Product review: Hand Sanitizer by Bravo Sierra - 70% Ethyl Alcohol

 Yes, finally, a hand sanitizer without added fragrance. Alcohol scent evaporates quickly, and no scent is left behind; it dries quickly. This sanitizer comes in a small 5 oz bottle. Good size to keep in the car for when I need to clean my hands on the go.

The COVID pandemic taught us to use a lot of hand sanitizers, and we are going through the bottles at a good clip. 70% ethyl alcohol meets the CDC standards for COVID, and I don't have to suffer from smelly fragrance hands.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Review of Hand Sanitizer by Bravo Sierra - 70% Ethyl Alcohol

Product review: Breatheze KN95 Face Masks Disposable Made in the USA

 

 Breatheze KN95 masks are surprisingly comfortable and relatively thin compared to other KN95 and N95 masks I own (for example, made my 3M). This light construction makes it easier to breathe through. I also like the shape of the mask.  Some masks come too close to my lower lids, and these masks are about 1/4 of an inch below my eye.

These masks have a nose clip.  During shipping, the clip was folded and formed a sharp V that I needed to mold to my nose to avoid a gap.

Unlike many KN95 masks with elastic loops that go all around the head and provide a snugger fit, these masks have elastic loops around areas. I would have preferred around the head option.

The masks came in a thin, crinkly plastic bag; it tore immediately as I opened it.  It is too fragile to store the masks. I had to find another packaging for storing the masks.

I always perform a water test on the masks I buy. I fill one of the masks with water, hold the water in the mask for about a minute, and test for leaks and wetness on the outside of the mask.  This mask did not leak, so it means it can protect me from spittle-carrying COVID droplets.

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.

Even though KN95 masks are not the same as the N95 masks, they provide reasonably good protection.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Nice 'N Clean Sanitizing Hand Wipes (144 Total Wipes) | Wet Wipes Infused with Aloe & Vitamin E

 These wipes are often out of stock, but they are worth the wait. I like them better than other wipes I purchased over the last two years.  They are 70% alcohol, very moist, and have no additional fragrance.  The alcohol scent evaporates in seconds, and there is no added fragrance that lingers for a long time.

Each wipe is 8" by 6" in size.  Each wipe is individually wrapped, and each package is 4.25" x 2". The wipes are so moist that when I put them on the table, they leave a wet spot, so they are very good for cleaning. Great size for carrying a few packages in my purse and pocket to use when I need to sanitize on the go.

These wipes are small in size; each wipe is 4" by 7".  The wipes are damp, not as wet as many other wipes I have used in the past.  On the positive side, I liked that each wipe is fairly thick with a textured/perforated finish.


CDC recommends using solutions with 60-95% alcohol content for COVID-related sanitizing, and Nice 'N Clean comes in at 70% are well with the recommendation.

I also liked that these wipes are made in the USA.  This listing includes six boxes with 24 wipes each.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Serene Drops - Individually Packaged Hand Sanitizer, Travel Size, Disinfectant Spray

 

This listing contains one spray. I imagined that the travel size spray would be smaller.  It is 5/8" thick and 4"H x 2.25"W. It is a bit too thick to put into a pocket.

The spray works by pressing the button at the top.  The button is not protected in any way, and it gets accidentally pressed in my purse by the wallet and other things. So it does not work well for carrying in my purse.

I found that keeping in my car's cup holder is the best way to keep it safe while it is not in use.

The spray system works well; however, I wish it was unscented.  Alcohol scent evaporates quickly, the perfume smell of the spray lingers on my hands for a long time.  It is disappointing that the unscented option is not available.  Most people I know prefer unscented disinfectants.  I think it would be a popular option if it were available.

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: 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: 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 ★☆☆☆☆

Product review: Amy's Organic Lentil Soup, Vegan, 14.5 Ounce / Whole foods home delivery during COVID-19

This is my first order of Amy's Organic Lentil Soup.  This is a thick lentil soup with a pleasant flavor. Not too salty, not artificial tasting, not spicy. It has a label BPA free (I assume this refers to the liner).  I like that it has easy to open a pop up lid. It is also easy to prepare, we heat it up in the microwave.

Ingredients
Filtered Water, Organic Yellow Split Peas, Organic red lentils, Organic Carrots, Organic Tomato Purée, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, shallots, Organic Garlic, Organic Ginger, Sea Salt, Organic Spices, Organic Turmeric, Organic Black Pepper.

This soup was part of my first on-line delivery from Whole Foods, and the ordering and delivery worked well.  6 of the 12 items were out due to COVID-19 and I got texts with substitutions, which I could accept or reject.  The delivery occurred within a promised two-hour period, with the substitution messages happening one hour before.  WholeFoods, of course, is not a bargain. The price of the items and the delivery tip did make it pretty expensive. However, in the current situation, it is a very helpful option to have.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: CovidClaw Deluxe Keychain Tool – 22” Expandable Hook Clip and Stylus

The claw works for flushing toilets, pulling doors, pushing buttons.  It is less convenient to use than your own hand and you need to clean it after use, but sometimes I feel better using it.  It is too long for me to wear on a keychain (7" in the contracted state), but it clips to a ring on my purse. It has a retractable wire which gives me enough length to use the claw without unclipping from my purse.  The claw is made out of aluminum painted black. The edges are smooth and not sharp.  It is not flimsy and not light (1.8 oz).

The claw itself cannot be used on the LCD screen of ATM machines, but the included stylus works well for that purpose.  I was not able to find a pen, I am guessing something in the stylus unscrews.  I did not try too hard to find a pen, because I have several pens in my purse and don't need another one.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.
Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Olangda Disposable Face Masks, 3 Layers Breathable and Comfortable Elastic Ear Loop,

Three days after I received Olangda Face Masks that particular listing was removed from Amazon.  When I contacted Amazon to find out if the product was fake they told me the issue was with the seller, not the product, but I was still worried that my masks were fake.  Fortunately, I found five tests to tell apart fake surgical masks and real surgical masks and performed three of the tests.  Since the masks passed those tests, I did not do the burn test so I would have to destroy the mask.

Here are the five tests to tell part real surgical masks from fake ones:
1. Light penetration
 the real mask does not let the light through, 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, 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
 real mask attracts particles, a fake mask does not


Olanga masks are three-ply masks with a nose clip. They fit comfortably over my face, do not pull on ears too much, and breathing in them is very easy. I have a couple of real N95 masks I bought 10 years ago, so I can compare the two types of masks and the N95 masks feel much different. 

These dust masks are a tool to prevent the wearer from spreading infections by sneezing or coughing (very important!), however, it provides only a small amount of protection to the wearer. 

As another experiment, I wore this mask when I sprayed garden fertilizer which has a distinct smell.  I hoped I would smell it less with the mask on, however, I could smell it just as well as without it. 

On the positive side, I took the mask on and off a number of 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.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆