Product review: Flexible Grabber Drain Snake Hair Drain Clog Remover Tool (does not work)

 

 After a plugged toilet that cost me a bundle, I decided to get this snake. Unfortunately, it is not very good, so I suspect I will have to call a plumber again if the situation repeats.

Here are the problems:
1. The snake is very stiff; it is quite hard to operate (squeeze)
2. The grasping fingers are very difficult to control; out of 10 tries, I could grab a cloth only twice. This was on the table where the conditions were ideal.
3. Once the fingers grasped the item, they barely held it. A slight pull disengaged the cloth from the fingers. Pulling it out of the toilet or drain would cause the fingers to lose grasp within a second.

This tool's head is too large to fit into drains, it does fit the toilet, but its grasping ability is very limited.

Overall, I would not recommend this tool.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Review of Wanjotec Flexible Grabber Drain Snake

Product review: Black & Red Caviar for Restaurant & Catering Events (Salmon caviar)

 

 The black caviar jar arrived with a broken seal and was partially opened. The jars were well-packed in bubble wrap, but the bubble wrap was oil soaked as the unsealed bottled leaked. The red caviar jar arrived fully intact.

Caviar can be kept unopened in the fridge for up to four weeks. Once the caviar jar is opened, it should be consumed within a few days and stored refrigerated. It is unknown when the jar became unsealed, it could be a manufacturing defect since other reviewers had the same issue.

As far as taste, the caviar was not salty and did not have the slightly fishy taste I usually taste when eating good quality caviar. As a background, I am familiar with various caviar from my extensive travels and living in Europe for several years.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Review of Black & Red Caviar from Salmon Roe from Whole Caviar

Product review: Imperial Feet Foot & Leg gel - make sure to check expiration date

 

I purchased it in January 2023, and the gel expired in May 2021. 2021 is not a typo; the gel was more than a year expired when I got it.

Imperial cream is made in the Netherlands. The gel has a strong but pleasant scent. The ingredients sound good, but I am afraid to use the gel since it is well over the expiration date. The expiration date is imprinted on the edge of the tube. Make sure to check yours!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Review of Imperial Feet Foot & Leg gel

Product review: Imperial Feet Foot & Leg gel

 

I purchased it in January 2023, and the gel expired in May 2021. 2021 is not a typo; the gel was more than a year expired when I got it.

Imperial cream is made in the Netherlands. The gel has a strong but pleasant scent. The ingredients sound good, but I am afraid to use the gel since it is well over the expiration date. The expiration date is imprinted on the edge of the tube. Make sure to check yours!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Review of Imperial Feet Foot & Leg gel

Product review: JIMEJV Mini COB Flashlight - Bright light with aweful quality control

 

The COB flashlight I received was defective. The case covers half the charging port, so it is impossible to recharge the light. Because the case is not attached correctly, it is also very difficult to turn the light on and off as it does not align with the internal mechanism.

I can't recharge it, and turning it on and off takes dozens of tries. When I finally managed to turn it on, the case got very hot while I tried and tried pushing the on/off button mechanism to turn it off.  Poor quality!

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆    

Review of JIMEJV Mini COB Flashlight

Product review: SoulmaaSkin LIPS CARE SERUM - sticky lip balm

 

The lips serum is very liquid and comes in a small glass bottle with a dropper. It feels very sticky on my lips and tastes very unpleasant. I had to wash my lips after about a minute because I hated how the serum felt and tasted.

The serum comes in a small bottle (10 ml, 0.60 fl oz) but is packed in a tall box with a large false bottom. It creates a bad first impression.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Review of SoulmaaSkin LIPS CARE SERUM

Product review: SAIB On-the-Go Foaming Feminine Wash Packets. Warning: makes me itch

 

I liked the idea of packets to add to my manual bidet to replace the liquid product I have been using for a few years. However, the product makes me itch like crazy. I am not allergic to anything, but I must be allergic to this product. Itching "down-there" is very uncomfortable. After two attempts to use this product with the same results (and no itching when I stopped using it), I had to throw it out.  


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Review of SAIB On-the-Go Foaming Feminine Wash Packets

Product review: Solar Animal Repeller, Animal Deterrent with Motion Sensor: no effect on cirtters!

 My goal was to keep away squirrels and rabbits. The repeller did not seem to have any effect on them. Our cats were not bothered by the unit. They initially sniffed the unit, as they do with every new thing they see, and then just began ignoring it.

The repellent is 4.25" tall and 4" wide. It comes with a removable pole. It can be charged by plugging into a USB power or via a solar charger on top of the unit. You need to use a small button on the bottom to turn on and control the unit. You need to push the button repeatedly to cycle through the unit's modes. I found it very difficult to tell which mode the unit was in; there is no good feedback on its mode. I could not get any sounds or flashing to happen when I waved my hands. I was able to turn the unit on because a dim red light began blinking (although documentation does not explain the meaning of the blinking).

According to documentation, the motion detector works in 3 feet radius. I could not make it produce noise or flashing. I think the ultrasound is working because, assuming the slow dim red blink indicates it is doing something.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Qihoo Car Cup Holder Tray Car Cup Holder Expander Adapter Car Tray (tested with Honda and Tesla)

 

The cup holder does not fit well either of our two cars (Honda CRV and Tesla Model 3). The cup of the tray is more narrow than the cup holder in the car. There are adjustments to make the base wider, but it never gets to be a good fit because both cars has a channel that connects two cup holders. It is also slightly taller than the car's cup holder. The tray does not fit firmly, and the arm has a lot of shake. It is not suitable for food that can spill. In addition, with Tesla, in positions the tray can rub against the screen, and it is more difficult to find a good angle that works and is convenient.

The overall quality of the tray assembly is not good. The plastic knobs that hold the position do not grab onto the thin screws well and continue to spin. The tray part is held only by tension; there is no screw to hold it down in place. If I touch it with my hand with light pressure or hold it at an angle, the entire tray falls off the assembly.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Battery-powered Lpotds Shower Brush Cleaning Brush

 

The motor on this shower brush is too feeble for the job.  When I press the brush against my skin, even lightly, it stops rotating.  It runs on three AA batteries.  The battery compartment did not look very well water proved. Well, at least batteries will not generate the current strong enough to cause harm if it malfunctions.

The stock shows several heads that are not included in the package.  For example, a silicone massage head is not included.  Foamed fur brush included in my package looks different; it has no bristles.

The handle is shorter than all my other bath brushes, and it has no curve to comfortably reach the back.

Disappointing brush in many respects.

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: 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: 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 ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Medd Max LED Ultraviolet Sanitizer Bag, UV Light Sterilization Box Disinfection / Banana Test for UVC 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.  Med Max Satinizer box looks to be the right size for the job, and I liked that it operates closed so I would not be exposing my eyes to UV light.

How to tell if the UVC light is actually producing the light in the UVC spectrum and that it is strong enough to disinfect my masks?  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, that 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 green banana skin to brown color.  To make the color change more obvious, 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 this test on the Med Max 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 10 more times, giving the banana additional 30 minutes of light exposure.  In both tests, the banana color, unfortunately, remained unchanged.

Note that the human cannot see UVC lights. The LED lights in the Med Max Satinizer box are covered by purple plastic, so the light you see in the little window is purple. The purple glow you see is LED light + purple plastic, and that is a gimmick.

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 ★☆☆☆☆

Book review: Ninety-Nine Cent Tour of Bar Harbor Maine (Photo Tour): Traveling Cheapskate, Ken Rossignol

I live in New England and Bar Harbor Maine is a place we visit every now and then. I wanted to see if this book would give me some new ideas of places to see, things to do, and places to eat.  It did not.

This book was not what I expected in many ways. This book has no text.  It is just a book of photos with captions.  The captions are written in an unusually small font that does not scale at all. Even on a large 30" computer monitor, the text was not readable. Zoom-in controls in the browser did not work to enlarge the fonts, so no matter what I tried I could not see what the author wrote. I was only able to look at the photos.  The photos were not particularly good. They were not artistic, they did not have good composition, the colors were washed out.   The photos did not give Bar Harbor justice.  The book did not make Bar Harbor look like a desirable place to visit. 

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: AHJ CR123A Lithium Batteries - not compatible with Arlo Security Video Camera

I bought these batteries for the Arlo security camera.  Arlo is notoriously finicky about batteries, and not every 123a battery works well.  Since AHJ mentioned Arlo is the title, I had high hopes. But this battery is not compatible with the Arlo video camera.  The Arlo status showed a 0% charge level from the first moment the battery was inserted. The camera took three videos before it died. Very disappointing!

I owned the Arlo camera for a few years, so I had a chance to compare the longevity of several different batteries (Panasonic, Duracell, Energizer, and generic rechargeable batteries).  Every time I change the battery, I write down the date to compare the longevity I get from each set of batteries.   AHJ battery is the worst battery I have tried.  I never had a battery die after three 10 second videos.

* Cold weather (i.e., usage spans winter): Panasonic 4 months, Duracell 2 months, Energizer 2 weeks.
* Warm weather: Panasonic 6 months,  Duracell 4 months

Another data point I have is a comparison with rechargeable CR123A Lithium batteries.

* Cold weather: Panasonic  4 months, rechargeable 123A  2 weeks
* Warm weather: Panasonic 6 months, rechargeable 123A one month

I do not recommend these batteries for Arlo Cameras.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Fruit Love Smoothie

Fruit love smoothies are one of the most disappointing deserts  I have tried.  It is pretty much tasteless.  It does not taste like fruit or yogurt.  I could not finish it and had to throw it out.  I rarely do anything so wasteful, but I just could not force myself to finish it.  I found this desert in Market Basket in the yogurt section.

Ali Julia review

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Roof Melt, 60 Tablets (Roof Melt did not work, alternative solution did)

Roof Melt did not work, alternative solution did

I have an on-going ice damn problem, which I tried solving in a number of ways.  One attempt was using Roofmelt tables.  Which requires one to deposit the tablets on top of the ice damn area.

I tried and tried, but could not get the pucks to the roof not to mention some specific spot on the roof by throwing. I did not dare to get on a ladder since the snowbanks were taller than me.

I found a solution that worked for me. I took a nylon stocking, filled it with calcium chloride to form a sausage about 4" long. To make it easier to fill the stocking I took a 16 oz yogurt container and cut out its bottom. This made a nice sturdy funnel which kept the top of the stocking wide open for pouring the calcium chloride.

Note that bigger is not better! On my first try, I tried making 8-9" sausage, but it made the sock too heavy to stay on the steep roof, and it slid off.

To deposit the stocking to the roof  I used an extension pole used for a roof rake. I replaced the big rake with a small brush so it would be easier to hoist it up to the level of the roof of my dormer where my major ice dam is located.

My first few attempts were to fold the sock over the brush and dump it on the roof. But that did not work as either the stocking fell before it reached the desired spot, or I could not disengage the brush without knocking the sock down.

Finally, the solution that worked was using the pole and the brush as a lever. I put the thread attached to the sock over the brush, then raised the brush to the roof positioning it where I wanted the sock to be located. The stocking meanwhile was laying on the ground. Then, using the brush as my lever, I pulled on the thread to raise the stocking to the roof. This worked very well the first time I tried!

My second problem area was the steep lower roof. I could not get the stocking to stay on the lower roof as it has a very steep angle, so I suspended a stocking with ice melt on a thread from a window. I hope it will melt a channel in the ice dam.

The first day:

The next day: you can saw the channel

The second photo was taken the next day which shows the channel built by the salt stock. This happened overnight. I could see the trapped water coming out of the channel.

I also wanted to make a note that the nylon gets stuck to the ice. When I tried repositioning one of the socks it would not budge. The gravity makes it drops when the salt melts the ice around it, but reposition the sock to another spot turned out to impossible because it is stuck to the ice, and pulling it might tear the stocking dropping all the salt at once rather than via slow release.


You can Roof Melt on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Burt's Bees Kids Toothpaste, Natural Flavor with Fluoride, Fruit Fusion

I do not like the flavor of mint, so I purchased "Fruit Fusion" by Burt Bees.  This is the first Burt Bees product I did not like.  The flavor has a mint flavor with a sweet undertone. Very disappointing.

The desing of the tube is nice: it can stand on its cap and closes well.  It comes sealed.  It contains fluoride.  But if you looking for mint free toothpaste, don't buy it.  This toothpaste has an unpleasant flavor, not fruity at all.  It is minty and slightly sweet.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Tiny Flashlight + LED

Thanks to the other reviews I paid attention to the permissions this app required and even though I liked the application I uninstalled it. Why does the app that just turns on the light need full internet access, the right to read & write to sd card, and monitor the phone? To gather information about you...

No thanks.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★☆☆☆☆