This substance had initially been used to clean wallpaper in houses equipped with fireplaces that accumulated soot. With the emergence of vinyl wallpapers, easily cleaned with a sponge, the cleanser lost its primary purpose. Then a relative of its inventor, a nursery school teacher, gave this putty-like substance to children to play with...and they were overjoyed! Later, the detergent was removed from the substance, replaced with a colorant, and the thing received its modern name: Play-Doh.