Grandma's Shopping List, March 1936

When I look at vintage advertisements, I find it interesting that many of the products available today were also available to my grandmother. So, each month, I'll be sharing with you a few of the present-day products that our grandmothers and mothers might have added to their shopping lists...


1. Windex®
Sure, the ad says it's great for winter window cleaning, but, gee, what a help with the spring cleaning too! This product has been around since 1933, albeit with a different formula than in earlier years. And I had no idea that the same company also made Drano®.


2. Brillo®
Speaking of cleaning, Brillo® pads were patented in 1913, just as aluminum cookware was becoming popular. The coal-fired stoves in use at the time would blacken the aluminum pots and pans, but steel wool made cleaning cookware much easier. In the 1930s, soap was added to the pads. Just don't use it on your non-stick coated pans of today ;)


3. Arm & Hammer® Baking Soda

It's not just for baking! Even in 1936, alternate uses for baking soda were suggested. Arm & Hammer®, as a brand, has been around since the 186os, so perhaps my great-great-grandmother included it on her shopping list.


*Advertisements included in today's post are from the March 1936 issue of Ladies Home Journal.