In The 50s, We Were Taught A Clean House Is Nuke Proof-True Story

Clean Up Or Burn.

Every country is guilty of pushing propaganda. It’s a necessary evil which mends the country together against a common foe and keeps citizens on the same page. But to use the threat of nuclear armaggeddon to make people clean up their homes? Well, that’s the best marketing strategy we’ve ever heard.

This clip from the 50s was broadcasted all over the United States at the beginning of the Cold War. It’s about 12 minutes long so we’ve queued it up to get to the point, but if you have the time we recommend watching it. It’s…entertaining.

“The dingy house on the left. The dirty and littered house on the right. Or the clean, white house in the middle. It is your choice. The reward may be survival.”-Narrator

The premise is simple. Rundown, messy homes will not survive the heat flash of a nuclear bomb going off, but a well kept one will. That’s what it boils down to. As for reasoning behind it, let’s just say the video was produced by the National Paint, Varnish and Lacquer Association and sponsored by the National Clean Up-Paint Up-Fix Up Bureau.

I thought my stepmom was crazy when it came to cleaning, but it seems like the government took a more extreme approach. At least she didn’t set off a couple of nukes to prove her point.