Formula 409 was introduced in 1966 during a time when convenience was becoming a key selling point for household goods. Unlike other cleaners of the era, this one was designed to be tough on grime but easy on everything else — including your hands. Its non-flammable formula and lack of petroleum-based ingredients helped it stand out in a market that was just beginning to embrace spray cleaners. The product was marketed to handle every washable surface in the home, and with no rinsing required, it seemed like a clear win for modern homemakers.
Throughout the 1970s and into the early ’80s, Formula 409 cemented its reputation as the go-to cleaner for a range of messes, from spaghetti sauce to floor wax. Advertisements often highlighted its no-nonsense spray bottle, which made application simple and fast. The brand also leaned into its versatility, pushing the idea that one bottle could replace several other products under the sink. That kind of practicality resonated with the growing number of two-income households and apartment dwellers who didn’t want to deal with a shelf full of specialized cleaners.
Even as other brands entered the market, Formula 409 remained a staple thanks to regular updates and new variants, including disinfectant formulas and larger economy sizes. One ad even showcased a young Kirk Cameron long before his acting fame, which gave the product a modern and relatable feel. By the late 1980s, 409 had become part of the American cleaning routine, as common in households as sponges and paper towels.
Below, we’ve collected some vintage Formula 409 ads from the 1960s through the ’80s, showcasing how this “miracle cleaner” was pitched to consumers back when TV trays and linoleum floors were in their prime. Here’s why people loved the stuff!
- Antibacterial kitchen all purpose cleaner
- Cuts through grease and grime
- For an unbeatable clean every day
Vintage Formula 409: New miracle household cleaner! (1966)
Cleans everything cleaner!
Rugged and tough, Formula 409 will knock out all the drudgery in cleaning walls, floors — everything, in the very first round.
Housewives can hang up their rubber gloves for good! Formula 409 is as gentle to the hands as lotion. Yet it will clean every washable surface in the house fast — and 409 is non-flammable!
With Formula 409 there’s no film, no rinsing and no hard rubbing — no harsh ingredients such as ammonia, kerosene or other petroleum-based products. Buy the handy spray bottle today. You’ll see!
Women who have tried ’em all call it THE ONE CLEANER THAT DOES IT ALL (1969)
No other all-purpose cleaner lifts away dirt, grease and grime so quickly and so easily. Formula 409 simply won’t quit, no matter how tough the job.
And it does more of the hard jobs than any other all-purpose cleaner. Even stubborn rug spots come up easily when you use Formula 409 in the handy spray. For big jobs like floors and walls — there’s Formula 409 in the economical half-gallon size. Pick up either size at your grocer’s this week and save 8 cents.
Messy cleaning job? Just spray and wipe with 409 (1974)
A young architect can create a breath-taking skyscraper and a tough cleaning problem at the same time. But Formula 409′ Spray Cleaner can clean up that problem with just a spray and a wipe.
That’s because 409 has a solvent system that removes most common soils and is especially effective on such stubborn soils as grease, fingerprints, pencil marks, old floor wax, catsup, peanut butter, spaghetti sauce, and oil. Just Spray and Wipe!
The pump sprayer on Formula 409’s 22-ounce bottle makes it fast and easy to apply. No dilution, no mixing, no water, and no rinsing. There’s no cleaner handier than 409 Spray.
ALSO SEE: Vintage paper towels from the ’70s: Plain, patterned & paisley designs
Formula 409: Stereotypical mom and dad Tv commercial (1974)
Vintage Formula 409 household cleaner hit supermarket shelves in the ’60s, and was one of the most popular household cleaning products during the 1970s and 1980s. See why people loved the stuff here!
Vintage 409 disinfectant bathroom cleaner (1975)
Spray and wipe bathtub and fixtures clean and shining. No scratchy grit!
Spray and wipe shower clean, free of mold and mildew. No rinsing needed!
Spray and wipe sink spotless. Foam away dirt, stains and soap scum. So easy!
409 gets my sink scouring powder clean. And then some. (1974)
Formula 409 Disinfectant Bathroom Cleaner delivers scouring powder cleaning strength to almost every bathroom cleaning job. Yet 409 is a lot easier to use and leaves no scratchy grit.
With 409, you just spray and wipe and tough bathroom stains come clean. It works great on tile, fixtures, bathtub ring, every place you’d normally use scouring powder. Plus some places — like glass and chrome — where you wouldn’t.
You’ll like 409 because it disinfects, too. Kills germs on contact. Stops mil-dew up to seven days. 409 The easy way to get your bathroom scouring powder clean. The Clorox Company, 1974
Before he was famous: Actor Kirk Cameron for Formula 409 (1981)
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One Response
I’ve been trying to find a commercial from the mid-late 1980s or early 1990s. It was (I think) a brand of paper towels with each side of the towel a different texture. The women in the commercial wore different outfit and did suggestive dancing according to which texture side they were using – soft (or smooth for wiping delicate surfaces/polishing) or rough (for scrubbing and tough cleanup). Soft-sided woman dressed romantically while Rough-sided woman wore more risqué, almost nightclub attire and danced extremely provocatively. Not sure if it was Bounty, Brawny, Viva, Scott, or other brand. I can find nothing about it. It did not air very long. Probably shocked too many people with the outrageousness of it.
Then I thought, perhaps they were not paper towels, maybe it was Terry Towels or Handi Wipes. I cannot find ANYTHING about the existence of Terry Towels. Both Terry Towels and Handi Wipes were extremely similar reusable, disposable cleaning towels made by different companies. I think Terry Towels came out first. Handi Wipes still exist, but apparently I’m the only one that remembers Terry Towels.
Anyone else remember (or can possibly find) anything about either of these things?