Product Review: Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Original

 

This is a pack of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers in an assortment of sizes. They go from the size of a standard sponge to a larger square. So, you can clean a range of surfaces easily. And, they are able to get something like a sink that may have limescale built up in it clean without having to use a ton of cleaner (sometimes without using any cleaner). They are definitely worth the pickup and great to have as a subscribe and save item on Amazon so you can have them delivered on a schedule that fits your needs.

Product Review: Hoover Pet Carpet Cleaning Solution, Deep Cleaning Carpet Shampoo

 

This is the cleaner meant to be used in the Hoover SmartWash carpet cleaner. It is the solution that goes into a container that attaches to the back of the carpet cleaner and mixes with the warm water that you put in the clean water tank. It mixes automatically so you do not have to measure anything, just fill the solution container and use the machine. You can probably use it in a different carpet cleaner as well, but I specifically bought the Hoover machine and use it as the recommended product for that one. It definitely keeps the carpet smelling clean and fresh. I had newly installed carpet in a couple of areas in my townhouse and have only used this on that. So, I have no idea how well it works on deep, set-in, stains on an older carpet. But, if you have a new carpet and clean it once a month or even once every few months using this, it will definitely keep your carpet in good shape and smelling nice.

Product Review: Hoover Oxy Spot Chaser Refill for Smartwash Pet

 

This is a cleaning solution that goes into, and sprays from, the handle of the Hoover Smartwash carpet cleaner. It does a great job breaking up pet stains before passing over the area with the base. You would not use it on the whole area, just on spot stains to pre-treat them and make them easier to get up. You could, if you do not want the actual carpet cleaner, put it in a spray bottle and use whatever other carpet cleaning method you desire. It definitely gets the job done.

Product Review: Hoover SmartWash Automatic Carpet Cleaner with Spot Chaser Stain Remover Wand

 

I had to use this a lot sooner than expected to clean up a pet mess. So, I essentially had to put it together (very easy), figure out how to use it (also easy), and clean the carpet at the same time. It did a great job cleaning up the leftover mess/stains on the floor after the dog got left alone for too long. The spot chaser in the handle did a great job pre-treating the stains, and then "vacuuming" over the area got everything up, dried the carpet pretty well, and left the carpet smelling great. The one quirk to it is that you need to make sure the tank that collects the dirty water is on correctly. If it is not the water will go into the carpet but will not be sucked back up. I definitely recommend this both for monthly or every few months of carpet cleaning to keep your carpets fresh, and any pet emergencies that may come up.

Product Review: Clorox Ultra Clean Toilet Tablets Bleach & Blue

 

These are tabs that drop into the top of the toilet tank. They last around a month, give or take before you need to replace them. Initially, your toilet water will be dark blue and then it gets lighter over time. Personally, I use these in conjunction with the toilet wand that uses the heads with cleaner on it, and the combination of the two makes cleaning the interior of the toilet much easier.

Product Review: iRobot Braava Authentic Replacement Parts - Braava jet 200 Series Wet Mopping Pads

 

These are the wet pads for the Braava 200 series of robot mops from iRobot. Meaning, when one of these pads is on the mop it will spray more water on the floor and make more passe of the room. Basically, it is the pad that will make the robot do the deepest cleaning job. There is a bit of a scented solution of some kind on the bottom of the pad that gives off a scent as the robot mops up the water. I am not sure if it contributes anything more than just scent or it if actually helps clean the floor.

The mop knows which type of pad is attached based on the perforations in the "card" (for those old enough to remember the punch cards that were used for computer programming years ago, it is like that) that slips into the base of the mop to attach the pad. Depending on how large a room you are mopping you may have to use more than one pad and one cleaning cycle to get the entire room clean. You do want to make sure that if there are any bigger lint balls or more than just a minimal amount of dust or dirt on the floor that you use a vacuum and/or one of the dry pads (which is like a Swiffer sheet), otherwise this will just push them around. These are best used if your floor just needs relatively light cleaning (for example, if you clean them once or twice a week on a regular basis) or in relatively low-traffic areas that have a hard surface floor.

Product Review: iRobot Braava Jet 200 Series Damp Sweeping Pads

 

These are the damp pads for the Braava 200 series of robot mops from iRobot. Meaning, when one of these pads is on the mop it will spray some water on the floor and make a couple passes, but does not do as "deep" a cleaning as it does with the wet pad. There is a bit of a scented solution of some kind on the bottom of the pad that gives off a scent as the robot mops up the water. I am not sure if it contributes anything more than scent or if it actually helps clean, however.

The mop knows which type of pad is attached based on the perforations in the "card" (for those old enough to remember the punch cards that were used for computer programming years ago, it is like that) that slips into the base of the mop to attach the pad. It is akin to a Swiffer dusting sheet. Depending on how large a room you are mopping you may have to use more than one pad and one cleaning cycle to get the entire room clean. You do want to make sure that if there are any bigger lint balls or more than just a minimal amount of dust or dirt on the floor, you use a vacuum and/or a dry pad (which is like a Swiffer sheet), otherwise, this will just push them around. These are best used if your floor just needs relatively light cleaning (for example, if you clean them once or twice a week on a regular basis) or in relatively low-traffic areas that have a hard surface floor.

Product Review: iRobot Braava Jet 200 Series Dry Sweeping Pads

 

These are the dry pads for the Braava 200 series of robot mops from iRobot. Meaning, when one of these pads is on the mop it will just sweep the floor (like using a Swiffer dusting cloth) and will not spray any water. The mop knows which type of pad is attached based on the perforations in the "card" (for those old enough to remember the punch cards that were used for computer programming years ago, it is like that) that slips into the base of the mop to attach the pad. 

Depending on how large a room you are sweeping you may have to use more than one pad and one cleaning cycle to get everything up. Also, it is good for dust and lint on the floor, but it will not get up big particles, just put them around. So, you may have to make a pass with a vacuum to get bigger things up.

Product Review: iRobot Braava Jet 240 Robot Mop

 

I have used this a couple of times in a smaller half-bath/powder room which has tile flooring. I fully admit I hate cleaning floors so the floor had dust bunnies and hair in the corners. So, I went over it with a stick vacuum and then used the dry pad (which is akin to a dry Swiffer duster) and then I used the wet cleaning pad on the mop. Note, that there are three types of pads, wet, damp, and dry. All the pads themselves are actually dry. The damp and wet refers to how much water the unit will spray while cleaning. When the damp pad is connected the unit will spray less water than with the wet pad connected. The robot knows which pad is connected based on holes in the pad attachment that slip into the base of the robot. They look like old-school programming punch cards (for those who are old enough to remember what those were) and based on the configuration of the holes, the robot knows how much, if any, water to spray while cleaning. The robot holds 150 mL of water (so just over half a cup), which is strangely not in the documentation provided with the unit but can be found on the iRobot website. 

The first time I cleaned the bathroom it took quite long. It probably took 30 minutes with the dry pad and another 30 with the wet pad. The second time, just using the wet pad took about 15-20 minutes. After the cleaning cycle, the floor was damp, but not extremely wet. So, the pad did a good job getting up most of the water that was sprayed. How clean it will get your floor will largely depend on how clean you kept it up to the point of using the mop the first time. After the first use of the wet pad, I had to pick up some wet dust/hair clumps that were left on the floor. After the second use, there were almost none of those and the floor was cleaner. So, if you use it once a week or once every two weeks, it seems like it will do a great job keeping the floors clean.

Here are some pros and cons I have noticed after the first couple of uses:

Pros:

1. It is small and can maneuver around tight spaces. It had no problems getting around the back of the toilet and between the toilet and vanity in a small bathroom.

2. The pads are reasonably priced for replacement disposable pads, and there are washable pads available as well, so it ends up being very cost-efficient.

3. The pads can be ejected after you run it by a slide-type button, so you do not have to touch the pad to get it off the unit. Definitely a plus after cleaning a bathroom.

4. It is very light, even with water in it, and has a handle so you can pick it up without touching the bottom.

5. It has a rechargeable battery. While it does not have a docking station that the unit reconnects to and charges from like the more expensive units do, it does have a battery that pops in and out of the unit and plugs into a charging dock (which itself plugs into a regular wall outlet) to charge. It takes a couple of hours for the battery to charge, and when the robot is connected to the app, it has a battery indicator so you know how full the battery is.

Cons:

1. It does not have all the bells and whistles that the higher-priced units have, like a docking station, the ability to schedule times to clean, etc. It does have some "smartness" to it, such as a virtual wall feature that will allow you to set it down and not clean anything behind where the unit starts out, but that is about it. Personally, I just put it toward the back wall of the bathroom and shut the door, and do not bother engaging the virtual wall. It will stop cleaning roughly where it started, so if you do not start it in front of the door, you will be able to open the door when it is done without it blocking the door (if the door swings into the room being cleaned).

2. It does not turn off on its own right away after the cleaning cycle stops. It is just a small point, but it would be nice if it just powered down right away after it stops so it does not waste battery power needlessly.

If I think of any other pros or cons as I use it, I will update the review. But, so far, after just a couple of uses, I really like this, and definitely recommend it, especially if you are not cleaning large areas.

Product Review: Shark Navigator NV22L

 

I purchased this vacuum back around 2012 shortly after it came out. If you get past all the puffery of the infomercial (I have yet to see a product that is as great in real life as it is on the infomercial) I would say that this is a good to very good vacuum. I have a moderate-sized townhouse, most of which is carpeted. The vacuum has seemed to keep the same power or close to it, after multiple uses in each room. The drawbacks are the cord is not retractable and the way the plastic things you are supposed to wrap it around on the back are spaced, it always comes undone. Also, the attachments are not on board. They give you a bag to put the attachments in. The dust cup is a little small, but it is easy to empty.

I have not had any issues with the wheels, or issues with it stopping randomly like some Amazon reviewers noted. I have since replaced this one with robotic vacuums (to do the main parts of my floors) and a stick vacuum to do stairs. One big drawback to this one is that it did not have the lift-away functionality that the upgraded model would get, so it was kind of a pain to use it to vacuum stairs because you either had to lift it to each stair or mess with the hose and the attachments. I would definitely not call it the greatest vacuum ever, but for those in its price range, I would say that it is better than many others I have had.

Product Review: Glisten Garbage Disposer Cleaner

 

This is a good garbage disposal cleaner with a nice lemon scent that is not overpowering. To use it, you run hot water on full blast in the sink for a minute, then turn the water down to a trickle. You put the entire packet in the disposer and turn it on, and run the disposer until you cannot see foam (until you hear a whooshing sound), and then rinse any foam from the sink. The whole process takes about three minutes. There are three packets in the package. It would be nice to get a couple more per package in case you need to clean the disposer a couple of times during the month. Chances are, however, that most people will only need to use one per month.

Replacement Parts for iRobot Roomba i7 i7+ i3 i3+ i4 i4+ i6 i6+ i8 i8+ j7 j7+/Plus E5 E6 E7 Vacuum Cleaner

 

This is a kit that has replacement parts for the Roomba j and i series of vacuums. The kit has six edge brushes, plus a mini screwdriver to get the old brushes off and screws to put the new ones in, four replacement filters, four replacement bags, and replacements for the main rollers. Basically, you get, depending on how often you run the vacuum, a good couple of year's worth of replacement parts, at a much lower price than you would get buying the iRobot versions of the same things. 

Personally, if your unit is still under warranty I would still use their parts so they cannot void the warranty on you if something goes wrong with the vacuum, but once it is out of warranty, I would definitely not spend (at least) twice as much for the same replacement parts. The parts fit exactly as they should and are as easy (or as hard) to install as the original parts that come with the vacuum.

Product Review: Ultrasac Contractor Bags 42 Gallon

 

These are large contractor bags, which are mainly designed to hold waste from construction (broken drywall, wood, etc.), but, because they are tear and puncture resistant, they are also great for landscaping waste like sticks, tree branches, and leaves. It is not something that a "regular" person is likely to use a lot, but they are handy when you need a large bag to hold something that would easily tear a regular garbage bag or even regular lawn and leaf bags. 

Product Review: Affresh Washing Machine Cleaner

 

This is a six-month supply (assuming you use one per month as instructed) of washing machine cleaner tablets. The claim is that it can clean not only the laundry tub, but also parts like the pump, valves, agitator, and hose. 

I have an older top-load GE washer, that absolutely had a ring of residue around the top of the tub, and while I am not going to take the washing machine apart, I can say that after two months, that ring of residue is mostly gone and what I can see of the interior of the drain hose does look cleaner. So, it seems to work as advertised and I would recommend it to help keep your washing machine working as efficiently as possible for as long as possible. 

Product Review: Swiffer Dusters Multi-Surface Duster Refills, 18 count

 

This is an 18-pack of Swiffer duster refills (so it does not come with the handle). They are a bit more expensive than the generic brands, but I see it as a "get what you pay for" item. These last a lot longer than the less expensive refills, and you can actually use both sides of the duster to clean with, even though these are not the 360 dusters. The "main side" definitely holds more dust than the side where the handle inserts, but that side can pick up a little dust, so you can use the opposite side to finish dusting a surface if there is a little left after the dusting side is dirty. So, you are definitely getting better quality. I definitely recommend these.

Product Review: True fresh dishwasher cleaner tablets 18-Pack

 

This is a pack of 18 dishwasher-cleaning tablets that you run through a cleaning cycle (with the dishwasher empty) and it cleans the racks and sprayer arms, but will also remove lime scale from the heating elements at the bottom, clean the tubes and pumps, etc. Basically, it cleans all the parts of the dishwasher where water (and the food particles on your dishes go). You just put it in the door that will hold the cleaning pods or soap and run the dishwasher like you normally would. 

Obviously, unless you take your dishwasher apart you will not be able to see all of the parts that the packaging claims it will clean, but I can definitely confirm that what I can see on the inside of my dishwasher looks a lot better when I run a cleaning cycle with this. If you have an older dishwasher, you might want to run 2-3 cycles with this the first couple of months and then ease back to once per month. But, if you have a relatively new dishwasher, then this will keep it looking and smelling clean on the inside for a long time. I definitely recommend it.

Product Review: Dawn Powerwash

 

Dawn Powerwash is basically a liquid foam version of their platinum soap. This is essentially a two-pack including one bottle that has the spray head attached and a second refill bottle that you can attach the spray head to when the first bottle runs out. 

The big advantage of this over liquid dish soap is that you have better control of where it goes because of the spray head, and have better control over the amount that you are using. And, you can use it in ways that you cannot use liquid soap. For example, I use it to spray my silverware after I put it in the silverware holder in my dishwasher, especially if I do not plan on running the dishwasher right away because it helps to loosen any stuck-on food particles. It is a bit more pricey than liquid soap, especially since there is no generic version (that I have seen anyway), but it is definitely worth it.

Product Review: Cascade Platinum Dishwasher Pods

 

You get a decent amount (37 in each package) for a reasonable price. I am not quite sure why they put 37 in the package, but if you wash dishes once or twice a week, this pack will easily last two to three months. They can be used in any dishwasher that has a door for pods, and they get dishes clean, without food particles or residue (as long as you do not stack the dishes in a way that prevents water from getting to all the surfaces of a dish). It has regular dishwasher detergent and Dawn soap to fight grease, as well as a rinse aid, so you do not have to purchase that separately. Personally, I like that this is packaged in a bag as opposed to the larger tubs because it saves space under this sink. 

Product Review: Hoover SmartWash Pet Automatic Carpet Cleaner with Paws & Claws Carpet Cleaning Solution

 

This is one of Hoover's newer carpet cleaners, which operates like a vacuum cleaner. It has a tank that you fill with warm water (that snaps onto the front of the unit) and a reservoir to put the cleaning solution. There is also a reservoir on the handle into which you can put the spot cleaner solution, which is basically a pre-treater that you can spray on the pet mess that will help get it out when you run the main unit over it. You have to make sure that the two water tanks are seated correctly, otherwise, water will go into the carpet but will not get sucked back up into the waste water tank. Basically, you push it forward to clean and then pull it back toward you to have it suck the water up, and "dry" the carpet. It does not really end up drying the carpet as it will still be damp when you are done, but it will get the waste water out of the carpet so it goes from wet to damp. 

The unit is easy to put together and works well. I had to use it on a pet mess very quickly after purchasing it, and it was able to clean up both urine and poop stains, both of which came out easily so you could not even tell there was ever a mess. It does come with a small bottle of the cleaning solution and the spot chaser solution. They are enough to get a couple of uses out of the machine, but if you plan to clean your carpets on a regular basis, you will definitely need a larger bottle. So, if you are looking for a reasonably priced carpet cleaner, I definitely recommend this one, especially for pet owners. 

Product Review: iRobot Roomba i7+ (7550) Robot Vacuum with Automatic Dirt Disposal

 

The Roomba i7+, when it works, works well. The problem is, if you get one that goes faulty, then it is a total pain. Mine has an issue in which it thinks that the bags, which if the design were better, would not be necessary, are full even when a brand new bag is in the unit, and/or thinks there is a clog in the tube that runs from the base where the robot docks to the bag when the dust bin empties. When I go to clear the clog I almost always find that there is none. Each of these causes the unit to go into kind of a locked mode. Thankfully, if I remove and then reinsert the bag the unit will unlock and it can be used again. Apparently, per an email exchange with their tech support, this is caused by an issue in which the robot and the dock do not communicate with each other correctly. If the unit is under warranty you are all good. If not, you are stuck spending $250 for a new dock/base. Of course, tech support could not assure me that the issue will not repeat itself, so for now, since I can get it to work with the removing and reinserting the bag trick, I will not purchase a new base. So, as far as pros go:

1. It has good suction power and will pick up most dirt on the floor, including edges.
2. The mapping feature is very good.
3. The app makes scheduling cleaning on a regular basis very easy.
4. It has voice assistant integration so you can use an Amazon echo (or similar) device to tell it to start cleaning.
5. The app makes it very easy to figure out how to perform maintenance like removing the brushes and so forth.

As for cons:

1. The issue with the base/dock and the robot is a big pain (if you experience it).
2. The bags are costly and, as I said, should not even be necessary. There are other self-empty robots that empties into a bin that you can just open and dump the dust into the trash.
3. The dust cup does not always empty properly which requires you to remove it and empty it by hand, which kind of defeats the purpose of the self-empty function.
5. It often gets stuck in the same place and does not learn where it gets stuck on the next run.

Overall, if you do not experience the issue with the base and the robot not communicating properly, then I would give this a solid 4 stars (as there still are enough cons to keep me from giving it a five-star rating). I rate this 2.5 stars because I can work around the issue with the base, but it does make using it harder than it should be, which definitely knocks it down from my otherwise four-star rating. For a unit that is as costly as it is, it should not have nearly as many issues as it does.