List your favorite new (or old) products here!

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Another Magic Eraser fan here! We have a huge white Jacuzzi tub that is impossible to keep clean. Happily I decided to try Magic Eraser, and my son (who is the primary Jacuzzi-er) gets the tub spotless in no time! AMAZING product!

A product not named yet: Bare Minerals makeup. I HATE makeup, but sometimes I feel a need to wear it for special occasions. My sisters all use Bare Minerals, so they encouraged me to give it a try. It’s everything it’s made out to be: Light weight, just the right amount of coverage, and really improves my looks (I guess – I don’t have to look at me). Also, it actually IMPROVED my skin – no more adult acne!

'thann
 
thann said:
Another Magic Eraser fan here! We have a huge white Jacuzzi tub that is impossible to keep clean. Happily I decided to try Magic Eraser, and my son (who is the primary Jacuzzi-er) gets the tub spotless in no time! AMAZING product!

A product not named yet: Bare Minerals makeup. I HATE makeup, but sometimes I feel a need to wear it for special occasions. My sisters all use Bare Minerals, so they encouraged me to give it a try. It’s everything it’s made out to be: Light weight, just the right amount of coverage, and really improves my looks (I guess – I don’t have to look at me). Also, it actually IMPROVED my skin – no more adult acne!

'thann
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I am DYING to get Bare Minerals!!! EVERYONE I know who uses it swears by it! I should splurge on myself and get it…
 
I really like The Works tub/shower cleaner. about the only place i can find it anymore is dollar general. its not as strong as it used to be, but still very good. the only problem now is that since im pregnant, im not supposed to be using it, which means DH is supposed to clean the shower, so it gets done about 1/2 as much as it should.

another secret that I have is using paint thinner to cure poison ivy. (I know, I know, cant use that either now that im pregnant) I constantly have poison ivy all summer long, and that is the best way that I know of to get rid of it. i keep a small bottle of it in the shower and scrub the poison ivy with some on a washrag before i start my shower. I got the idea from buying a product at the pharmacy that had directions to do the same. it worked pretty good, so i checked out the ingredients and top of the list was the fancy word for paint thinner. plain jane paint thinner works better than that product, although it doesnt smell as good.
 
catholicrocks said:
I am DYING to get Bare Minerals!!! EVERYONE I know who uses it swears by it! I should splurge on myself and get it…
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I tried Bare Minerals for the face and had to return it. It made my skin so dry and itchy, it was like wearing dust. I think that it contains “Jurassic earth”, which to my understanding is purified dirt. The Mineral Veil, on the other hand, works great as a powder, And the eyeshadows are so concentrated! They last forever, I swear I will be passing these down to my granddaughters.

I can’t live without Woolite Pet Stain & Odor Remover. It really works on messy cat hairball stains on light carpet.

And lastly, I love Philosphy’s Purity Made Simple one-step facial cleanser. It is gentle, removes eyemake-up without burning, and no toner is necessary afterwards.
 
not new, but new to me, OxyClean really is great. cleaned out an old coffee maker I found not only the stains but lime deposits. I then ran vinegar and water, then plain water thru a couple of times, and it works great. Got truck stuck in the mud at the monastery after a rare desert rainstorm, and by the time we got it out (thanks, Border Patrol guys) I was head to toe in white pants, oblate shirt and shoes. Ran truck through carwash on the way home, but OxyClean got all the mud out of clothes and shoes, and the upholstery. It also cleans our sun screens very well.

Murphy’s oil soap is my prefered all purpose cleaning product, except for tile and floors (leaves tile slippery). I mix a hunk in warm water in a spray bottle and spray dustrags, so dust leaves the house, not just moved around. and washable, not like stronger products. It also dissolved rubber spots and grease DH used to get on his clothes at the rubber plant. Lestoil is great for workclothes too, DD uses it on her husbands jet mechanic overalls. Lestoil does a good job on driveway grease stains.

Not a cleaning product, but Jockey Club hair oil, sold with Mexican brands of toiletries, keeps chiggers, ants and mosquitos away on the golf course, rub on legs esp. ankles.

White vinegar is my other household cleaning product. I never liked to keep strong products at home because not only our kids but we babysat. It cuts grease, disinfects, removes odor, leaves no residue to attract more dirt, and is non-allergenic. for tough stains on tile, stovetop, floors etc. baking soda paste and a sponge with scrubby stuff on one side works great.

Just bought mineral makeup from Avon to try, my skin is super sensitive so we will see, I am looking for something to take the red out. Use Aveeno calming cleansers and lotions, which help, but want sheer makeup as well.

Avon’s planet spa line, the African shea butter hand creme softens cracked ankles and heels, and crusty elbows (remember Fanny with the lemons in Funny Lady). Their footworks products are great for diabetic feet.

Dust Devil hand vac, 10 yrs old and still ticking, use it for everything, it has a removable bag hepa with filter, which I need due to asthma, attachments are easy to use, lite-weight, great for cleaning the truck, under the computer where all those wires attract dust and spiders and bugs. I can dust shelves and books quickly, carved woodwork and rattan furniture, crevices and cusions of upholstery, and run the crevice tool around baseboards and edges of carpet before vacuuming, do tops of curtains and windowsills, sucks cobwebs, when grandchild spills a box of cereal or the sugar bowl cleans up quickly, used to use brush on mini-blinds in trailer, and slatted closet doors.

Woolite for dark colors–our water leaches color out of navy and dark clothes, this product has solved the problem of white stains on dark clothes.

Bounce free sheets, I am allergic to all other fabric softener liquids or sheets. I save the used sheets for quick clean ups instead of paper towels, small dusting jobs, spray with perfume (which I can’t wear) to keep underwear drawers fresh, spray with lysol and tuck inside shoes esp. athletic to keep them fresh for storage, pick up bugs and spiders, and as backing for small needlework projects, or as emergency interfacing for buttons and repairs.

Other Mexican toiletries sold here or over the border are new to me, esp. hand and bath soap bars made with various botanicals, aloe, oatmeal, avocado, seaweed etc. New foods here that have become staples:
dried red chilis to flavor soups, stew, chili etc (Anglos should remove before serving) add a few of these to chicken soup when you have a cold–like drano for the sinuses, and I swear drinking this soup helps arthritis pain.

Aloe sold in whole leaves about 2 feet long. gets black where you cut it, but make a new cut and it is fresh, adding a little bit to salad or smoothie helps any digestive problem.

Cinammon sticks in bulk, much lower cost than in the spice aisle, add one to each brewed pot of coffee or tea, it really does seem to lower blood sugar.

Tried nopalitos (chopped cactus paddles) but just can’t eat it, too gummy like okra which I also hate.

Also I now eat high fiber high protein cereal the way it was served in Mexico–mixed with yogurt and topped with fruit and chopped nuts (I also at a TB of ground flaxseed).

Queso fresca–use where I would fresh mozzarella (altho now that is more available here now than when I came), farmers cheese or ricotta, very good brands from Mexico, also crema, a more liquidy sour cream.

Soy “chorizo” get the flavor for my breakfast egg tacos without the fat and indigestion.
 
farmfresh said:
another secret that I have is using paint thinner to cure poison ivy. …
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Hey, thanks for this tip! I’m immune to poison ivy (so far – I understand you can develop sensitivity over time). My husband, however, is terribly allergic, and our property is covered with it. I’ll give him this advice and see if it helps.

'thann
 
Ok, my sons were in a track meet at school and they got sunburn on the back of their legs ( I smeared them with sun block:confused: ) well, I didn’t have anything that I thought would work during the night… well, I used desitin baby rear end cream… holy moly… it worked!! Next day the skin was not red and the pain was totallyl gone… sure… it was a little messy but wow… it worked and my sons said it felt soooo good and cooling… so just a thought for sunburn;)
 
lizaanne said:
Everyone is always looking for the next new thing to make life a little easier. Thought I would make a place for everyone to post their favorite new find, or something they have never found a replacement for.

I’ll start! 😃

I was at my mom’s house, and she had this nifty mop from Libman called the Wonder Mop! It is absolutely the best mob I’ve used for light every day mopping. You can even throw the mop heads in the wash!!! And even wet it’s not heavy - which I can totally appreciate for my crummy back.

So - what’s new for you that you just love?

~Liza
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I need an entire mob to do my mopping too. 😉

But, in all seriousness I do like scotch brite “Rescue” pads. No, they are not really new I think they are pretty old actually. But, there is soap in them too and they really are better than SOS pads for cleaning those yucky pans.

I also like that stuff that palmolive makes that you squirt on that foams, cant remember what they call it now, but its super concentrated and it works!
 
I have owned or used all kinds of food processors, mixers and blenders, but what I use almost every day is a small black and decker food chopper (only brand that does not mangle the food but chops it) easy to use, easy to clean, easy to store.

we also use our Vita-Mix whole food machine almost every day for fruit smoothies in the morning (after DH takes his, I add yogurt or protein powder to mine), frozen berries blend totally smooth without gritty seeds, making drink cold enough without adding ice or water, plus 2 other fruits, your choice
banana, strawberry, orange, apple, pear, peach, any berry (all blends should contain berries because of high anti-oxidants), pineapple (fresh is excellent, it even blends bits of spine that are left). We make hot veggie soup at night so we always get our veggies, and whole, with all the fiber, not just the juice (veggie tastes better hot than cold).
Basic soup has 2-3 C hot water depending on how thick you like it plus a rib of celery, sprig of parsley, one green onion and a very thin slice of lemon, and a boullion cube (we use lo sodium)
combos we like best add to this 1/2 C each:

cauliflower, broccoli, small can lima beans for cream of broccoli soup without dairy you would not believe how creamy. DH likes to add a small baked or boiled thin-skin potato.

cauliflower, 2T tomato paste, one carrot, 1/2 cup white beans for creamy tomato bisque-like soup
if using frozen veg heat in the water just to boiling, for fresh hot tap water makes hot soup.

we paid about $400 for a reconditioned machine 10 yrs ago, we also got an extra container with blade for grinding grains and making bread. We don’t do bread anymore, but used to use it frequently and it works great. It also grinds coffee beans and flaxseed, and nuts for baking, and texture you need.
It cold water chops cabbage and veggies for slaw or soup, again any texture you want, and potatoes for hash browns or potato pancakes.

dollar for use value, this is the number one kitchen appliance we have ever owned in 40 yrs of marriage. Gave away the bread maker, pasta maker, daisy seal-a-meal (we used this a lot when we had a garden), waffle maker, electric wok, popcorn popper, and countless other machines, but this we use and love. Cleans by adding hot water and a dash of soap and running on high for 30 seconds and rinsing in hot water.

because of this machine we eat 9 or more servings of fruit/veggie a day, which is great because neither of us was big on eating them before we got this machine.
 
I like the scrubbing bubbles flushable toilet wipes a lot. They’re super duper handy, especially if you have company come over unexpectedly, you can clean up the potty real quick, and the faucet as well to make it sparkle. I always keep a pkg under the bathroom sink now.

And my Rösle garlic press is awesome! You don’t even need to peel the garlic, and it’s super easy to clean. It was given to me by a girlfriend who works in a gourmet shop, and it sat in my drawer for several weeks before I tried it. I was always placing my garlic between two sheets of Saran wrap and mashing it with a hammer before. I can’t believe I was still doing that even when I had this wonderful gadget sitting in my kitchen drawer!

My Polder digital meat thermometer and timer is a real blessing too (another gift from my gourmet girlfriend!). You set the temp on the thermometer, stick the probe into the meat, and then walk away till the timer goes off! It will do either Fahrenheit and Celsius temps. And it works as a regular timer too.

I’d really really miss my cell phone if I didn’t have one. I barely use it at all because we still keep a land line, but it’s so nice to know that if you’re ever stuck somewhere with car trouble, the phone’s right in your purse. Cell phone’s are a great great invention, especially now that they fit in your pocket, and you don’t have to carry a whole briefcase around with you like you did in the eighties!!
 
farmfresh said:
I really like The Works tub/shower cleaner. about the only place i can find it anymore is dollar general. its not as strong as it used to be, but still very good. the only problem now is that since im pregnant, im not supposed to be using it, which means DH is supposed to clean the shower, so it gets done about 1/2 as much as it should.
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If you have a Target near you, try the Method brand of cleaners. They are all natural ingredients, no nasty chemicals, and they really do work quite well. You aren’t going to get the same results if you have a truly nasty cleaning job, but for routine cleaning they are great! And the scents are all very yummy like pink grapefruit, mint, water flower, etc.

They will also send you samples if you join their website. About two weeks ago they sent me a full size of their new bar soap and a full size body lotion. 👍 I’ve been a Method fan for years!

~Liza
 
puzzleannie said:
not new, but new to me, OxyClean really is great. cleaned out an old coffee maker I found not only the stains but lime deposits. I then ran vinegar and water, then plain water thru a couple of times, and it works great.
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I know a very cheap and effective method to clean a coffeepot even if the coffee is burnt on the pot from forgetting to turn it off. Wait until it has cooled down. Take some crushed ice and pour some salt into the pot. Shake around the crushed ice and salt mixture. Then wash the pot with soap and water. It really works. I learned that from a barista at a coffeeshop.
 
My favourite old products are ammonia and tar soap. I used ammonia in the laundry to get grease out of work uniforms when I was working in a factory. Ammonia is also great for cleaning the stove. Tar soap is great for washing hair, and the pine smell is nice.
 
dulcissima said:
I love using fresh garlic in my cooking, and the absolute easiest way to have it crush or sliced is to use this product:

ekitron.com/products/Kitchenware-Kitchen_Tools-EK_PO-261-Garlic_Slicer.asp

It works soooo much better than a garlic press.
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oooo… that is a handy little gadget! Still though, with my Rösle garlic press I don’t even need to peel the garlic. It is much more pricey than this neat little tool though. I love that you can slice things like zucchini and carrots and ginger real thin. It’s like a mini mandoline. And I need mini gadgets for my mini kitchen!
 
Not exactly a product, but more of a helpful tip:

To get the glue from stickers off glass, ceramic, chrome, etc. - soak off the paper of the sticker, then dry completely. Take a soft cloth with a little bit of olive oil and rub the glue until it dissolves. Then use a little Windex to clean up the oil. Works like a charm! 👍

~Liza
 
Here are some of my favorites:

My Zyliss Garlic Press is great. I think *crushing *the garlic is better than slicing or dicing.

A friend I met at Mass sells the following two favorites to me. She became well-schooled in health matters after recovering from severe mercury poisoning and fibromialgia and loss of thyroid function after taking her doctor’s advice to swallow a radioactive iodine pill. She is a picture of health now, so I decided to try these products, and I love them:

Spark of Life (here: amsonline.com/WebPages/SparkOfLife.asp) Is the best vitamin - mineral supplement I have found. It gives me that same energy, or more, as the huge unwieldly and expensive pile of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes I used to take everyday for years. Also my son used to take a pile of nasty tasting ones I’d give him twice daily. Now we use about a teaspoon, twice a day of Spark of Life, and we feel great, and I am saving a ton of money too. And our kidneys thank us.

Prime One (here: amsonline.com/WebPages/PrimeOne.asp is another we use daily. Its awesome! I was inspired to try it as this procuct has been proven in tradional medicine for about 50 years (3,0-00 clinical studies). Athletes use this. Its key is adaptagens, which help you adapt to stress, whether its emotional, situational, or pollution or diet-related (and we all have that, as our foods are so laden with chemicals). These herbs come from a part of the China where people and animals consume these daily and have unusual longevity and good health. And it cures my afternoon slump, and keeps me alert.

Miracle Greens (here: miracle-greens.com/ ) is a product I was recently introduced to and I feel great drinking this and will continue because it feels I am doing myself good. (That Vita-Mix sounds great, by the way, Puzzleannie).

Herbal Aloe Force (here: seekingcenter.com/healing/reference/aloe/plant.html )is a great healthy quick cure for any skin problems, bug bits, etc.

Grapefruitseed Extract is our “everything product”, we use it for many health and cleaning uses, and its a bargin as little drops do big things. Here is the link telling about the one I use, with ways to use: nutriteam.com/index2.html

I also love my Bare Mineral Makeup. I’ve tried all kinds of nice (and expensive) makeup, but nothing ever looked near this good, and nothing ever looked good all day long, like this does. I have normal to dry skin, and I always moisterize, and I have never had a problem with the makeup being too dry, as someone found here. I can’t imagine anything being better, so I am happy with it.

I love my Huggable Hangers. They were well worth the investment. They do what they say. I think there are knock-offs at Bed Bath and Beyond, and other places, and they would work just as well.

Micro cleaning cloths are great! Everyone should have these! You can google to hear more of the good - just get one and try it! I get mine at Wegmans (Libman brand). Also Scotch brand makes them (Target) and TV sells them. Certainlyothers, too. It does everything they say, you can get it under $5 and you’ll save a bundle on cleaning supplies and doctor bills (by not using those harsh cleaning supplies). The first time I used them I did a thorough and unplanned housecleaning, because it was so rewarding to see things cleaner than ever - just sparkling! You just use it damp with water, and rinse and squeeze when its dirty, and throw in the wash when it looks spent, and keep re-using.
 
My favorite old products:

**KitchenAid mixer ** *(circa 1970’s) *and a **big industrial sized-mixer ** (circa 1960’s).

Refrigerators and television sets have come and gone, but these two products are still doing well and constantly being used in the house–especially Christmas season when we bake a lot of goodies to give away to friends and family.

My favorite new product:

**Refillable Ballpen with an LED light at the end **that I just press down for “on” *(given to me by my doctor aunt) *two Christmases ago.

Very useful in Nursing school to look at people’s eyes, ears and throat because of the good quality of light it produces and then I write down my findings using the same gadget. Its very practical and saves space in my bag.
 
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