Make your rubber last: watch out for these enemies
Household rubber-care sheet in grey and black. Three panels on the left show a boot and hose near a hot stove, aprons on a sunlit line, and oil spilled over a hose, each headed with a 'Don't do this' line. Heat, sunlight and oil are called 'enemies' of rubber; the technique is a mild fear-appeal in a how-to sheet.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Bureau of Home Economics, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Home front, Economy and finance
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
Bureau of Home Economics, U.S. Department of Agriculture. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1324A (NAID 514963).
Text on the object
DON'T DO THIS... [on illustration:] OIL [on illustration:] GREASE or THIS... or THIS... MAKE YOUR RUBBER LAST Watch out for these enemies! HEAT.... weakens, cracks, and quickly takes the life out of rubber. SUNLIGHT.... harms the rubber in most household articles. OIL AND GREASE.... rubber absorbs oil or grease- then swells and becomes weak. Remove oil or grease as soon after contact with rubber as possible. BUREAU OF HOME ECONOMICS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE [imprint: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1942—O—477986]
