As Seen On TV: Does ANY of this crap work?

[funky-rat]

3 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

D'OH! Yes, that's what I mean. SodaStream. I'd probably use it for just having the bubbly/carbonated water, and can just add fresh lime or lemon. The commercial I've been seeing is of some woman body builder, but all she shows is to carbonate water. And the one scene of fakey ass rasberries.  No mention of syrups for colas, though.  Thanks!

Yeah, they're pushing the "healthy" aspect of it.  I like that I can make the water as bubbly or not bubbly as I want.  You can get all kinds of syrups for it.  I like that they have lots of sugar free options.  The worst thing is the plastic drinking bottles - they are expensive when it's time to replace them.

[peacheslatour]

I've been dying to get one of those Aerogarden things. Vivian Tried one and while it quickly produced gorgeous lettuce, she only got enough for about one salad. Seems kind of expensive.

[GHScorpiosRule]

42 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I've been dying to get one of those Aerogarden things. Vivian Tried one and while it quickly produced gorgeous lettuce, she only got enough for about one salad. Seems kind of expensive.

They're horrendously expensive. And unlike the commercials, where the "families' have a LOT of counter and kitchen space, I don't. And I don't know where I could put one, and stare at it in fascination and awe as the actors in the commercial are doing.

[Ms Lark]

On 3/9/2018 at 2:34 PM, Silver Raven said:

What are these socks of which you speak?

Mittens for your feet. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

[jennblevins]

On 3/29/2018 at 12:21 PM, peacheslatour said:

I've been dying to get one of those Aerogarden things. Vivian Tried one and while it quickly produced gorgeous lettuce, she only got enough for about one salad. Seems kind of expensive.

My ex bought one of those and he must have done something wrong — the only thing he could get to grow was basil (which he hated) and it made the whole house smell murky. 

On 3/29/2018 at 1:05 PM, GHScorpiosRule said:

They're horrendously expensive. And unlike the commercials, where the "families' have a LOT of counter and kitchen space, I don't. And I don't know where I could put one, and stare at it in fascination and awe as the actors in the commercial are doing.

The previously-mentioned ex put his on the (one and only) table in the living room, which meant you’d go to put your drink down and end up staring at it in puzzlement, wondering if it would be possible to attach a cup holder. 

[Haleth]

Has anyone used the Pain Dr cleaning pad from Fuller Brush?  (There's a name from the past!)  Does it work any better on high windows than a micro fiber cloth duct taped to a swiffer handle?  Just wondering.

[funky-rat]

20 hours ago, forumfish said:

Re: Soda Stream -- I considered getting one but decided not to. I don't like the idea of having to use their brand CO2 cartridge, I'd rather have an old-fashioned seltzer bottle and use cheaper generic cartridges. For now, I'll keep buying bottles at the grocery store and toss the empties in the recycling bin.

 

The exchange cost isn't too bad on them - they make a lot of soda with one, but yes, I get it.  There are some people who say they've figured out how to refill them on their own, but it seems like too much of a pain to me.

[Ubiquitous]

On 3/8/2018 at 10:52 AM, janie jones said:

Are you supposed to chop them up in the garbage disposal?

I saw no indication of them being used that way. In the ads I saw, they sat in the bottom of the drain pipe while the stuff inside disoolved away, but they never said what hapllens to the straw itself.

On 3/21/2018 at 1:58 PM, peacheslatour said:

Has anyone done the Bath Fitter thing? It looks kind of cool but I wonder if it really is as easy to keep clean as they say.

I think Dad had them redo his tub and shower and it looks great. I considered using them to remodel my bathroom, but I had water damage behind the tiling and didn't think covering it up would be a good solution, so I had my tub replaced with a one-piece unit.

On 3/21/2018 at 2:21 PM, funky-rat said:

I know one person who did it.  It's extremely expensive.  I didn't get a verdict on keeping it clean.  I'd love to do something like that with my current shower.  It was installed for the prior owner incorrectly, and the floor of the shower keeps sagging, and then I get a crack by the drain.  Two years ago, I had it repaired - someone drilled holes in the floor and pumped it full of foam, but it's sagging again down by the drain, and a surface crack has formed again.  I'm not down with spending another $300 for them to come and pump up the floor again.  I would love to have something like Bath Fitters create a new shower pan, and install it over the old one, but I can't imagine how expensive it is.

You might want to check if your house's foundation is settling. I discovered mine was when I remodeled mine and he wouldn't install the new unit b/c it would crack and have to be replaced unless the foundation was fixed.

[funky-rat]

On ‎4‎/‎9‎/‎2018 at 8:45 AM, Ubiquitous said:

You might want to check if your house's foundation is settling. I discovered mine was when I remodeled mine and he wouldn't install the new unit b/c it would crack and have to be replaced unless the foundation was fixed.

We live in a mobile home, and so no foundation.  We're up on pilings, and when we moved in, we were told they were in great shape.  The remodel was done for the prior owner by the area agency on aging at no cost to her, so they used cheap materials.  The guy who pumped the floor back up told me it was just a cheap plastic shower.  Not even fiberglass.  And it wasn't installed well, and she would get in and out of the shower in a wheelchair, putting too much stress on it.

[Jamoche]

I saw Levian "chocolate" diamonds in a store yesterday, and they do not remind me of chocolate at all. They look like the dirty yellow color of very old plastic "crystal".

[Bort]

They’re always trying to find a way to market brown diamonds. In the 70s it was “cognac” diamonds. But in the end, they’re super common and what sandpaper is made out of.

[Browncoat]

I have to admire their marketing techniques, though.  Everyone loves chocolate, right?

[stillhere1900]

43 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

I have to admire their marketing techniques, though.  Everyone loves chocolate, right?

Not me.

[Browncoat]

58 minutes ago, stillhere1900 said:

1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

I have to admire their marketing techniques, though.  Everyone loves chocolate, right?

Not me.

LOL

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2018 at 7:25 AM, kariyaki said:

They’re always trying to find a way to market brown diamonds. In the 70s it was “cognac” diamonds. But in the end, they’re super common and what sandpaper is made out of.

They don't use sand or the stuff in Lava bar soap? I never knew that!

[LoneHaranguer]

25 minutes ago, Ubiquitous said:

They don't use sand or the stuff in Lava bar soap? I never knew that!

Depends on what kind of sandpaper. For woodworking, you'll most commonly see garnet paper, and they do dig up sand rich in that material to make it. AFAIK, pumice (the stuff in Lava) is used for polishing wheels, but not sandpaper.

[Ubiquitous]

39 minutes ago, LoneHaranguer said:

Depends on what kind of sandpaper. For woodworking, you'll most commonly see garnet paper, and they do dig up sand rich in that material to make it. AFAIK, pumice (the stuff in Lava) is used for polishing wheels, but not sandpaper.

I was told Lava soap doesn't really contain pumice, that it's really fine sand, but Wikipedia confirms it, FWIW.

[theredhead77]

I'm contemplating getting an air fryer and of course the one on sale at Target / most popular one seems to be the ASOTV. So, is that the one to get or can anyone recommend a better one? I'm not looking at spending a lot and it's just me so I don't need a giant one.

[Brattinella]

We got the largest (I think) Phillips Air Fryer.  We wanted specifically one that you could fit a whole chicken in.  It was pretty pricy but well worth it; it doesn't heat up the kitchen or stink.  We put a paper towel sheet in the bottom (for fries or chicken nuggets) and the clean-up is a snap.  I'm sure the smaller ones in that line are just as good.

[friendperidot]

I'm looking into air fryers too, but I need a simple toaster first. So, it's on my list but not today. 

I saw an ad last night for something I'm curious about, a paint roller. It's very big and fat and you put the paint inside it. Said it holds an entire can of paint and you can do an entire room, well, I guess a room that you can do in one can of paint. But in thinking about it, I'm not sure how practical it is, I don't think I could lift an entire can of paint over my head level to paint a wall. I'm just not physically strong enough. The ad showed using any standard broom handle to paint ceilings, but I still think weight would be the biggest issue. I'm not planning on painting a room any time soon, but you never know. At least not people sized rooms, I am hoping to set up my miniature rooms in the next few months, but I use sample jars of paint to paint them. And trim size paint rollers.

[peacheslatour]

Maybe they mean a quart because a gallon of paint weighs 12 pounds.

[Moose135]

On 9/26/2018 at 9:40 PM, friendperidot said:

I saw an ad last night for something I'm curious about, a paint roller. It's very big and fat and you put the paint inside it.

It may be something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/HomeRight-PaintStick-EZ-Twist-C800952-M-Applicator/dp/B0102ZBALA

It's called a PaintStick, I had one years ago.  It has a thick, hollow handle, and you suck (or pump, I forget) paint into the handle, then when you go to paint, you push up on the handle like a plunger to load paint into the roller (it's attached to the handle).  As you continue to paint, and use up the paint on the roller, you push up on the handle to load more.  It has a shield over the roller so you don't drip (too much) when working overhead.  When you are done, you can pump the remaining paint into the can.  It was fairly easy to use as I remember.

[friendperidot]

Moose, the roller was much bigger around than that, that looks like something I might actually be able to pick up. Peaches, maybe it was a quart, it was a plastic container I saw them pouring from, but some stores put gallons in plastic cans now too. But I don't think a quart would do an entire room, maybe a wall, but I thought they said something about enough paint to do an entire room. 

I only saw the ad once and wasn't paying attention at first, so I missed some things. I'm sure, as with all things on tv, it'll turn up again and I'll try to pay more attention.

Edited September 29, 2018 by friendperidot
I do know the difference between a gallon and a quart.

[peacheslatour]

A gallon of paint does 400 sq. feet depending on the surface. A room that is 10' x 12' with 8' ceilings will have 352 sq. feet. Then you exclude windows and doors. The ceiling would be another 120 sq. feet. So you might get away with a gallon if you have a lot of doors and windows. Plus most of the time you're doing the ceiling in a different color.

Edited September 29, 2018 by peacheslatour

[friendperidot]

that was supposed to be quart, not gallon, lol. I'm fixing it. I always see the typos after. I painted a 17x12 room with a gallon and a quart, there were 2 windows and 2 doors, the ceiling was a different color. But then I used 5 more quarts of different colors and ragged it all on, took 2 weeks of working evenings and weekends to get the look I wanted. Looked like wallpaper when I was done. I did the smaller rooms with a gallon. But it does depend on if you are changing the room colors, trying to paint light over dark or bright. And I still have not seen the ad again. I watch a lot of late night tv over the air and smaller cable channels. When I do, I'll get the name of the product.

Edited September 29, 2018 by friendperidot

[Haleth]

Even a quart would get awfully heavy after a while, especially holding it over your head.  I'll stick to an old fashioned roller.

[friendperidot]

yeah a quart would get heavy, but supposedly with this super dooper roller, you're getting the paint on the wall quickly so it would empty out and as it emptied it wouldn't be quite so heavy. I think I'll invest in someone else doing it for me.

[Ubiquitous]

1 hour ago, BigBingerBro said:

OMG I just remember another commercial that is playing in my area that just grates.   I can't recall the exact name, but it's for a CPAP cleaner and it just goes on and on with various testimonials from people that came from the back woods of the deep south.  One is a female nurse, who exclaims that she should have known better and it never dawned on her that she might be breathing in bacterial-filled gunk all night long.  Then there's another guy who pronounces "sanitized" in such a glorious way, that's really all you hear.

Does anyone know if this CPAP cleaner works? I keep meaning to ask my CPAP supplier but keep forgetting.

[funky-rat]

1 hour ago, Ubiquitous said:

Does anyone know if this CPAP cleaner works? I keep meaning to ask my CPAP supplier but keep forgetting.

My dad said it does work, but it's really expensive.  Most people I've talked to say that their claims are greatly overblown (about constantly breathing in dangerous stuff).

[Maximoose]

11 hours ago, Ubiquitous said:

Does anyone know if this CPAP cleaner works? I keep meaning to ask my CPAP supplier but keep forgetting.

There are cheaper options, You can get an ozone generator for 30-40 that does the exact same thing, it even hooks up directly to the tubing

[Prevailing Wind]

I read some reviews of it on Amazon & one guy said the ozone backed up into machine (?), it ruined it and SoClean wouldn't do anything about it and neither would Amazon. I'm pretty sure he mis-used the thing, since so many other reviews are on the positive side, but it still made me leery. When the lady came to set up my machine, she told me warm water & dish detergent will work just as well. (Even though the instructions say to rinse the water reservoir with vinegar). My pulmonologist SELLS the SoClean and even she didn't recommend it, discouraging me because of the price. You can buy a LOT of Dawn & vinegar for $300.

[mousegirl]

I haven't read all the posts here so I don't know if this product has been discussed, but I have to chime in to say how much I love my Turbo-Spin!

My apartment unit is quite old (built in the 1930's) and the shower is not only really small, but it has a high tile ledge I have to step over to get in (it's about 14 or 15 inches high, I haven't measured it).  Even though the shower is narrow from front to back, there is NO WAY, with my bad knees and arthritic shoulders, that I would be able to get down on the floor and reach in over the ledge to scrub the shower pan. 

The Turbo-Spin makes it sooo easy.  I wet down the shower, apply the cleanser, let it soak in for a while, then start the spinner and scrub away, while standing comfortably outside the shower.  I only have to bend a little to move the spinner head around the whole shower.  Then I rinse everything off and it's done!

Easiest bathroom cleaning I've ever experienced. 

[Tom Holmberg]

16 hours ago, mousegirl said:

I have to chime in to say how much I love my Turbo-Spin!

When you mentioned Turbo-Spin I was thinking it was that thing that spun salads and when you mentioned the shower I immediately thought of Kramer!  Thank God it's something else.

Edited October 23, 2018 by Tom Holmberg

[proserpina65]

I got one of those Finishing Touch Flawless hair removers.  Although the commercials imply something else, it's a single head electric razor, but a pretty nice one and it did a good job.  I don't feel like I wasted my money.  Plus, no pain!  (Unlike the dreaded Epilady, lol.)

[mmecorday]

Quote

(Unlike the dreaded Epilady, lol.)

I wrote a story for my college paper called "The Agony and the Epilady." It should have been marketed as a torture device.

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, mmecorday said:

I wrote a story for my college paper called "The Agony and the Epilady." It should have been marketed as a torture device.

Not only that but it gave me dozens of ingrown hairs on my legs. I had to wear make up on my legs under dark pantyhose for years. Fucking thing. Can you imagine if you were a model or someone who makes their living off their looks having that happen to them?

Edited October 23, 2018 by peacheslatour

[jennblevins]

15 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I got one of those Finishing Touch Flawless hair removers.  Although the commercials imply something else, it's a single head electric razor, but a pretty nice one and it did a good job.  I don't feel like I wasted my money.  Plus, no pain!  (Unlike the dreaded Epilady, lol.)

Seconding all of this, except the Epilady thing — I’ve never tried one of those, thankfully.  I’ve apparently turned into a character in an infomercial, because I actually bought a second Finishing Touch Flawless so I could leave one in the bathroom at home and carry the second one in my purse. 

[Ubiquitous]

On ‎10‎/‎23‎/‎2018 at 12:09 PM, mmecorday said:

I wrote a story for my college paper called "The Agony and the Epilady." It should have been marketed as a torture device.

Isn't that the title to an ep of Cheers with Rebecca?

[peacheslatour]

Remember when we were talking about that paint roller that you put the paint right into? Vivian just released a new video test. Thing is a friggin' disaster. It only holds a quart which is what we figured but it drips, leaks and falls apart. And the paint does not go on evenly. It was running down the wall in rivulets and dripping on the floor. Although to be fair, that could have been the quality of the paint she used. Anyway, she gave it ZERO Vivian heads. I don't think I've ever seen her do that.

[Jaded]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

Remember when we were talking about that paint roller that you put the paint right into? Vivian just released a new video test. Thing is a friggin' disaster. It only holds a quart which is what we figured but it drips, leaks and falls apart. And the paint does not go on evenly. It was running down the wall in rivulets and dripping on the floor. Although to be fair, that could have been the quality of the paint she used. Anyway, she gave it ZERO Vivian heads. I don't think I've ever seen her do that.

I saw her give zero heads recently to some crap she ended up receiving from Wish.com.

[friendperidot]

Watching NYPD Blue on H&I, that stupid Plaxiderm ad with the fake infomercial with the two idiots putting that s**t under her dad's eyes and were watching the bags disappear and counting down and screaming. And, I'm screaming at the two idiots!

[Prevailing Wind]

I was watching some show the other night where one of the actors had prominent eye bags. I shouted at the TV, "Hey! You need some Plexiderm!"  It's so good I live alone.

[theredhead77]

On 8/31/2018 at 11:45 AM, theredhead77 said:

I'm contemplating getting an air fryer and of course the one on sale at Target / most popular one seems to be the ASOTV. So, is that the one to get or can anyone recommend a better one? I'm not looking at spending a lot and it's just me so I don't need a giant one.

I ended up buying the Ninja air fryer (not their new Foodi). Love it!

[LoneHaranguer]

10 hours ago, friendperidot said:

Watching NYPD Blue on H&I, that stupid Plaxiderm ad with the fake infomercial with the two idiots putting that s**t under her dad's eyes and were watching the bags disappear and counting down and screaming. And, I'm screaming at the two idiots!

Even though the woman talks about her dad, there's a disclaimer telling you the guy in the ad is not him. I presume the stuff doesn't work well enough on her dad to impress viewers.

[Eliot]

You guys, I’m here to tell you that the Plexaderm works exactly as advertised. I don’t usually buy stuff off infomercials (well, except for my beloved Showtime Rotisserie) but I saw it reviewed on a local news show and they gave it a thumbs up. I’ve always had dark circles under my eyes and they’ve gotten worse as I’ve aged, so I figured it was worth a shot. The Plexaderm makes a noticeable difference. It doesn’t completely eliminate them, but it really does help. It’s kind of magical, actually.

[kelslamu]

On 8/15/2016 at 4:01 PM, Tunia said:

You'll have to pry my Veggetti from my cold dead hands...and lay off my BaconWave too!  I'll let you know about the Doodeen Vegetable and Fruit Salad Nicer Dicer after it arrives this weekend.  Full disclosure:  The last item was ordered thru Amazon b/c it has more attachments than the ASOTV 1 Second Slicer, but they're otherwise identical.  Can't help it - I LOVE ASOTV!  There are a bunch of things I'm aching to try, but I'm pretty selective in ordering and have been lucky to make some good choices.

My mom bought me a baconwave back in the early 90's and that thing was awesome.  I guess they probably are still.

[Ubiquitous]

On 12/4/2018 at 2:29 AM, friendperidot said:

Watching NYPD Blue on H&I, that stupid Plaxiderm ad with the fake infomercial with the two idiots putting that s**t under her dad's eyes and were watching the bags disappear and counting down and screaming. And, I'm screaming at the two idiots!

Oh, i hate that infomercial with a burning passion! 

Has anyone tried Homeadvisor?  It comes up in my Google search but I swear every phone number I call bounces to vox mail and my message is never rtn'd, yet I get a followup call from "Julua" a few days later asking about my experience with them... 

[Gramto6]

I used Home Advisor once. I found a great electrician through them. They have 3 people call you and you pick the one you like best. I chose the first one that called because the other two took a couple of days to call me. The guy was great!

My neighbor is a welder and knows most of the local contractors so I usually just ask him. Don't remember why I didn't for the electrician.

[peacheslatour]

41 minutes ago, Ubiquitous said:

Oh, i hate that infomercial with a burning passion! 

Has anyone tried Homeadvisor?  It comes up in my Google search but I swear every phone number I call bounces to vox mail and my message is never rtn'd, yet I get a followup call from "Julua" a few days later asking about my experience with them... 

I just used them to find a service to clean the roof and gutters at my dad's house. The company I hired did a great job but Homeadvisor hounded me endlessly for reviews. I gave one and then they called me to ask about Homeadvisor's services and emailed me and texted me. I finally told them to stop bugging me.

[SuburbanHangSuite]

58 minutes ago, Ubiquitous said:

Has anyone tried Homeadvisor?  

I've used them several times, mostly positive.  When I was looking for a company that could enclose my front porch, I had several different contractors contact me within 24 hours of my project inquiry.  But there was a HUGE range of costs!  (The highest around 20k to the most reasonable, around 5k.)  Ultimately, we went with the low end contractor and so glad we did.   But I wrote a negative review for a garage door contractor with whom I had a terrible experience and they removed my review after the guy disputed my claim. So knowing that, just be aware that their contractor ratings could be artificially inflated.