wonderwhatif
Member Since: January 26, 2015Reviews
BIODERMA ABCDerm H2O Micellar Water
I wouldn't use this on my baby, but as a micellar water, I really like it. Research has shown that water might not be the safest and kind way to clean a baby's skin, but the addition of fragrance to this means I really wouldn't use it on mine... +
I wouldn't use this on my baby, but as a micellar water, I really like it. Research has shown that water might not be the safest and kind way to clean a baby's skin, but the addition of fragrance to this means I really wouldn't use it on mine. There's no need for fragrance in micellar water, in my opinion. However, this is absolutely great for grown-ups (other than the fragrance), despite being marketed to babies.
My usual micellar water, for example, is cheaper, but for a much smaller bottle. The bottle size makes this a huge bargain for those who use Micellar Water to cleanse. I've been a fan of Micellar Water for a long time, because it cleanses my skin reasonably well, but mostly because it's so easy to use. No rinsing, just a cotton pad and a swipe and you're ready to tone/moisturise; it's super simple.
There are also people with dry skin in our house and micellar water is really effective at healing that skin and leaving it much improved.
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Hyland's Restful Legs
Didn't work for my severe RLS, but I was desperate so I gave it a try. I think this works for some people and not others, hence why they don't recommend it for RLS. Unfortunately, didn't do the job for me. They are easy to take though, no bad taste... +
Didn't work for my severe RLS, but I was desperate so I gave it a try. I think this works for some people and not others, hence why they don't recommend it for RLS. Unfortunately, didn't do the job for me. They are easy to take though, no bad taste or aftertaste and just dissolve under the tongue. -
Jokari fizz-keeper can pump and pour
Very disappointed. Literally, ten days since I got them, used for a handful of times and one of them just fell apart. Like it literally wasn't even a sharp edge, it's like it cracked, but it's not sharp, like the plastic is bad and just went for no... +
Very disappointed. Literally, ten days since I got them, used for a handful of times and one of them just fell apart. Like it literally wasn't even a sharp edge, it's like it cracked, but it's not sharp, like the plastic is bad and just went for no reason. I was opening the can, not even touching the ring and it just fell to pieces.
Before this, I loved a previous Jokari product, but after this experience I would be very hesitant to buy from them again.
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Cathay luxury fitted sheet
Honestly, I was pretty sceptical about these, given the price. Similar sheets at cheap home stores have been very rough or bad quality, but while these aren't $100 sheet quality, they are really nice for the cost. They are not rough in the... +
Honestly, I was pretty sceptical about these, given the price. Similar sheets at cheap home stores have been very rough or bad quality, but while these aren't $100 sheet quality, they are really nice for the cost. They are not rough in the slightest. I'm like The Princess and the Pea and my skin is very sensitive, but these haven't bothered me at all.
So far they are holding up very well against my cats claws and haven't ripped or developed any catches. In fact, they are holding up much better than my $60 set of sheets. Will definitely buy again.
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Swiffer Duster Extender
Right off, I'll say that these are a lot faster than regular polish and cloth cleaning, but you're not going to get the same results. I've been ill for a while and as a result, my cleaning has fallen behind. Plus, now that it's winter it's time to... +
Right off, I'll say that these are a lot faster than regular polish and cloth cleaning, but you're not going to get the same results. I've been ill for a while and as a result, my cleaning has fallen behind. Plus, now that it's winter it's time to dust off ye olde treadmill, so these were ideal to tackle the huge buildup of dust in my place, but if I was feeling well I probably wouldn't use them on a weekly basis. In my opinion, they work best for large build-ups of dust.
Here's why; they are great at quickly removing large swathes of dust, but won't get into the nooks and crannies the way you can with a handheld duster. However, you can push them between spokes and shelves, but if anything is light it's easy to push it over. Still it makes a lot of jobs a lot easier. I loved these for:
- Dusting lower shelves quickly that don't need to be perfect.
- Cleaning over paintings/hanging art easily.
- Ceiling fan.
They also work great as a quick once-over before company comes or if you don't need the job done absolutely perfectly.
The extendable handle is very useful, one of the things they say it's good for is ceiling fans. I definitely found this to be true. I'm 5' 3" so if you're shorter than this or have particularly high ceilings you might find you can't reach, but for most people this would work. It also works great to do the tops of doorways and get cobwebs on the ceiling.
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DEWALT DW030PL 30FT Pocket Laser Distance Measurer
This is mostly a tool for those who need to measure distances quickly and not to an exact measurement, as it's accurate to one quarter of an inch. During my tests it was very accurate, giving me the same measurement most of the times, as a tape... +
This is mostly a tool for those who need to measure distances quickly and not to an exact measurement, as it's accurate to one quarter of an inch. During my tests it was very accurate, giving me the same measurement most of the times, as a tape measure, and a 1/8" difference in one case. However, the instructions are basically useless, so let me tell you what you need to know here:
To use:
-Press button.
-Place back of device against the back of whatever you are measuring from.
-Press button again.
- It will measure to where the laser beam hits.
- If you need the laser beam to hit somewhere sooner (like you want to measure until a certain point, but the laser keeps going), use your hand or a piece of paper or 'target' to stop the beam at the appropriate point before pressing the button to measure.
- To change measurement, hold the button for three seconds. (changes from feet + inches, inches and more).
- To turn off hold the button down until it turns off (around five seconds).
It's much smaller than expected and easily fits in the palm of your hand, it has a wrist strap so you don't lose it, as well. It's definitely handy, for fast and dirty measurements, but I wouldn't use it for anything that needs absolute precision. I like that it's rechargeable too, if you need to measure quick estimates in your daily work, it could definitely save you some time.
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Velcro Reusable Self-Gripping Cable Ties
I can't believe I've been using non-reusable ties all these years like a schmuck! These are slightly more complicated to tie (not really, not by much) and I have the option to take them off. This makes it ideal for things like securing my bird... +
I can't believe I've been using non-reusable ties all these years like a schmuck! These are slightly more complicated to tie (not really, not by much) and I have the option to take them off. This makes it ideal for things like securing my bird feeder so it doesn't blow around so much, then I can remove them to wash it and don't have to cut them or use new ones. Genius. -
Epson ET-2750 Color Photo Printer
This printer from Epson (the ET-2750) is the second printer I’ve seen in recent weeks equipped with what appears to be the new “it” feature for printers: refillable ink tanks replacing the old ink cartridge system. This change has its upsides... +
This printer from Epson (the ET-2750) is the second printer I’ve seen in recent weeks equipped with what appears to be the new “it” feature for printers: refillable ink tanks replacing the old ink cartridge system. This change has its upsides and downsides, but for the most part I consider it a big upgrade from the old system, and I think this printer is much better for this new inclusion. The fact that it includes 2 years of ink right away is a huge selling point and makes the price a lot more reasonable!
If you haven’t seen one before, the new ink tanks are very straight-forward: instead of buying or coming with ink cartridges, you are given bottles of ink (Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow) which you then pour into designated tanks for each colour. This makes it cheaper to buy replacement ink (roughly 20$ per bottle), easier to keep track of how much ink you have left, and much simpler to refill when you do need to top it up.
On the issue of cost, it is cheaper to buy bottles of ink than cartridges, but the downside is that you can’t buy third-party ink. The bottles have to come from Epson, as nobody else (that I’ve found) makes the ink bottles in the exact shape that is needed to be compatible with this printer. That’s fine as long as the price remains competitive from Epson, but I know some people don’t like to be locked in to buying from one company.
On tracking your ink, the windows into the ink tanks are easy to use to keep an eye on your ink levels, and I did find it convenient being able to know at a glance, even if the printer was off, whether or not I had much ink left in my printer.
On the refilling point, the special design of the bottles makes it so that the ink cannot come out until it is placed in the special receivers on the ink tanks, which eliminates the issue of accidentally pouring ink on your hands or table. This was a big problem with some other ink tank printers I’ve used, so it’s good to see that Epson has found a solution to this issue. If you have shaky hands or motor problems, there's no worry about spilling these.
The printer itself is great quality, and comes with all the bells and whistles you’d expect at this price point. It can print wirelessly from laptops, computers, phones and tablets, in colour or black and white, and on two sides if needed. It also has a scanner built into it, and can be adjusted to fit various sizes of paper depending on what you need.
Installation and setup is your basic package, simple to use and includes a few programs from Epson which you can use to streamline your printing/scanning if you need them. The whole setup process takes maybe 15 minutes, and that’s including a 10 minute process where the printer made a lot of noise and pre-loaded its ink, during which I had plenty of time to flip through the manual and check out its various features. By the time it was all set and ready to print, so was I.
This lower model number (ET-2750) comes with slightly less ink and lacks an auto-feed scanner, but other than that, it has all the features of the more advanced models, making it a decent buy!
All in all, I think this printer does a fine job at covering all the basics you might need, and the ink tanks are an interesting new twist that looks like it will save money and be more convenient in the long run.
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Bissell 2075A Power Fresh Slim Steam Mop
This is a really great steam cleaner. Using it on floors is very easy, but one of the big appeals of this is how versatile it is. It can also be used as a handheld steamer and comes with everything listed in the product description, which means you... +
This is a really great steam cleaner. Using it on floors is very easy, but one of the big appeals of this is how versatile it is. It can also be used as a handheld steamer and comes with everything listed in the product description, which means you can use it for almost any job; bathroom, oven, microwave, floors etc. There are a lot of uses I'd never thought of before. The only thing it's lacking is a window squeegee attachment (sold separately) so keep that in mind if you plan to clean mirrors or windows. Also be careful not to clean particularly cold glass in case you crack it, best to air on the side of caution when it comes to applying steam to glass surfaces.
I'm sure it's going to take me time to try out all the different applications, but I've already used it on the floor and some other places; so I'll probably update this review as I use it on other areas (I have plans to clean my oven within a month or two). You should note that I've heard a lot of buzz about Steam cleaners, but they are not magic. You don't just wave the appliance and dirt dissolves. Before you buy it you should know that despite being lightweight it is an arm workout to use it as a handheld steamer. It also will not get rid of hair and dust, so you have to wipe whatever you're steaming afterwards. Steam only does part of the work, it isn't a magic wand. It loosens and sanitises, but you still have to clean.
It is particularly effective on floors and appliances like microwaves. One thing I liked about it, right off the bat compared to other steam cleaners I'd tried, was how easy it was. Setup was a breeze, the instructions are super clear, even for a steam newbie and refilling/emptying is so easy. Just lift up a panel, pour water in with cup. To empty, lift the handheld steamer part and tip sideways. Leave open to evaporate the remaining droplets of the water.
I'm really happy with the provided storage. The mount is easy to screw into your wall, but most importantly it has a place for EVERYTHING. No bits or bobs hanging around. Excess attachments go in a little mesh bag which there's a hook for on the mop mount. I would definitely recommend installing the mount as it's much easier to keep everything neat with.
Overall, this is a great steam option as long as you are armed with the knowledge that steam doesn't do all the cleaning for you. This machine is easy to use, setup and super versatile. It comes with almost every attachment you'll ever need and it works great!
Floors: I was surprised at the difference in my bathroom floor. Grime tends to accumulate and it doesn't remove fluff or hair, but the lines between the tiles were noticeably lighter even after a quick pass over. I'll definitely be using it again for this.
Microwave: Does a better job than an Angry Mama, but you still need to wipe it down afterwards, it's still a good deal easier than cleaning by hand, but the machine is heavy on the arms after a while and hard to get in there if you have a smaller microwave.
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Pros:
- Comes with a lot of attachments, almost all you'll ever need.
- Easy to setup, super clear instructions with all the extra parts and their uses explained.
- Cord is really long so you can go the distance with it.
- Lightweight (still heavy over time and works the arm muscles, but weighs only slightly more than a handheld vacuum)
- Easy to fill and empty, no fussing.
- Comes with a mount, everything in it's place. Tools can be attached on the mount, in a bag that hangs from the mount, or snap onto the bottom of the steamer if you need to take them with you.
- Makes cleaning much easier.
- Sanitises.
- Extremely versatile, goes from a floor mop to handheld and has a million uses.
Cons:
- Does not come with window squeegee attachment.
Be aware:
- Steam isn't magic, it is very helpful, but you still have to clean. Surfaces must be wiped to remove debris and liquid after using steam.
- Leave the water chamber open afterwards to let remaining water evaporate and prevent mold.
- Weirdly the flat surface tool says 'window squegee' but doesn't have the rubber squeegee part. I think it's just the same part in the factory, modified when it's the window tool, so don't be confused.
- Flat surface tool goes on top of the 'clothing steamer' tool after you remove the cloth. I couldn't figure out how to attach it at first and no instructions tell you. See my picture if you're unsure.
- Take care when using a hot steamer on cold glass, you don't want it to shock and crack the glass, so keep this in mind.
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Play-Doh
A toy that will always, always go down well. Smells amazing, non-toxic and sure to start the fires of creativity. You can get a lot of kits and extras if your kid really wants, but even a single simple tub of Play-Doh will delight even the fussiest... +
A toy that will always, always go down well. Smells amazing, non-toxic and sure to start the fires of creativity. You can get a lot of kits and extras if your kid really wants, but even a single simple tub of Play-Doh will delight even the fussiest child. -
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