Jun 7, 2011

Sometimes Off-Brand is Just as Good!

There are some items that I just DON'T buy the off brand! Hershey's chocolate syrup is a must - the others just don't taste as good (in my opinion). Hidden Valley Ranch is the best. I used to be a Blue-Plate Mayo only girl, but they don't sell it up here - so Duke's is a close 2nd - but no store brand! There are some things when you really can tell a difference. I do understand that in a lot of cases, it is a matter of preference - but in some cases it is an issue of quality. Well, just recently I decided to really scrub my tile floors. I mop frequently, but it just doesn't get the grout clean. So, I decided to try the Magic Eraser since I had recently gotten several for free through various deals - but I wanted a cleaner that had some bleach in it. So, I looked through my stock-pile and the only cleaner that I had with bleach in it - was the Up and Up All-Purpose Cleaner with Bleach; in case you're not aware - this is the Target brand. I generally don't buy off-brand anymore because I typically get brand name items for cheaper - with sales and coupons. But, I bought it several months ago when Target had a coupon on their site for $1 off any of their cleaners. I think I got this bottle for about 35¢ (so normally around $1.35 - I think) - but I just hadn't used it because I was skeptical as to whether it would really work well! Well, the Magic Eraser is a great cleaning tool, but not so great on grout; it just shreds. But the Up and Up cleaner worked amazingly well! Cleaning grout is not a fun job - no matter what cleaner you use, but this one was certainly helpful! I then decided to use it on my bathroom shower curtain. Mildew on the shower curtain liner is something that drives me absolutely nuts; it's just so gross. I normally just throw the liner in the washing machine about every other month and that takes care of it. Well much to my dismay, only 2 weeks after washing it I started noticing mildew spots! I'm not sure if it's because the weather is getting warmer and there is so much more humidity, or what. So, I just sprayed down the liner with the All-purpose cleaner (with bleach) after taking a shower, didn't scrub it one bit, and the next time I got in the shower it was ALL GONE! $1.35 isn't a bad price for cleaner, but if you're like me - buying anything without a coupon feels just wasteful! So, next time you see a coupon for cleaner at Target, give this one a try!

1 comment:

hollie said...

I was using that very cleaner in the bathroom when one of my kids came running in and bumped me. Bleach spot on my favorite sweater! I haven't touched that cleaner since :)

I buy mostly name brand (b/c of coupons) but have found that most Up&Up brand items are of a surprisingly good quality. Plus with Target coupons, you can get them free or next to nothing.