Via Bitten & Bound:
House Peters Jr., the original Mr. Clean in Proctor & Gamble’s television commercials for the household cleaner, died of pneumonia Wednesday at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Hospital in Los Angeles.
The 92-year-old actor played many supporting roles throughout his career, but became best-known in the 50’s and 60’s for his role as the hoop earring wearing, muscular bald man known as “Mr. Clean,” who took a tough stance on dirt and grime.
Variety also has a full obituary.

I met Mr. Clean once! I was taller than him and he called me “Shorty”… I’m heartbroken!
I’m disrespectful to dirt. Can you see that I am serious? Can you do any less?
When I was a child, I thought “ammonia” was “pneumonia” and always associated Mr. Clean with illness.
That I would grow up to be a total OCD clean freak, and would one day read of Mr. Peters’ death of pneumonia, seems too rich.
My mom told me that whenever a Mr. Clean commercial came on, I would run screaming from the room. Prophetic, if you ever see my house.
Ironically, they buried him in dirt:
http://www.wordsandpicturesonline.com/10-06-08.html