WFMW – An Oldie, But A Goody

Sometimes I think we put too much emphasis on things that are NEW!, ADVANCED!, or THE NEXT BIG THING!

Often I find that the same old products that have worked for years are the best things to use. I hate it when I get caught up in the frenzy of trying something new, only to find that it didn’t work as well.

Take 20 Mule Team Borax for instance. Here is a time-tested product that has worked marvelously for decades. It’s a naturally occurring mineral with many practical cleaning uses. It does so many things that specialized cleaners can’t do because they’re specialized. Can Resolve boost laundry detergent to make clothes brighter? Can Comet be used as a deodorizer the refrigerator? Will Woolite make the porcelain in the bathroom shine? You would need several different products to do the work of one box of TMT Borax.

I’ve been using TMT Borax as the back of the box suggests.

• I’ve added a ½ cup of Borax to the load and I’ll be darned… They were brighter!
• I’ve sprinkled some of it in the bottom of my trash can rather than using Lysol and it does deodorize as it said it would.
• Since I had to clean the refrigerator for our move, I used the 1 qt: 1 Tsp TMT solution and that puppy not only shines, it smells so much better… and it didn’t stink in the first place!
• I’ve made my tubs and sinks sparkle with the TMT too. I just used it like a cleanser and it looks mah-vel-ous, darlink!

I haven’t used it as a spill remover or a pet stain remover yet, but just as soon as I have opportunity, I’ll try it to see if it will work in that capacity too. And although we’re out of the nighttime accidents, TMT is supposed to work wonderfully to neutralize urine odors in mattresses or mattress covers and still be soft enough for your delicates – from baby clothes to your fine china. Its non-abrasive quality lends a hand to many things in your house.

The extra bonus to this discovery is that a large (76 oz) box only costs around $4. So you can do a lot of your cleaning for a very little price. Save that money for things that you really need – like a box of chocolate or a really good book.

For a little fun, 20 Mule Team Borax created a quiz so that you can find out exactly what kind of cleaner you are. As an incentive to encourage participation they will give back to the Earth by planting one tree for each quiz taken. They will donate up to 10,000 trees or the equivalent of $10,000 to the American Forests organization. If you're interested, click here to take the quiz.

So a tried and true frugal multi-cleaner works for me!

Head on over to Shannon’s place for some excellent suggestions.