# Do info-mercial cleaning products really work? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-info-mercial-cleaning-products-really-work/121587 "2002-07-30T20:01:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ohlssonvox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/5daacb/32.png) [@ohlssonvox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ohlssonvox)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-info-mercial-cleaning-products-really-work/121587/1 "2002-07-30T20:01:57Z")
I am wondering if these infomercial products really work. For example, what is up with pouring iodine into oxyclean? Where does all that crap go? Is it a trick? I don’t really use iodine too much, so I am also wondering if oxy clean can clean normal things like DIRT, not just iodine. ohlssonvox ---
**Author:** ![MeepersC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meepersc/32/12088_2.png) [@MeepersC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeepersC)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-info-mercial-cleaning-products-really-work/121587/2 "2002-07-30T20:38:57Z")
I can vouch for the working power of Oxy-Clean; it took month-old hair dye stains out of my carpet, where every other carpet cleaner I used didn’t make a dent in the stain. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-info-mercial-cleaning-products-really-work/121587/3 "2002-07-30T21:39:20Z")
I, too, use Oxy-Clean. I buy it in big tubs at Sam’s. I’ve never tried it with iodine, though. I believe it’s simply an oxygenating bleach, much like you’d get in something like Clorox 2, only perhaps more concentrated. ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-info-mercial-cleaning-products-really-work/121587/4 "2002-07-30T21:46:17Z")
Oxy-clean takes everything out. It took out old iguana stains that had been in our carpet for two years (Mind you, it took a couple of applications to get it out, but…) It is not, however, a bleach. Hasn’t bleached our carpets nor my clothing. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-info-mercial-cleaning-products-really-work/121587/5 "2002-07-30T22:05:25Z")
I use Oxy-Clean on my laundry. It works really well in getting stains off of colored clothing that you wouldn’t use chlorine bleach on. I also like Orange Glow, its done wonders in cleaning greasy stains in my kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-info-mercial-cleaning-products-really-work/121587/6 "2002-07-30T23:06:13Z")
The iodine stuff that Oxy-Clean gets out is water-based. It depends on the stain. It’s good stuff, but nothing will get out ALL STAINS. I understand the Clorox company now makes an “Oxy-Clean” type product. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-info-mercial-cleaning-products-really-work/121587/7 "2002-07-30T23:14:14Z")
- - - Sometimes, yes. I remember that Simple Green was originally sold that way. Simple Green doesn’t clean everything quite as well as they say (I remember in particular, it doesn’t work well as a glass cleaner) and it’s somewhat expensive but some greasy things it will clean very very well, better than anything else. - DougC ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-info-mercial-cleaning-products-really-work/121587/8 "2002-07-31T00:29:57Z")
Note that Oxy-Clean’s active ingredient (a peroxide generator) is _not_ new. You can find several products that contain the same stuff. DiDi-7 I think is similar. _They_ work great on some things and not at all on others. I recommend that it be kept around as part of you anti-stain arsenal. Just buy the cheaper tub right next to it on the shelf. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-info-mercial-cleaning-products-really-work/121587/9 "2002-07-31T17:01:03Z")
Hmmmm… Simple Green also smells very well. Any idea if it’s related to Complex Blue? I’m not kidding, either. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-info-mercial-cleaning-products-really-work/121587/10 "2002-07-31T17:03:29Z")
Hmmm… need to preview more often. It’s obvious that a chemical can’t smell very well without a nose… but it can smell _good_.