About the Author
Katherine Blandford is a second-year PhD student in History at Indiana University, Bloomington. Her work is interested in gender, race, feminism, and the body in modern American history. Many of her projects are focused on how gender influences social, cultural, and political movements of the 20th century. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Katherine received her Bachelors of Arts in History and Women and Gender Studies from the University of Toledo in 2024.
Document Type
Article
Abstract
This paper investigates the gendered history of cleanliness and advertising through Lysol feminine hygiene advertisements in the United States from 1936-1950. Lysol, the disinfectant, was once sold as a feminine hygiene douche up until the 1960s. Lysol douches were promoted to women, specifically married women, through advertisements that focused on portraying the female body as dirty and unclean. Moreover, the advertisements promoted the idea that women who did not use Lysol to douche were solely responsible for any marital problem that arose, like cheating or divorce. These Lysol advertisements showcase a dark history of the pervasive nature of sexist rhetoric surround the vagina and the female body. Lysol douches, although advertised as safe for “sensitive tissue,” was incredibly harmful to women’s reproductive organs. Some women even died from douching with Lysol, but the product was still a best seller for over thirty years. This paper analyzes Lysol feminine hygiene advertisements found in women’s magazines to understand how the advertisements were successful and what narratives they promoted. Themes of anxiety, loneliness, and cleanliness are clear throughout the advertisements, selling women a one-stop fix-all product for any relationship problem.
Recommended Citation
Blandford, Katherine
(2026)
""The One Neglect": Lysol Feminine Hygiene Products and the Gendered Body,"
Madison Historical Review: Vol. 23, Article 4.
Available at:
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/mhr/vol23/iss1/4
Blandford.Katherine.CV.pdf
