Product review: Kombang disposable face masks, COVID-19 masks, five tests to test for good for COVID-19

 

 
This package of Kombang disposable face masks contains two packs of 25 masks (50 total).  The masks have a nose clip and passed a number of tests I do on each paper mask to ensure they are reliable (more on the tests below).

The masks fit comfortably over my face, do not pull on ears too much, and breathing in them is very easy.  I took the mask on and off several times while testing it, and the loops stayed attached and did not snap off, which appears to be a common issue with some of these masks.  

I found five tests to tell apart fake surgical masks and real surgical masks and performed three of the tests. The main test is the "water" test, which shows that the mask does not let through the water.  This means it keeps my spittle inside the mask and keeps other's people spittle away from me.

Since the masks passed those tests, I did not do the burn test, so I would have to destroy the mask.

Below are the five tests to tell part a good surgical mask from a bad one:

1. Light penetration
The real mask does not let the light through; the fake mask lets the light through.

2. Blow out a flame
You cannot blow out a flame through a real mask; you can flow out a flame through a fake face mask.

3. Hold water
The real mask holds water, the fake mask leaks.

4. Burn test
The filter in the real mask melts but does not burn; the filter in the fake mask burns with a flame.

5. Electrostatic attraction test
The real mask attracts particles; a fake mask does not.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Maconee Microwave Grill Pan for Cooking, Baking, Grilling

 

 This pan works pretty well!  I made grilled cheese sandwiches and grilled frozen veggies.  The sandwich had nice grill marks on the bottom, crispy on the bottom, nice firmness on the top - nothing at all like putting bread and cheese into a microwave.  The veggies went from frozen to cooked with slight browning on the bottom.  Each of these dishes took three minutes of pre-heating the pan and then three minutes of cooking.

The pan and the cover are both metal and very lightweight, so probably made out of aluminum.  The edges of the pan are covered with silicone. The pan and the cover get very hot. I use silicone instant pot mini mitts to handle the pot. Mini mitts cover just my fingers, and this is just what this grilling dish needs.

The package includes no detailed instructions, just one sheet with cooking time suggestions and the same brief instructions for cooking you see in the Amazon description.  This pan really expanded what I can do in a microwave. The next dish on my list to try - frozen pizza, and this pan will give me a non-soggy one or two splices at a time without using the oven.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Gaeruo Lady Shaver and Trimmer for Women, Electric Cordless shaver

 

This lady shaver comes with two heads, three combs, a cleaning brush, lubricating oil, a charging cable, and a storage bag.  The shaver is 6 inches long with a handle that is comfortable to hold.  The shaver gives a good close shave, and I like it a lot. 

However, the instructions I found inside the box don't seem to match Amazon's instructions and the text on the box.
1. The box and Amazon description say that the shaver can be used wet or dry.  However,  on page 5 of instructions, the instruction state that the shaver should not be submerged in water.
2. The instructions inside the box and the box only show and mention one head (the one attached to the body); there are no references to the second head.  However, the package includes two heads.

This is a cordless shaver, and it should not be used for shaving when plugged in.  The shaver has built-in batteries that can be recharged.  The light is red while the shaver is charging and green when it is fully charged.  The instructions recommend not leaving the shaver plugged in after it is fully charged.

Overall, I  like this shaver.  Since I found instructions about wet and dry use confusing, and the seller did not respond to a question I posted on the product page, I only use it dry.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Disposable Toilet Pad, Toilet Seat Cover, Public bathroom during COVID-19 by SOGUE

 

These toilet covers are made in China, and they must have smaller toilet seats because the opening of the covers is smaller than I expected - it is only 10" in the long direction.  This is not long enough for oval toilet seats. To make them work without getting wet, I need to enlarge the opening with scissors manually.

The toilet pad's material is nice, plastic on one side (facing down) and paper (facing up). 

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆ A

Product review: COOSA Essential Oil Diffuser, Hand-Crafted Glass Aroma Ultrasonic Humidifier

 

This diffuser comes with no instructions. It looks like a vase, so I poured water into the "vase" opening.  The entire 100 ml instantly leaked out on to the table.  I was ready to through away this diffuser and write a scathing 1-star review.
After moping up the puddle, I began examining where the leak was coming from and discovered that I could remove the glass dome with a little bit of force.  Once I removed the glass top, I saw a plastic container hidden inside the "vase."  This plastic container is where the water is supposed to go.  Any time you want to add more water, you need to remove the glass top.  This product does not include any instructions, and this product definitely needs instructions; it is not obvious what to do.

Once I added water to the plastic container inside, the diffuser operated without leaks.  The glass itself and how it changes when LED lights change the glass color are beautiful.  The diffuser mist is very thin; if you goal is to humidify the air, this diffuser will not do it.  However, it does enough to spread the scent and give me a pretty light show.

Knocking off a star for the lack of documentation.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: SMARTAKE 200 Pcs Air Fryer Liners, 6 Inches Round Non-Stick Steamer Mat, Premium Parchment Paper for Baking, Oven, Air Fryer, Bamboo Steamer

 

 The parchment paper fit my 6" air fryer perfectly.  The first time I used it, I did not distribute food evenly on the liner.  The side with fewer items was lifted and folded by the airflow as the food was not holding it down enough.  When the parchment was lifted, it also got singed on edge (with air fryer settings 360 degrees, 11 minutes).  Once I got a little more experience with distributing food on the liners, they work very well, leaving the air dryer cleaner and easy to clean.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: FLYGIENE Disposable Face Mask, Breathable 3 Ply Face Masks

 

This package contains 10 masks (two packs of 5 masks in each).  The masks have a nose clip and passed a number of tests I do on each paper mask to ensure they are reliable (more on the tests below).

The masks fit comfortably over my face, do not pull on ears too much, and breathing in them is very easy.  I took the mask on and off several times while testing it, and the loops stayed attached and did not snap off, which appears to be a common issue with some of these masks. 

I found five tests to tell apart fake surgical masks and real surgical masks and performed three of the tests. The main test is the "water" test, which shows that the mask does not let through the water.  This means it keeps my spittle inside the mask and keeps other's people spittle away from me.

Since the masks passed those tests, I did not do the burn test, so I would have to destroy the mask.

Below are the five tests to tell part a good surgical mask from a bad one:

1. Light penetration
The real mask does not let the light through; the fake mask lets the light through.

2. Blow out a flame
You cannot blow out a flame through a real mask; you can flow out a flame through a fake face mask.

3. Hold water
The real mask holds water, the fake mask leaks.

4. Burn test
The filter in the real mask melts but does not burn; the filter in the fake mask burns with a flame.

5. Electrostatic attraction test
The real mask attracts particles; a fake mask does not.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

 

Product review: Mr. Zaranda Xperm Premium Clinically Proven Men's Intimate Ball Wash Stamina Booster Herb

 

I got this for my husband, who became really upset with me for making him try it.  He thought it was unpleasant and painful.  Once he rejected it, I tried it myself on my personal bits and did not like the stinging feeling either.

The preparation feels similar to icy hot cream preparations people use for muscle strain and arthritis, except the personal membranes feel this sensation in a much more powerful way.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Rechargeable Electric Callus Remover by Seneryla

 

I have a callus on the bottom of my foot. If it gets too thick, it bothers me when I walk, and I see a podiatrist now and then so he can grind it down for me. This little grinder works as well as what my podiatrist does. I am impressed! I use it dry; it is not painful at all; it removes dry skin in a very thin layer. I can see the skin coming off in a powder-like state. I worked a few seconds at a time, checking the result, so I do not remove too much skin.

I have tried other callus removers such as files, pumice stone, and chemical solutions. None of them worked well enough to avoid visits to the podiatrist. This grinder is more effective than anything I have tried before; I don't see the need to go back to the podiatrist.

The package includes the callus remover, a charging cable, a small brush to clean the callus remover, and two spare griding heads (so there is a total of three).

This callus remover is rechargeable. When it charges, the callus remover has a red light. It does not show the level of charge. It does not operate as smoothly as my old callus remover (the cover does not come off smoothly, the on/off button is not smooth), but it does a good job. The results are as well as my podiatrist's tool but at a lot lower cost to me.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Ceafer Womens Winter Wool Casual Socks Warm socks 3% wool

 

I love how these socks feel and how they fit me. They are very warm. I also like the bright purple and teal colors. I wear 7.5 shoes, and they are a perfect fit. The top cuff is relaxed, and I like that.

The socks are called "wool socks," but they only 3% wool. Other materials are 65% polyester, 15% polyamide, 5% spandex, 12% others. I like how these socks feel and look, but I would have liked a more accurate title.

The socks end a few inches above the ankle, but I like shorter socks, so I fold down the top as a cuff. The toe seams are flat, and I do not feel them. Overall, nice quality and a nice fit.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.  

 Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: MYWHITENG UV Light Sanitizer Bag with Ozone - This sanitizer work, passed the banana test

 

UV Light Sanitizer Bag UV Cleaning Box with Ozone is the third sanitizer box I purchased, looking for one that can actually pass a sanitizer test described below.   This box is different from the two I have purchased before because instead of having six small LED lights, this sanitizer has a tube UVC BULB.  This sanitizer did much better on my test than the other two sanitizers I have tested.

All sanitizers I have purchased looked great, and the specs say the right things, but I wanted to be sure that they actually generated enough UVC light to disinfect.  How can someone without real testing equipment tell if the UVC light produced by a sanitizer box actually produces the light in the UVC spectrum and that it is strong enough to disinfect a handful of N95 masks I purchased ten years ago? 

Before I purchased my first sanitizer bag, I did a bit of research. I found an article in Discover Magazine, By Jeanne Erdmann, published on August 3, 2020, "UV Light Wands Are Supposed to Kill Viruses. But Do They Really Work?". You can find this article online to read the details yourself (access to the article is free).  This article describes the "banana" test and provides references to YouTube videos that demonstrate how to do this test. The tests show that UVC light changes the color of the banana skin to brown color.  To make the color change more apparent, a portion of the banana is covered by tape, so when you peel the tape off, you can clearly see the difference for the products producing enough UVC light to disinfect. If the banana color is unchanged, the product does not generate enough UVC light to disinfect.

I performed the banana test on the MYWHITENG box, which you can see in the attached video. The first thing I noticed is that there was a powerful Ozone odor after the test when I opened the box. Ozone is well known for disinfecting properties.  The banana did not change the color immediately after the test, which it would do with a strong UVC exposure. However, the next day, as the banana continued to ripen, I could clearly see stripes on the side of the banana facing the bulb.  So, I believe this box does disinfect. I believe it does it mostly with Ozone but also some with UVC. Given that the banana changed color only on one side, I decided it would be best to flip the masks and rerun the disinfection cycle.

I also liked that this box has a timer, and you can choose how long you want to run the sanitizer.  In my test, I ran the box for 15 minutes.  The bulb has a lifespan of 1500 hours. I really hope the pandemic is over before I run the box for 1500 hours.

I finally found the box I feel comfortable with. Hope this review was helpful, and stay healthy, all!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: ac Care Washable & Reusable Organic Cotton Face Mask from Mr Mask, COVID-19 mask

 

 

The package contained three cloth masks. The cloth mask's effectiveness is affected by the number of layers, material, and fit.
 
I liked:

1. The mask has a nose clip
2. The mask covers my face starting from the nose going well under the chin. It is not as deep as some of the masks I have, but ok.
3. The mask has two layers; the inner and outer materials are the same, the material is soft and pleasant to touch  


I did not like:

1. I run all my masks through the water test: I pour some water into the mask and see if it leaks or not. This mask starts leaking almost immediately. Some cloth masks resist water much longer.  The mask leaks mean it does not hold my spittle inside the masks and allows other's people spittle to enter my mask.  This quick leaking puts it below average among the cloth masks I have evaluated.
2. The mask does not have a pocket for a filter
3. The elastic used on this mask is not the round gentle elastic, but the ribbon type elastic. It does push on ears harder the round elastic.
4. The mask is NOT color-fast; when I washed it by hand, its color bleed for about 5 washes until the bleed became faint in color.

Comparison of mask effectiveness:
1. Cloth masks provide 30% protection
2. Surgery masks  provide 60% protection
3. N95 or KN95 masks provide 95%

When I go into crowded places, I actually double mask.  This washable mask goes on top of a surgical mask.  A surgical mask does not let through water, so it gives me additional protection against droplets.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.
 

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Samadhaan 100% Cotton Fully Adjustable Face Mask, Unisex, Breathable & Washable Nose & Mouth Mask, with Filter Pocket

 

 This mask feels nice and soft. The adjustable earpieces which turn into lanyard is a clever design. This mask does not have a nose clip, so it is not perfect, but it has some good features as well.

The cloth mask's effectiveness is affected by the number of layers, material, and fit.  


I liked:

1. I test every mask I buy by filling it with water.  This tells me how effective they are in preventing spreading the spittles that carry COVID-19. This mask held water for a reasonable time before it began leaking.  It is not as good as a disposable mask that does not leak at all, but it well for a cloth mask.
2. The mask is large and covers my face starting from the nose going well under the chin as a good mask should.  
3. This mask has adjustable earpieces so that you can adjust a snug fit around any shape face.
4. This mask has a pocket for a filter.  The opening is on one edge, not in the middle.

I did not like:

1. The mask does NOT have a nose clip, so I can not adjust to fit around my hose. It gaps and can let in spittle with COVID.

Comparison of mask effectiveness:
1. Cloth masks provide 30% protection
2. Surgery masks  provide 60% protection
3. N95 or KN95 masks provide 95%

When I go into crowded places, I actually double mask.  A washable mask goes on top of a surgical mask.  This mask works well for that purpose, and the gap around the nose is not critical because a surgical mask has a nose clip.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: LAOPAO Mini Tire Inflator Portable Air Compressor for Car Tires Handheld Air Pump

 

 This inflator works very unreliably with my car.  

I used the tire inflator on all four tires of my Honda CRV. I was able to get it to work on the first tire (after several failed attempts when it did not turn on), but I could not get it to work on the other three and I tried many times.  After trying LAOPAO inflator on the three tires that did not work, I immediately attached my old tire inflator, and it worked, bringing my car to the desired tire pressure.  So the tires were not overinflated, and they needed more air to bring the pressure to the desired level.  

The air hose of LAOPAO is very short (9 inches), so I needed to be uncomfortably bent over to operate the unit.  With my old tire inflator, I can comfortably stand holding it in my hands while it is connected to the air valve on the car.

I thought the interface was not as easy to use as any other tire inflator I have used in the past. The two main controls look almost identical. One is a circle within a circle; another is a circle with three arrows that almost touch each other, so they they also look like a circle.  They look very similar in instructions, written in a small font.  In addition, instructions are not accurate. For example, a command to switch units does not take a double click of the three arrow control; it also requires a press of a circle control, in my experience. Each operation takes about three seconds to work, so it is not immediately clear if the command worked or not. In most cases, I waited, and nothing happened.

I was looking forward to making this unit something I carry in my car because its dimensions are so attractive ( 6 inches long and 2.25 inches wide), but I found it frustrating to use and not reliable enough to use during an emergency.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: BIHRTC 3.6 Inch Scissors Small Embroidery Scissors Sharp Stainless Steel

 

These small scissors are very cute.  They are also comfortable to hold and pretty sharp.  I do a lot of crafts and sewing, and I am enjoying having them in my toolbox.
They are slightly longer than 3.5" end to end.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★
 

Product review: HOPE C+ UV Light Sanitizer Bag - Failed the Banana Test

Hope C Satinizer is a nicely built sanitizer box. It looks great; the specs say the rights things, but does it work? Hospitals that use UVC sanitizer have very expensive, powerful machines.  How to tell if the UVC light in this box sanitizer is actually producing the light in the UVC spectrum and that it is strong enough to disinfect my handful of N95 masks purchased ten years ago?  

Before  I purchased this sanitizer bag, I did a bit of research. I found an article in Discover Magazine, By Jeanne Erdmann, published on August 3, 2020, "UV Light Wands Are Supposed to Kill Viruses. But Do They Really Work?". You can find this article online to read the details yourself (access to the article is free).  This article describes the "banana" test and provides references to YouTube videos that demonstrate how to do this test. The tests show that UVC light changes the color of the banana skin to brown color.  To make the color change more apparent, a portion of the banana is covered by tape, so when you peel the tape off, you can clearly see the difference for the products producing enough UVC light to disinfect. If the banana color is unchanged, the product does not generate enough UVC light to disinfect.

I performed the banana test on the HOPE C Satinizer box, which you can see in the attached video. I performed two tests; the first test is a three-minute test because the auto-shut happens at 3 minutes.  And then, I ran the box nine more times, giving the banana a total of 27 minutes of light exposure. In both tests, the banana color, unfortunately, remained unchanged.

Note 1: I wanted to run it 10 times rather than 9 times, but the box began blinking red; it ran out of battery even though it was plugged in during the test.  I left it plugged in overnight, but it did not recharge enough to start working again; it continued to blink red.

Note 2: The human eye cannot see UVC lights. The LED light you see in the HOPE C Satinizer box's small window is a white LED light going through a purple plastic; it is not ultraviolet light.

I have a hand full of N95 masks I bought ten years ago, and I wanted to be able to sanitize and re-use them during the COVID-19 pandemic.  HOPE C Satinizer box is the right size for the job, and I liked that it operates closed so I would not be exposing my eyes to UV light. If I did not do the banana test, I would have thought it could disinfect my masks. Sadly, since this box cannot change banana skin color, it cannot disinfect my N95 masks.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆