Stretching Oxyclean and freebies from customer service

**checkerkitty** · 08-17-2009, 03:26 PM

Hi everyone! I am normally not a believer in anything that is hawked infomercial style on TV. I've seen so many Oxyclean commercials but never believed the hype and didn't want to try it because I think it's pretty darn pricey.

I got a partially used bucket from my Grandmother to soak a BUNCH of linens my Great Grandmother embroidered, many, many years ago. Most of the linens were very stained. Some were so bad, I thought they were beyond salvage. But I thought, why not try with the Oxyclean. You never know. That stuff is awesome! I was able to save the linens from the back of the closet. They are so clean I should be able to use them around the house.

So I hoped I would find more Oxyclean at the store, maybe on sale and I could use a coupon, the perfect storm of shopping. Well, my MIL told me about some on clearance at Target and I did have some coupons. So, I picked up some Oxyclean at half price.

Well, when I opened the new buckets, I found inside a different scoop from the old bucket. The old bucket had a small blue scoop that held 2 1/4 tablespoons of Oxyclean. The new bucket had a large green scoop that holds 1/2 CUP of Oxyclean or 8 tablespoons. I did call the company and both buckets have the exact same formulation, minus dyes and perfumes on the new bucket. So, they are the same strength, exactly. The instructions on the side of the buckets are similar in most cases as well.

If you use Oxyclean and you have the large scoop, I would suggest getting a tablespoon measuring spoon to keep with your bucket and bypass the 1/2 cup scoop. It's WAY to easy to use more powder than you need using that large scoop. The lines on the scoop are hard for me to read easily. I'm not sure if the scoop was changed to make sure you always use too much or not, but I know if I hadn't seen the smaller scoop to understand the "dosing size" difference, I would go through the bucket much, much faster by not being as precise in my measurement of the powder. After all, what looks like 1/4 of a scoop might be more like 1/3 of a scoop and that will add up to wasted product and wasted money.

Also, when I called customer service, I told them how pleased I was with the product. The man I spoke to said he was going to send me coupons for free product. YAY! I think I need to call more often when I'm happy with a product.

Here are the dosing measures between the two buckets. I does seem that the new bucket says to use more in some cases than the older bucket. Kind of funny since the product concentration is the same.

Old Bucket- 1 scoop=2 1/4 Tablespoons

General stain removal-1/4 scoop per 16 oz water
laundry booster- 1 scoop per load (+1 extra for heavy soil)
Soaking- 2 scoops per gallon water
Carpet spot remover- 1/8 scoop per 16 oz water
Unfinished wood, lawn furniture, linoleum-2 scoops per gal water

New Bucket- 1 scoop= 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons

Pre-treat stain removal-1/4 scoop per 16 oz water
Top load laundry booster-1/4-3/4 scoop per load
HE Laundry booster- 1/4-1/2 scoop per load
Soaking- 1/2-1 scoop per gallon of water
Carpet spot remover- 1/4 scoop per 16 oz water
Outdoor- 1/4-1 scoop per gal water

I think I may start measuring out my powdered detergent with an actual measuring cup as well. I use Tide and it has a similar large green scoop. I just eyeball the measure and put it in the machine. I'm wasting there, too, I guess. Yikes!

Anyway, I hope this helps someone!

Christy

**shoiji** · 08-17-2009, 05:57 PM

I really like oxi-clean. Works great to clean plastic. My vertical blinds are really easy to clean. Just dump and bunch of oxi-clean in the bathtub. Run the water. Put in the vertical blinds. The dirt basically comes right off.

I have also tried the knock-offs and have had the same result. So that is another way to save on this product.

**checkerkitty** · 08-17-2009, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by shoiji

I really like oxi-clean. Works great to clean plastic. My vertical blinds are really easy to clean. Just dump and bunch of oxi-clean in the bathtub. Run the water. Put in the vertical blinds. The dirt basically comes right off.

I have also tried the knock-offs and have had the same result. So that is another way to save on this product.

I don't spend much time shopping down the detergent aisle. I have a stash of soap and softener that I take from. I'll have to take a look at the generic stuff. I didn't know that was available. Thanks so much!

Christy

**Grainlady** · 08-17-2009, 07:34 PM

Sorry you've missed out on Oxyclean for all this time. I first purchased it at the Kansas State Fair (10-years ago? before it was available in retail stores) after a friend said it took the beet juice out of a rug in her kitchen. I discovered how great it worked on old linens, too.

**Palooka** · 08-17-2009, 07:48 PM

I love Oxyclean and it smells and works great!

**butterflygreen** · 08-17-2009, 08:15 PM

I add this to my laundry soap I make.

**Pemberleyan** · 08-17-2009, 08:40 PM

Our local Dollar General has another brand which works well.

**Palooka** · 08-17-2009, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by Pemberleyan

Our local Dollar General has another brand which works well.

Which one?

**SHOPGIRL** · 08-17-2009, 10:56 PM

The brand I get at Family Dollar is the "Sun" brand. I get a huge tub, about 96 oz for $5.00. I also use the Sun laundry detergent and it seems to work fine. I've found that the off brand works just as good as Oxy Clean, but it's a lot cheaper.

**Natalie** · 08-18-2009, 08:24 AM

I like Oxyclean, too. And, yes, the markings on the cup are hard to read. (My eyes are bad, too.) I grab the permanent marker and blacken the line I should be using. If it fades (and it does, eventually), I marker it again.

**Trishagirl** · 08-18-2009, 08:33 AM

Don't you have to use it in hot water for it to work well. It didn't clean my son's baseball pants.

**Grainlady** · 08-18-2009, 08:57 AM

Originally Posted by Trishagirl

Don't you have to use it in hot water for it to work well. It didn't clean my son's baseball pants.

Yep, it's designed to work best in hot or warm water, not cold. The new formula will work in warm water, where the early version only worked in hot water. Did you soak your son's baseball pants, or just add the Oxyclean to the load of laundry? I think it works best as a soak for really tough stains.

Another add-in for dirt/grass stains is Cascade dishwasher detergent, as well as for soaking. The enzymes and phosphates are great for tough organic stains. For greasy stains, Dawn dish washing liquid used to pre-treat the stain.