Glamorene Rug, the Deodorizing Upholstery Cleaner

Glamorene was once a top upholstery cleaner; it has since disappeared from American shelves. Such an amusing name. Pictured here, a can from the 1970s or so.

Glamorene was originally made by the company Jerclaydon, a company owned by three brothers named Sheldon, Clayton and Jerold Hulsh. Time magazine has a great article from the 1950s on its testing by Reader’s Digest; apparently it was a “compound of cellulose fiber (resembling sawdust) and various cleaning agents which can be rubbed into a rug, then brushed out bringing the dirt with it.”

Later, it was made by Airwick Industries of Carlstadt, New Jersey. At some time, it became part of Reckitt & Colman, the British company best known for Dettol. Apparently, Glamorene was sold, on order of Federal Trade Commission divestiture, to Joh. A. Benckiser GmbH of Germany.

In 1999, Britain’s Reckitt & Colman and Benckiser merged, becoming one of the world’s largest companies of cleaning brands.

Apparently, the brand was a bit more glamorous back in the 1950s, when it was new.

Author

  • Garland Pollard

    J. Garland Pollard IV is editor/publisher of BrandlandUSA. Since 2006, the website BrandlandUSA.com has chronicled the history and business of America’s great brands.

30 Comments

  1. Never heard of it until I saw Carol Burnett on Dick Cavet suggesting ideas to combat insomnia.

  2. My mother used a Glamorene product for polishing our hardwood floors. It was a paste wax that she used with our large upright buffing machine that we owned for this purpose. It came in very large two gallon glass jars. When the jar was empty and cleaned we used it for homemade lemonade that was perfect for taking to a picnic.
    Does anyone else have memories of it?

  3. I have two of the jars from the Glamour company. They were both for use to clean your carpets. On one of the jars it says for best results use the Glamorene Rug Brush and there is a picture of a brush. Then it tells you to turn the jar upside down for two minutes before using. They properly found that this product was not environmentily friendly. They are made of very heavy glass and are quite large.

  4. From reading the comments above, it appears, like me, some would almost sell their souls to have the Glamorene cleaner back on market….used it in the ’50’s, and have never found a better cleaner anywhere…many years of trying…

    1. You are so right. I used the Glamorine cleaner for years back in the 50’s early 60’s. I turned the jar upside down and waited long enough for the cleaning solution the seep through the sawdust like ingredients than brushed it into the carpet. In my case I left it on my wall to wall carpet when I closed the house for the winter.In yhe Spring I would vacum it all up and WaLa my carpet and home was fresh as a daisy.

  5. I wish I had come to this web site sooner. I’ve been to six stores trying to find Spray’nvac. Now I know why I can’t find it.

  6. My father, Lawrence Benson, was approached by the Hulshs’ back about 1957 or so and asked if he could containerize the liquid product in his shop in Miami. At the time they used metal cans and the product ate through the cans almost immediately. They subsequently changed to glass bottles. As I recall they sold the product formula and name to the Lever Bros. Co.

    I later met and socialized with Rhea Hulsh whom for many years resided at the President Apartments on Collins Ave., Miami Beach. I lost contact with her in the early 1970s. She was a darling lady who had lived well from that sale for all those years.

    Mark Benson, Feb 2, 2016

  7. I was a firm believer in, and loyal user of, Glamorene back in the 1960’s, when it was available in the sawdust format. Have to say, it did work well and would still use it if I could find it anywhere!

  8. As someone who owned a carpet cleaning company these types of cleaners were the products of last resort when cleaning because of the horrendous abrasive qualities of the sawdust. That being said, whenever I had a wool rug (bleeder with waterbased cleaners, even dry foam, and also shrinkage issues) that also had a rubber backing (the backing would be damaged with a solvent cleaning) these products were the only ones that could be used.

  9. looking to see if I could get thisproduct and came across these comments ,neither wonder it is fantastic europian or uk.

    Can someone please tell me where I could get the product been struggled with all other rubish for my floor which cannot have polish, but this makes it as if it had been polished, love it so much. Please!

  10. I have a full bottle of glamorene in my garage, is it worth anything?

  11. Thanks Kirk, that’s good information 🙂

  12. Hey all. I use a product called Host in my janitorial service that my customers tell me is very similar to Glamorene. Their web address is: hostdry.com
    Hope this helps,Kirk

  13. I was a chemist at Winthrop Laboratories, Newcastle upon Tyne, England in the mid 1960’s, where one of the products I workwed on was Glamorene Carper Shampoo. I never saw it on sale in the UK

  14. I actually have a can just like the one pictured in the article complete with yellow brush. It is in good condition. Anyone interested may email me at eldridgebilly@yahoo.com.

  15. In the infamous “50’s” my mother dated Mr Hulsh. Nice person.

  16. Even today many are looking for Glamorene carpet cleaners that my father created. Not only does it work to clean, there was not water clean up , not shrinkage to wool carpets which would shrink away from their respected size!!

  17. Did anyone find out where we can buy Glamorine of a product that works as well?

  18. It was a fantastic product.

  19. What happened to Glamorene SPRAY ‘N VAC RUG cleaner and deoderizer?

  20. This product was frequently advertised on the old radio comedy “the couple next door”.

    Episodes can be found at archive.org, and the advertising starts around episode 100

  21. I have an item that may be of interest to someone associated with that company or someone who purchased that company – Glamourene. If someone can help with a contact – it could be fun!
    Thanks!
    Pat

  22. I remember my Mom buying Glamorene in the 50’s & how amazingly it worked. Where can I buy some? I really miss it & I haven’t found anything that cleans as well as Glamorene did!

  23. im trying to find some glamorene.. or does anyone have something similiar?? email me :((

  24. My mom and I just found one of the glass bottles! We had no idea what it was until we came on here and looked! WOWWWW!!! 1950!

  25. Very interesting! And the link that you have for Glamorene’s past went to another website I subscribe to, Allie Willis.com Everything’s come full circle for me!!

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