Do you know what Lestoil is? Are you aware that it is still around?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

In today’s Sunday New York Times crossword, one of the answers was “Lestoil”. I had no problem with that one.

In a crossword blog I follow (Rex Parker - link), a surprising number of posters - as well as Rex himself - were dumbfounded that such a thing ever existed. Some of the few who had heard of it cited distant memories of their Mom or Granny using it back in the 60s. Many agreed that it has not been around in decades.

Well, I buy and use it regularly - it’s great for getting out greasy spots on clothes. That blob of ranch dressing I dropped on my chest doesn’t stand a chance against Lestoil. Anyway, I never considered it a product of a bygone era.

How about you? Are you aware of Lestoil?

Pass the Malt-O-Meal and Bosco.

mmm

2

Jesus christ, spoiler, please on TODAY’S puzzle!

3

Never heard of it before. Reading the Wikipedia article, it looks like they were beaten to mass-market by imitators, who I have heard of.

4

Heard of Lestoil. Last time I heard of it I’m sure I was a child, probably wouldn’t remember it from the 50s so early 60s I think.

5

My mom still has a bottle of it in the basement that she uses occasionally, but that doesn’t prove much, given that she also has a wringer washer in the basement, too.

6

Never heard of it, although like @glowacks, I have heard of the “similar products” the Wikipedia article mentions (Ajax and Mr. Clean).

7

I remember the brand name from my childhood, in the 1970s. I don’t recall seeing it in a store in years, but then, I don’t spend a lot of time in the household cleaner aisle.

8

I remember it. I still remember the commercial jingle:

:notes: It’s so easy when you use Lestoil… :notes:

Had no idea it was still around though.

9

I remember their ad slogan.

“There’ll be less toil with Lestoil.”

10

I remember the Lestoil commercials, though I don’t think Mom ever bought it. I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the household cleaners section of many stores and haven’t seen it. Where do you find it, OP?

11

Have to ask my dad. It looks vaguely familiar and as my grandfather was always getting things on his clothes, plus he worked as a maschinist, I could imagine my grandmother had a bottle on hand.

12

I’ve never seen nor heard of Lestoil. From the name alone, it sounds like something I’d put into my car engine.

I do, however, eat Malt-O-Meal regularly.

13

Interesting. Replies here mirror the blog replies. I guess it’s just me.

I buy it at my local supermarket. Also readily available on Amazon.

mmm

14

It’s a new word to me. Never heard of it.

15

Ditto. The commissaries on the US military bases carry malt-o-meal cereals in those resealable bags. I find them to tast just as good as, and sometimes better than, the big name brand equivalents.

Question about that Lestoil that’s apparently been in one poster’s (or their parent’s) dungeon…er, basement for decades: is it still good to use?

16

It still gets out grease stains, which is, so far as I know, what it’s intended to be used for.

All it is is a low-viscosity oil, that dissolves other oils, and can then itself be more easily washed out by detergents. It’s only similar to Ajax and Mr. Clean in that all three are cleaning products (but completely different sorts of cleaning products).

17

I’ve known about it my entire life. It never occurred to me that it wasn’t still sold (it is).

18

Absolutely yes! It was great for cleaning up those muddy dinosaur tracks.

19

By “today”, do you mean the crossword puzzle of September 20, 2020, or two weeks ago?

20

If you read the label, it’s some sort of weird hybrid, in that it’s high in pine oil, surfactants, and has stoddard solvent in it. And you mix it in water like you do any other floor mopping detergent product like Pine Sol, Mr. Clean, Spic-n-Span, etc…

It happens to be a fantastic cleaner for greasy stuff, and also soap scum in bathtubs, believe it or not.

I used to get it at Home Depot, but I haven’t seen it at my local one in a while.