Have you seen the ads for Drain-FX, a product for unclogging pipes stuffed with things that really, really shouldn’t be in the plumbing of your house? You might wonder whether it’s all TV hype, or an infomercial product that does what it promises. Our colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports did, too, and they crammed their drains with a variety of substances to find the answer for all of us. [More]
claim check
Rustoleum NeverWet More Like “SlightlyLaterWet”
By 12.5.13
A waterproofing treatment that perfectly repels water, turning it into tiny beads that roll off the surface? We’re sure that people could think of many wonderful uses for such an item, from waterproofing hiking boots to covering their roommate’s towel with the stuff. Alas, Rust-Oleum NeverWet isn’t bad, but not quite as advertised. [More]
Is Bounty’s DuraTowel Really Better Than A Dishcloth?
By 9.24.13
You wouldn’t wipe up the surface where your toddler strews her food before eating it with a gross, germy dishcloth, would you? That’s the message of a new commercial from Bounty for their DuraTowel, a paper towel that they claim is tough enough to perform dishcloth-like tasks, yet disposable enough to guarantee a continuing revenue stream. How accurate are these claims? [More]
Will The Edge Of Glory Really Let You Slice A Tomato WIth A Credit Card?
By 4.3.13
Have you always dreamed of slicing vegetables with the sharpened edge of a plastic credit card? Yeah, us either. But pitchman Anthony Sullivan does just that in the ad for the Edge of Glory, an inexpensive, small, and easy-to-use gadget that claims to sharpen any knife in your drawer. Is it worth $10.99 plus shipping and handling? According to tests by our super-sharp siblings down the hall at Consumer Reports, the answer is “maybe.” If you only have cheap knives. Or want to chop your food with a credit card. Which actually works. [More]
Foods That Pretend To Be Drugs
By 8.4.10
“Medical attention does not come from a Cheerios box,” Steven Nissen, head of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic, told Forbes. See, one of the biggest trends in the food industry are these so-called “functional foods,” water that helps you sleep, yogurt that regulates your digestion, pomegranate juice that cures cancer, etc. But most of the claims are bogus, or at best, misleading, and the FDA is cracking down. [More]
Science Shows That Martha Stewart's Laundry Is Probably Stained
By 6.8.10
Those lovable nerds over at Consumer Reports decided to test laundry detergents — and what they found when they tested Martha Stewart’s detergent… well, it ain’t pretty. [More]
Consumer Reports Evaluates Cool Surge Portable Air Cooler, Made By Same Folks Who Brought You The ìAmish Heaterî
By 6.11.09
The company behind the “Amish man’s new miracle idea”—a heater—is back! Here’s Consumer Reports’ evaluation of the Cool Surge.
Consumer Reports Tests The Amish Heater
By 3.3.09
You’ve seen the ads where the hard-working Amish folk are handcrafting miracle space heaters and no doubt scoffed at their absurdity and marveled at their Photoshop skills- but do the darn things work? Consumer Reports investigates in this video.
