Works For Me

Okay. So you may or may not have browsed through all the fun-filled photos from our "Staycation," but iffen you DID, you're probably wonderin' why in thuh WORLD you are now staring at a picture of an opened box of Denture Tabs. I mean, it's probably not what you've come to expect here at "The Davidson Den". But you know what? I like to think (when I go to bed at night) that we just keep you guys guessing, that you just NEVER know what you might find over here...

So, Denture Cleanser it is!

Of course, there is a reason you are staring at this unfortunate photo of an unfortunate product. I just so happened to have this stuff out last night...because I needed it. That's right, folks. I'm 35, and I use Denture Tabs. Although...it's most LIKELY not why you think. (Though I'm not going to pretend to know your thoughts...)

You see? I'm participating in...

And this?

This Denture Cleanser?

Well, it does, in fact, work.

for.

me.

Let me enlighten you.

I don't know about YOU, but my kiddos often (and when I say "often," I mean so frequently it sometimes makes my head spin) leave their sippy cups (with that last little bit of whatever they've been drinking that can't come out because of the no-spill valve location) in our car or the diaper bag or outside or...well, you get the idea. And when--not if--when. that happens, the valves very quickly begin to mold. Most of the time, the mold is SO stuck inside that no amount of soaking in soapy water, washing in the dishwasher, etc. will get rid of it.

For years, do you know what I did? Probably what YOU do. I chucked them. I'd sometimes hang on to the cups themselves, thinking I'd get valve replacements, and years ago, I would succeed in this endeavor (though it might take six trips to Wal-Mart to finally REMEMBER to pick some up). But NOW, those valve replacements are conspicuously absent from the shelves at Wal-Mart, Target, Walgreens, and so on. (I won't go into this further, but this is just one of the many reasons I have turned into SUCH a conspiracy theorist.) AN-EE-WAY. I had resorted to looking on Ebay for new packages of valves and found them for well over what I would pay for a couple of new CUPS!

Instead, I decided to Google possible ways to clean those suckers. Just to see. I actually ended up on some random forum where LoTs of mamas had shared tips to try. To me, none of them sounded remotely like they'd work, especially since I had tried many of them. Except for two things.

1) Soak them overnight in water with a Denture tab (use according to instructions).

and

2) Use dental brushes to get down in those ridiculously tiny crevices and scrub the moldy stuff right out (without damaging the valve). Yes. Dental brushes. I know!! I had never heard of them either!!!

Well, I'm here to tell ya.

Moms!!

This actually works. I have successfully salvaged SEVERAL sippy cup valves using these tips. And I just thought I'd do the honorable thing and share those tips with YOU. If you ever happen to try it, leave me a comment and let me know how it goes!

I'm sure I shouldn't be using these sippy cups in the first place. Plastic toxins, BPAs, tooth decay, tooth malformation, etc. But I don't have time to know everything there is to know about that right now. (I've got enough on my plate.) Maybe later. Until then, our sippy cup valves will at least be spotless--even if they are toxic or carcinogenic.

For more things that "work," click the Works For Me Wednesday banner above. On deck next from The Davidson Den for things that "work for me": homemade laundry detergent and baby wipe solution. So, y'all come back now...