favorite Things...to make life easier....

Hi all, I thought it would be fun to see what some of your favorite things (products) are. I see alot of new items in the store and hate to spend the money on them just to toss them because I end up not liking them so here goes...... My new favorite is Tide to go sticks. I LOVE these sticks. I put one in my purse and I swear I use it almost every day and have saved lots of time and money on getting everything from grass stains to chocolate off of my clothes, bedding, kids stuff etc. They are awsome.....spend the money if you are a slob like me!! Meems

That's funny you mentioned Tide To Go. They just did a Consumer Reports segment on our local news last night - and it was about Tide To Go and other stain removers. Apparently,they dont work as well as advertised.... You should try Shout Wipes Plus - they worked the best but, according to the story, they make your clothes wet...

From the story:
A commercial for Tide to Go shows it easily getting out an embarrassing spot in the midst of a fancy meal.

The package claims Tide to Go "helps eliminate many fresh food and drink stains." It's only when you open the package and read the instructions you see it promises to work well on just five stains: tomato juice, ketchup, barbecue sauce, grape juice and coffee.

Consumer Reports just tested Tide to Go against those five stains. Also included in the tests - 23 other common spills that can wind up on your clothes.

Chemist Ed Miller has been testing products at Consumer Reports for more than 50 years, "Of the five stains it promises to take out, it only took three out completely on cotton."

It didn't get out the barbecue sauce or the grape juice. And Tide to Go didn't do so well on the other stains. All in all it could completely clean just six of the 48 test swatches.

Consumer Reports also tested two other on-the-go stain removers - Shout Wipes Plus and Janie Dry Stick Spot Cleaner.

Janie promises it "absorbs grease, oil, and dairy-based stains."

But in Consumer Reports tests, it couldn't completely remove any of the stains, including motor oil, chocolate milk, or New England clam chowder.

As for Shout Wipes Plus, the towelette says it works best on fresh stains, but doesn't specify which ones.

Consumer Reports found it was better than the others, but it only completely cleaned 13 of the 48 swatches.

Consumer Reports says the Shout Wipes Plus towelettes are easy to use, but be aware, they make your clothes quite wet.

Full article:
http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?s=5249933

I'd just have to say mine is the internet. I do almost EVERYthing online nowdays. Bills, shopping, my love of gardening in shared her online at Daves, if I could grocery shop and get my hair done online....I'd be set! =)

But if I had to pick a certain "item" I would hate to do without.....it would be SOS pads....lol ! I use them for so many things....I keep them inside and outside!

Rhonda

Have you guys used the "Magic Erasers"? they are in the aisle with things like dish sponges and SOS pads. Jeezum crow those things are *amazing* I don't use them very much at home (I try hard to keep it green, I'm an environmental kook) but my mother uses them and they are just astounding.

My favourite can't-do-without is the jar lid opener I got at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It can open anything.

Another vote for Magic Erasers!!! With a 4 year old in the house they are a must!!!

I also have a cloth that is made out of the same material as eyeglass cleaner cloths. I keep one in my car to clean the inside of my car windows.

Oh and my doctor turned me on to a cheap 'cleansing' bath. If you like hot baths try it!! 1 cup Kosher salt (you can use Sea but Kosher is cheaper) and 1 cup Baking Soda. That's it!! Sit in there and sweat! Supposedly it helps gets 'impurities' out - whatever I like the way it feels..

Nicole

I have to second Rhonda with the internet.
Also FYI, Amazon is now shipping grocery items and the shipping if free! You have to order in bulk but they carry a lot of products I can't get locally so ordering 6 of something wasn't an issue. I also ordered lots of bulky items like paper towels (their price was comparable to WalMarts). At the price of gas right now this is a good deal.

Michael, for sloppy people like me...if I can remove any stain I am happy!!!! Today it was watermelon juice on my slacks and I SAT on a candy kiss...quilt and slacks, ugh....it all came out though. I am sure it would not work on everything but I am happy that it works on anything!! LOL. Spray sizing ( not starch) is another great invention. It really keeps my clothes fresh looking after I iron them. Love the stuff. Meems

I'm a fan of Tide to Go and Magic Erasers too. The Tide to Go removed a coffee stain from my blouse at work and it left no ring or anything. The Magic Eraser removed a rust stain on my counter top with just water.

Greased Lightning is a favorite heavy duty cleaner. It works great on my window screens.

Here here on the Magic Erasers. Amazing must-have product!

For extra fun, you might want to pop over to the Clean and Clutter Free forum,
there is a great discussion including many products, called
"Rate your cleaning products." Great stuff!

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/614201/

I like Tide-to-go...cause I am at the sloppy stage....I have a "chest" that catches everything!!

I love the Magic Eraser too. Jo

re: the baking soda and salt bath. This was on Martha Stewart a few years ago as "bath salt" to make up as a gift and tie a ribbon around it. She suggests adding a drop or two of essential oil. My favorite is Lavender.

Hey. Doesn't anybody use a steamer to clean instead of all those harsh chemicals you seem to like? I bought mine on HSN and in a 100 year old house, I really don't feel like its clean until its steamed. The gook gets wiped away with rags--old cotton underwear and nightgowns.

Huh, I never heard of this. What is this steamer thing? Can you link a cleaning impaired chickie up?

I picked up a Swivel Sweeper at Bed Bath and Beyond, I love this thing . It weighs about 1 or 2 lbs. and it is GREAT on my laminate floors which I have through out the house. It also works great on my area rugs. It turns, twists and goes under anything you want it to. There is a charger I keep in a wall plug and usually will charge overnite once or twice a week. It really picks up great and is alot better then lugging out the vac. Really fast too. You just empty the tray when your done. I think with my coupon it cost me $29.00. I will probably get another one and put it away in case anything happens to it. Nice for anyone that has back problems or cant lift or use a broom easily.

luna: the steam cleaners are available at HSN.com or Target and probably Amazon. Mine is a Euro-Pro. It holds about 1.5 liters of water. You heat up the water and it turns to steam. There are several attachments: from a towel wrapped mop for floors (or walls), a squeegee for windows (works great--no streaks), and some smaller brushes for cleaning hard surfaces. You use it in conjunction with microfiber cloths which are highly absorbent. You can also use paper towels for a really goopy mess. The steamer does not leave a lot of water unless it is not hot enough. You do have to pause every now and then to reheat the water to steam temperature. You use the time for wiping down. The steam is dry and surprisingly you can put your hand in it and not burn. As I said, I live in a 100 year old house. The steamer works on everything from gunky old porcelain, to plaster walls, removing wall paper, and wood floors. You don't use soap with it. You just melt the dirt and wipe it away. I am experimenting now with using the steamer in alternation with a wet vacuum for things like piles of wet wall paper. Otherwise, you would need a scoop and bucket for a really big mess. Otherwise, use your cotton or microfiber rags. No chemical exposure. No bleach stains. You could speed up cleaning a crusty oven or microwave by boiling water with a T of vingegar, before steaming. Once I tried putting vinegar in the steamer to clean grease from a kitchen fan. Ugh. Not a good idea! Just use water in the steamer. I suppose you could use a few drops of essential oil fragrance, if you like to aroma therapy while you clean.

I use that same Euro Pro steamer and love it.