Sani-Flush commercial - 1970's? reupload

Format: 16mm

Archive ID: 0172

Notes: Sani-Flush was a brand of crystal toilet bowl cleaner formerly produced by Reckitt Benckiser. Its main ingredient was sodium bisulfate; it also contained sodium carbonate as well as sodium lauryl sulfate, talc, sodium chloride, fragrance and dye. When sodium bisulfate is mixed with water, a highly-corrosive acidic solution is produced, which dissolves accumulated minerals such as iron, magnesium and calcium from the bowl. Due to environmental concerns, the product has been discontinued; by 2013 its last original US trademark was cancelled or allowed to expire. History: Sani-Flush was introduced by the Hygienic Products Company of Chicago, Illinois in 1911 as a toilet bowl cleaner; since 1922 it had also been promoted for flushing 'rust, scale and sludge' from automobile radiators. Advertisements from the 1920s onward depicted a housewife in an apron using the product to disinfect the bowl and remove odours; it 'cleans closet bowls without scouring' with 'no drudgery whatsovever'. The brand was sold to American Home Products; that company's subsidiary Boyle-Midway was sold to Reckitt & Colman (now Reckitt Benckiser) in 1990. The primary direct competitor to Sani-Flush was Vanish, a brand of toilet cleaning crystals marketed in the US by the SC Johnson Company. Widely stocked in grocery and hardware stores, the product was a well-known household name and occasionally mentioned in children's jokes like 'If Santa gets stuck in your chimney, use Santa Flush' and the apocryphal advertising slogan 'Sani-Flush, Sani-Flush, cleans your teeth without a brush. All you do is pour it on; one, two, three, your teeth are gone.' Mixing Sani-Flush (an acid) with a chlorine bleach (hypochlorite) like Clorox or Liquid-Plumr can be deadly as it releases the poisonous gas chlorine. On April 8, 1964 a Winn-Dixie food store in St. Petersburg, Florida was evacuated and eleven people hospitalized. Sani-Flush is mentioned several times in William S. Burroughs' novel Naked Lunch, where the product is used to 'cut' (dilute) cocaine or where it is substituted for morphine by a pharmacist. The original product quietly disappeared from store shelves circa-2009; the US trademark was cancelled in 2013. Unlike rival Vanish, whose mark now serves to market other formats of toilet cleaner from the same manufacturer, the Sani-Flush name in the US was simply abandoned. 'Sani-Flush' and 'Sani-Flush Puck' retain their registered trademark status in Canada, but refer to a different toilet cleaner. Information on product from Wikipedia

Tags: #16mm #archival

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Shotlist & Visual Analysis

The still from the 1970s Sani-Flush commercial prominently features a container of Sani-Flush toilet bowl cleaner. The packaging typically showcases bright colors and bold text, highlighting its cleaning power. The context suggests a focus on the effectiveness of the product, particularly how it interacts with water to create a potent cleaning solution. This commercial aimed to appeal to consumers looking for reliable toilet care.

00:00:00.000 — The still from the 1970s Sani-Flush commercial prominently features a container of Sani-Flush toilet bowl cleaner. The packaging typically showcases bright colors and bold text, highlighting its cleaning power. The context suggests a focus on the effectiveness of the product, particularly how it interacts with water to create a potent cleaning solution. This commercial aimed to appeal to consumers looking for reliable toilet care.

The still features a cylindrical packaging for Sani-Flush, positioned prominently against a colorful backdrop typical of 1970s advertising. The canister is gray with a bold logo that includes the brand name in a vibrant color, emphasizing its cleaning capabilities. The design reflects the aesthetics of that era, aimed at attracting consumer attention. Sani-Flush was marketed as a powerful toilet bowl cleaner, showcasing the effectiveness of its main ingredient, sodium bisulfate.

00:00:05.472 — The still features a cylindrical packaging for Sani-Flush, positioned prominently against a colorful backdrop typical of 1970s advertising. The canister is gray with a bold logo that includes the brand name in a vibrant color, emphasizing its cleaning capabilities. The design reflects the aesthetics of that era, aimed at attracting consumer attention. Sani-Flush was marketed as a powerful toilet bowl cleaner, showcasing the effectiveness of its main ingredient, sodium bisulfate.

Film Transcript / Subtitles

Why do so many choose Saniflush instead of the other leading bathroom bowl cleaner? Saniflush has extra power, cleans inside the bowl, and cleans right round the bend. Time-lapse shows Saniflush with its extra power cleans away rust stains and deposits inside the bowl and right round the bend. Saniflush with the power to kill germs by the millions. Saniflush cleans inside the bowl and cleans right round the bend. Get Saniflush powder or liquid.