, at the dentist, cleaning-related comics in the newspaper, stereotypes of the “typical housewife” and much more. There are thousands of trinkets and other artifacts related to cleaning in one way or another.

If you (or your kids) don’t know what a laundromat is, there’s an area in the basement where you can pull up a seat in front of a row of washing machines and a row of dryers. Into bowling? There’s also a bowling ball cleaning machine.

The Dirt on the Museum of Clean

As I’ve told people about my visit to the Museum of Clean, I often get weird looks… and often criticism for dragging my kids to the museum. Was it worth it? Maybe. We live three hours from Pocatello, and making a day trip specifically for this museum was too much for the kids. But if we were driving through Pocatello on our way to another destination, the kids may have been able to stomach a stop at the Museum of Clean.

Each person found at least one interesting thing at the museum. The younger three engaged with many of the interactive exhibits, while the teenagers struggled a little. My wife and I were intrigued by the creativity in the museum, including the World’s Only Orchestra of Clean, an art room dedicated to cleaning-related art, and the world’s tallest mop bucket totem pole.

So when people ask if it’s worth a visit – sure. But you’ll have more fun if you’re open to the creativity and allow yourself to interact with the exhibits.

The Details

Address: 711 S 2nd Ave, Pocatello, ID 83201

Cost: Adults are $6. Children 3-11 are $5. A family of two adults and three children is $20.

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Phone: (208) 236-6906

Website: http://museumofclean.com.s158603.gridserver.com

PIN THIS