...of Good Resource Management

CTC Readers' Poll:
Not Just Marketing Hype 

 In the July 1, 2007 issue of the newsletter, Counting the Cost editor 
Nancy Twigg asked readers this question:

"What are some of your favorite products that actually do what the product advertising claims they can do?"

Responses:

"I have to say one of the best products I have ever used is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I have removed marks from my walls and floor and grime from my stove burner pans. I find new uses for it everyday. It cleans everything! My next favorite product is Oxy-Clean. I have gotten stains out of light-colored shirts that other stain removers wouldn't touch. Be careful with darker shirts or shirts with dark trim as the Oxy-Clean will make the colors bleed. My favorite Oxy-Clean story is about the Cabbage Patch doll I bought for a quarter at a garage sale. The poor doll was badly stained. I soaked it over night in a bucket of hot water and Oxy-Clean, then soaked it in clean cool water. The doll looked like new and my daughter was thrilled with her new baby. These are the two products I wouldn't want to be without!" ~ Carol from Minnesota


"I have an infomercial product that I purchased after an in store demonstration. My sister's family and my family love Mexican food and fresh salsa. One day she and I were shopping together and saw a demo of the Food Chopper 2000. It is basically a hand-propelled food processor. We had both found that an electric food processor liquified our salsa and that all the hand chopping was very tedious in order to make very small consistent pieces. The Food Choppers were $20 each 6-7 years ago and I still use mine a couple of times a week to make salsa and for other chopping tasks." ~ Heather

 


"I love Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser. It will take crayon marks off a wall, permanent marker off the white kitchen counters, and huge red candle wax stains off white linoleum. Whenever I have a stain that I'm sure won't come off, I pull out the Magic Eraser and am amazed again!  Beware: the store brand version doesn't work nearly as well as Mr. Clean." ~ Kathy
 

 
"The most used and favorite thing that I have is the Bissell Little Green Clean Machine. It's a small, portable carpet cleaner. I have light beige carpeting with 3 children, so you can just imagine how often that machine is used. It has cleaned up all types of kids' messes. It's even easier to use than those spray carpet cleaners in the can. I don't have to worry about brushing, blotting or anything of that nature. I love it because I don't have to lug around a full-sized machine to clean a small spill and I can still keep a clean home." ~ Anonymous

"I love Goo Gone. It takes out grease stains on clothing, carpet, inside the cars, your hands, everywhere. It isn’t just for those sticky price (clearance of course) tags that seem to never come off. I recently had a butter knife dropped on my jacket. The restaurant paid to clean my jacket. The butter grease did not come out. So when I got home I washed it again, this time using the Goo Gone and it came right out. Great stuff!" ~ Michele in Cheyenne


 
"As a pet owner who deals with carpet stains from hair balls or tummy upsets, I'm a loyal fan of Spot Shot.  It takes the color and odor out of the carpet, usually on the first try.  I've also used it successfully on dirty spots created when someone forgot to leave their shoes at the door. (Spot Shot was recommended to me by one of the largest furniture stores in our state. You can imagine the amount of foot traffic they have daily.)" ~ Debbie, Ohio


"When I read this question, I came up with an answer immediately and was glad to share the information. The product we purchased that we thought would be great was an Oreck XL vacuum cleaner. We have spent more money on new belts (not to mention over $400 on the vacuum)  in the past 6 years and it doesn't clean well.  On the other hand, we recently purchased a Dyson Slimline vacuum cleaner and this thing is amazing! I can't believe the amount of dirt and hair it picks up. You can see it through the canister and then dispose of it right away. You don't even have to change any belts." ~ Carol in Southern Michigan 

 

"I have 2, actually. One is Goo Gone. This product not only removes those stuck on tags from picture frames, glass, dishes, toys and bottles, but it will remove gum and other sticky messes from clothing. The bottle claims that it can remove tar and pine sap, but I have not tried it on those substances. I have had very good luck using this product to remove lots of labels as well as gum from the seat of my daughter's pants.

The second product is my Swiffer Wet-jet. I purchased it when my first child was able to self-feed. Most of the food would end up on the floor in messes around her chair. I found myself either using a sponge and floor cleaner to clean up the messes or getting out the mop and bucket. The Wet-jet does the same job quicker. No bucket necessary. Since I bought the Wet-jet, it has been used in the kitchen as well as the bathroom to clean the entire floor and to spot clean, in just a few minutes. The downside is that you can only use the Wet-jet solution with this mop, but I feel it is well worth it to save time in the long run.

I highly recommend both of these products to anyone." ~ Laura in New Hampshire

 



"The white bathroom tile and grout in our tub was very badly stained by our rust-filled, hard water.  We tried a number of products over the years. Some of them smelled so badly they caused terrible headaches. We'd scrub and scrub and still have stained tile. Recently I came across a product called 'Bar Keeper's Friend.'  It comes in a round, shaker can and is very similar to Comet, but it hardly has any odor and it works GREAT!  In no time at all, with just a little scrubbing, our tub was sparkling like new!  We were convinced we needed to redo the entire shower and now we're saving a lot of money because of this little $2.00 product!  I've told all my friends about it, and now I'm telling you about it too!" ~ Lisa 


"A recent product that I have found that I absolutely love is Oxyclean laundry stain remover. I used to be a loyal Shout user until I found the Oxyclean. It has gotten out every stain I have tried it on; from the oil my husband gets on his work clothes, non-washable markers on my kids clothes, to the slimy goop my daughter got on her pants when a squishy ball she was playing with broke. I have even used it on my sofas to get out small stains. And the best part is a little bit goes a long way." ~ Annie K.

 

Editor's Note: Thanks to all these readers who took time to write!

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