POCATELLO — Local entrepreneur and cleaning icon Don Aslett passed away on Wednesday, leaving behind a significant legacy as an innovator, business mogul and humanitarian.

Aslett was 89 years old and died in his apartment at his Museum of Clean in Pocatello.

“Don had been valiantly fighting multiple myeloma and Parkinson’s over the past several years and, most recently, a stroke,” his obituary stated.

Aslett’s roots in Pocatello ran deep and his impact on those around him was profound.

In 1957 Aslett played a significant role in the creation of Varsity House Cleaning Co. with the help of his close friend and business partner Arlo Luke. Over the next few decades, the company would continue to grow, eventually adopting the name Varsity Contractors and employing 2,500 employees across 14 states by 1990.

Aslett, perhaps best known locally for being the founder of the Museum of Clean, would bring his Pocatello-based Varsity Contractors to the forefront of the cleaning industry through innovations and high-quality standards.

Aslett would go on to author over 35 books on the topic of cleanliness, imparting words of wisdom on how to reduce clutter and use the proper tools to get the job done right the first time. Aslett’s commitment to tidiness would earn him nicknames like “the Sultan of Shine” and “the Dean of Clean.”

Aslett’s impact in Idaho was certainly felt by local residents through his entrepreneurship and small business guardianship that helped facilitate growth in the community and financial success for those he mentored.

For those who remember him the best, his close friends and family, Aslett is perhaps best known for the care he gave to those around him, imparting the importance of personal responsibility and being productive with your time.

“He had a vision of life because of his creative genius,” Luke said. “He was the visionary and I was good at executing and because of that, his talent and my talent just meshed. The reason we were so successful is because we had, ultimately, a shared value of life and the purpose of life. It was very common (between) both of us, even though he came from a farm as a hard farm worker and I was a city slicker. But our values meshed and (we shared in) our energy and enthusiasm for life. He was a great motivator and a great lifter of people. He cared about people individually and as a whole.”

Aslett imparted many lessons over the years to those around him.

His eldest daughter Laura Simons recalls childhood memories of riding on the buffers and other industrial-size cleaning equipment during Varsity’s early days and becoming involved in the business as she grew into adolescence.

“He had a charismatic personality. I think he was probably born with that,” Simons said. “He was very driven to be better and better. Sometimes he was harder on himself than others would be on him. He was determined to get a lot done and not waste time and I guess he got that from his parents and from the farm growing up. You just don’t waste time, you work hard, that’s the moral thing to do.”

Simons continued, “During his middle years as he served in church callings and even with his business, he was in the business of serving people, looking out for what they needed and taking care of that. He really taught us to look out for other people.”

A common theme expressed by those who spent time with Aslett was his drive and desire to leave the world a better place.

“It was all about trying to enrich people’s lives with high (quality) values, serving people and being good to the people around him,” Luke said. “Most people know him as a book writer and a speaker and lecturer. I knew him because of his drive to bless the world the best he could in his own way.”

Aslett’s influence is felt throughout Pocatello, especially through his creation of the Museum of Clean back in 2011.

He started the Clean World Foundation in 2009 to improve the quality of life for vulnerable populations worldwide by increasing access to water, sanitation and hygiene.

During the last few years of his life, Aslett battled Parkinson’s disease, cancer and other ailments but still managed to remain somewhat mobile and active.

“He couldn’t walk very well because of his disease, but he was riding around the museum trying to talk to people and greet them just two months ago,” Luke said. “He was a multitasker. He was good about drawing on people with good ideas. When he was talking to somebody and somebody was talking to him, they’d say something that impressed him and he’d take out his pen and he’d write it down. He was continually gathering good ideas, good thoughts and he always had at least four (note) pads that he was working on, various projects or various books. Until the day he died, I think he had probably four or five folders on his desk, books that he was going to write.”

Aslett had a transformative effect on Idaho, the cleaning industry and the lives of those around him.

“It was more than being a motivator,” Luke said. “His objective was not how to clean efficiently. He wrote about it, but his main motivation was to motivate people to do good, do good in their lives and to be productive. The whole message was be clean. It was more than just cleaning a house. It was about clean minds, clean food and a clean lifestyle.”

For anyone who would like to pay tribute to Aslett, a special open house will be held at the Museum of Clean from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 30 and patrons can attend for only $1. A viewing will be held later that evening at Manning Wheatley Funeral Home in Pocatello with the funeral held Aug. 31 in McCammon.