I Cleaned My Whole House with Cheap Denture Cleanser — and It Worked

I just cleaned my whole house with Polident, and I’m never going back.

I heard I could use the effervescent denture cleanser to clean everything from coffee pots to toilets, and I wanted to put it to the test.

After all, replacing four or five different cleaners in my house with one $6 box of denture cleaning tablets could save a lot of money!

But how well could it work?

Turns out, it kind of blew my mind.

How to Save Money with Denture Cleanser

No one in my house uses dentures, a retainer or any other appliance one would typically clean with denture cleanser.

I bought it today just for household cleaning.

I picked up the Well at Walgreen’s store-brand denture cleanser comparable to Polident. An 84-tablet box of antibacterial, three-minute denture cleanser costs $5.49 in the store.

It worked on everything!

Here’s how I used denture cleanser around the house, and how much money I’d spend otherwise.

1. Toilet Bowl Cleaner

32-ounce Seventh Generation Toilet Bowl Cleaner: $2.99

Clean your toilet bowl by dropping a few tabs in the water. Some sites suggest you wait about 10-15 minutes for the tablets to act, then scrub as normal.

I used three fast-acting tabs, so I only waited about three minutes before scrubbing — and it was clean as a whistle!

At an estimated 10 uses per 32-ounce bottle, toilet bowl cleaner costs 30 cents per use. Three tablets of denture cleanser do the same job for 21 cents.

2. Sink Cleaner

26-ounce Seventh Generation All Purpose Cleaner: $2.99

After I saw how well denture cleanser cleaned the toilet, I was curious to see how far it could go. Would it have the same effect on the rest of the bathroom?

I filled the sink about halfway with warm water and dropped in two tabs. I let them effervesce for a few minutes, then wiped it clean.

It looked just as good as with the Lysol I typically use to clean the bathroom.

An estimated 26 uses per bottle of all-purpose cleaner means each time I clean the sink costs 12 cents. One tablet of denture cleanser does it for 7 cents.

3. Bathtub Cleaner

Next, I decided to tackle the bathtub — my least-favorite chore of all time.  I avoid this one like the plague that’s probably growing in the corners of my tub by now.

I know denture cleanser is meant to work while dentures and appliances are immersed and soaking in the cleansing bubbles.

Filling the toilet and sink had the same effect on their porcelain surfaces.

But I wasn’t about to fill my bathtub and drop in dozens of tablets. Instead, I decided to use just three tablets in a small bucket of warm water.

I didn’t expect it to work.

But. It. Worked.

I let the tablets effervesce for a minute or two, then slowly poured the water over the dirty bottom of my bathtub, with the drain plugged. I spread the water around lightly with a brush and let it sit for a few more minutes.

Then I scrubbed.

Nothing will make me enjoy cleaning a bathtub. But denture cleanser, at least, made it easier than I was expecting. I couldn’t believe it.

And instead of inhaling the smell of bleach and toxic chemicals the whole time, I was awash in the refreshing scent of mint.

It’s for your (fake) teeth, remember?

It also means denture cleanser ingredients are safe enough to come into contact with your mouth (though you should never ingest it and should be aware of a potential allergic reaction).

Conservatively, I’d estimate I use five times the all-purpose cleaner on the tub that I use on the sink, so that’s 60 cents per cleaning.

Three tablets of denture cleanser got my tub minty clean for just 21 cents.

4. Coffee Stain Remover

I used the denture cleanser on both my glass coffee pot and two ceramic coffee mugs. All were marked with stubborn coffee or tea stains.

It worked like a charm on the mugs. I filled each with warm water and dropped in one tab. I wiped them clean with a sponge after three minutes — good as new.

The denture cleanser was less effective on the glass carafe. Again, I filled it with warm water and used one tablet. It was certainly cleaner after three minutes, just not crystal clear.

I’ll probably continue to use vinegar on my coffee pot. It’s more effective, even though its scent is far from minty fresh.

For most other things — pots, pans, earbuds and other hard-to-clean items around the house — I’m converted to denture cleanser.

Your Turn: Have you used denture cleanser to for unusual household cleaning?

Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. She’s written for Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer’s Digest and more, attempting humor wherever it’s allowed (and sometimes where it’s not).