Sometimes, those super bargains are not quite the great value we’re expecting. It happens. It’s just too good of a deal to pass up, or so it seems at the time, but later you find that it wasn’t really the bargain you bargained for.
Still, once you have made a purchase, you don’t want to let the product go to waste. Maybe it isn’t as effective or convenient to use as promised, or maybe just not for its intended purpose.
Recently, I made such a purchase. I bought laundry detergent -a decent brand name- for a fraction of the price it usually goes for. The catch? It was the powder formula rather than the liquid concentrate I much prefer. At the time, I figured it was worth passing up my preference in order to obtain the big savings (especially during the holiday season when money always seems to be stretched tight).
The first few loads were fine. The bleach alternative works well, getting clothes clean, and the detergent also had a nice, fresh scent. Unfortunately, as I got deeper into the carton, I found clumps. Apparently, the laundry soap had gotten damp at some point, which may have been why the store had it on sale.
From that point on, the detergent would not dissolve easily. I tried everything. I didn’t want to waste water and power running an extra rinse cycle for every load, so I gave in and bought my usual liquid laundry detergent.
I still didn’t want to waste the (large) box of laundry soap, even though I bought it cheaply, so I began looking for some other uses for it. I made a thick paste by adding a little hot water and used it as a pre-treater. I also used it to scrub sinks, tubs, and toilets instead of my regular cleanser. It even worked for washing tough pots and pans.
Do you have any to tips for using up stuff that didn’t turn out to be quite the bargain you thought it was?
Who Needs Fancy Cleaning Products?