About that whole homemade Oxi-clean vs. dollar store Oxi-clean thing...
Remember how I tried making my own oxi-clean this summer? And remember how fabulously it worked on underarm stains?
(I know. This is such a fun topic, isn't it? Sweat and armpits are where it's at!)
Well, in the discussion on that post, it was pointed out that you can get super cheap oxygen cleaner at dollar stores, and the price of that stuff beats the homemade stuff any day.
So, I went out and bought myself a container, but I couldn't really test it right away because I'd already gone on an oxi-cleaning-the-underarms-of-all-the-shirts spree.
(Try not to be jealous of my super-exciting life, mmkay?)
Anyway, after a summer of wear, some of my previously clean shirts were needing another deep clean, and I discovered that some of my winter shirts could really use some help as well.
I cracked open my container of dollar store oxi-clean, dissolved a scoop in a small amount of warm water, and poured it on the underarms of the shirts. After a good long soak, I laundered them and I have to say, I was kind of disappointed in the results.
I mean, the shirts were cleaner than they were before, but this stuff wasn't nearly as good at removing odors as the homemade version was, and it also was less effective at removing deodorant/sweat stains.
So, I made up a batch of the homemade stuff, poured it on the offending areas, let them sit overnight, laundered them, and tada! They're clean and stink-free.
Now, I don't know...maybe this dollar store oxi-clean is pretty good at removing other kinds of stains or at whitening laundry, so I'll keep it around and give it a try on other laundry issues.
But when it comes to the underarms of shirts, I'm gonna stick with the homemade stuff.
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P.S. Food Waste Friday is over at Simply Being Mum today.
P.P.S. The $15, 15-ebook bundle sale is over tomorrow, so if you were wanting to buy one, go get it today. Or tomorrow. But not Sunday.
Good to know. You said in the original homemade version post that baking soda OR washing soda work? Which one do you use more often.
Also, any luck at getting out tomato sauce or coffee stains with this?
I tend to use baking soda, only because it seems a little less harsh to me. I did try it with the washing soda, though.
Tomato sauce stains: my go-to is laying the garment out in the sun. Work like a charm! Coffee I'm not very experienced with.
In the sun you say....I will try that, thanks.
Inn your original post, you did two treatments, soaks, & washes with the homemade stuff. I wonder if the cheap dollar store stuff would've been great after two treatments. (I didn't remember you had done two, by the way; I just followed your link and retread it.). I'm curious bc I am cheap and lazy and want the store bought stuff to be just as good as the homemade. 😉
That occurred to me, but the first go-round with the homemade stuff (back in June) was still significantly more effective than the first go-round with the storebought.
Plus, when I made the batch of homemade stuff this past week, I used it on a bunch of shirts that hadn't even gotten a first treatment with the store-bought stuff, and they came out perfect on the first try.
I mean, if the store-bought is working for you, I see no reason to change! But if your experience is like mine and the store-bought stuff isn't very effective, then give the homemade a try.
I just realized that what I wrote could be confusing. When I originally tried this back in June, only the seriously old, seriously stained shirts needed two treatments. The newer shirts turned out fine after one treatment with the homemade stuff.
On the other hand, when I tried the dollar store oxi-clean on some newish winter shirts, it was pretty ineffective, especially on the odor-removal front.
"Inn". That was a fun typo.
Do
Does this bleach clothes at all? I've always been hesitant to try oxyclean on colore
Comment box = not mobile friendly. You get my question though.
So sorry about that! I have personally not had any issues with this bleaching clothes...I used the homemade version and the commercial version on dark-colored shirts (brown, black, dark red, dark pink) and had no issues.
I tried your homemade oxi-clean recipe after your last post. As some others commented on your last post, I too had some bleaching of my darker coloured shirts. So beware, and try it with caution. It is strange though, some of my darker shirts were fine and others bleached. I looked at materials, but 2 were 100% cotton and one bleached and the other did not! Thank goodness most of them were old, but I did lose one good light blue shirt to bleaching. I was also sloppy in applying the stuff and must have dripped onto the front of the shirt where there is now a tie-die effect.
Thanks for the heads-up! You inspired me to mix up a batch of the homemade stuff right away! 🙂
Is the homemade version color-safe? I have used Oxy-Magic before, and it put a very light bleach stain on the fabric.
My dark colors have been just fine so far, but I haven't tried oxy-magic before, so I'm not sure how it compares.
I too shall try, I was trying my expensive Oxy and STILL stained and unhappy!
So here is a stupid question when you let them soak in the solution, do you add additional water, to fill the cooler? Or just place the stuff on the stains and let it sit?
I need to make another batch of the homemade recipe too. I used it on about 5 different shirts the first time around and it worked great. I wish I knew about it years ago before tossing so many shirts. I also learned that the stains (brown yellowish color) are usually not sweat stains but, the chemicals from the deodorant. I watched a youtube video where someone had the same problem and then switched to a natural crystal deodorant and never had the problem again.
We purchase Oxygen Pro. It's a generic version of Oxy Clean that is much cheaper than the brand name. I get it at Von's, our neighborhood grocery store. Is the LA's Awesome brand just as good? Thanks.
Also, I love the homemade Oxy Clean. Very simple.
I tried the Dollar Store oxi clean also and was totally unimpressed. Then I got the real stuff and was equally unimpressed. I know people who don't use any spot treatment but put a scoop of oxi clean in every load and swear by it. I certainly didn't have that luck. Maybe it's our water?
Just wondering, do you scrub it in to the stains or just pour it over and let it soak? Also, did you add water to the bucket after pouring oxi on the clothes, so the garments are submerged while soaking?
Also, do you use hot or cold water?
I didn't do a whole lot of scrubbing...mostly just poured it on, gave it a little scrub with an old toothbrush, and let it sit. And I didn't add any water. Just the oxi clean mixture! So, your fabric will not be completely soaked. Just the parts you put the mixture on will be wet.
Thank-you for responding! I have 6 children, 5 of which play all day outside and I cannot stand stains on their clothes, so I am always interested in learning short-cuts!