Product review: BAGAIL Set of 5 Mesh Laundry Bags

I am a heavy user of mesh laundry bags. I use them not just for finaries but for making sorting of the laundry easier. I have purchased Whitmore, Honey-can-do, and HomeFlav mesh bags in the past. However my favorite mesh bags are LoopsLiving which have the same design as these mesh bags with one exception. LoopsLiving bags have a loop that allows the bags to be hung so I can sort items into them all through the week. I modified Kakalu bags by adding loops to them, this took less than 10 minutes.

I like this type of bags best because they have an elastic loop that keeps the zipper from opening during the wash and dry cycle. You need to pulls he zipper past the elastic bag after you close the zipper to make it work. It is rather annoying to find the mesh bag open after the wash is done. It never happens if the mesh bags have these elastic loops.

I also like the tight mesh on these bags better than bag with large mesh. The tight mesh keeps hooks and buttons inside the bag, the holes are too small for pesky hooks to stick out their fangs out of the bag.

The package contains 5 bags: large, medium and small as well as a small round bag meant for bras.

Bag sizes:
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* Super Large mesh bag: 24" x 24"
* Large mesh bag: 20" x 16" (two of them)
* Medium mesh bag : 15" x 12" (two of them)

My favorite is the super large bag - when things are loose in the bag they dry better so the super large and large bags get the most use.

In terms of longevity,  the oldest mesh bags I own are 3 years.  They have been used on weekly basis, despite their thinness they held up well - no holes, the zippers still work, the elastic still holds the zipper closed during laundry. Out of all the bags I had I had through the years only one had a problem: I yanked on the zipper too hard and pulled the lock off the zipper so it came off at the end - lesson learned don't yank, be gentle!
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Purell 1450-D1 Everywhere System Starter Kit (Base and Refill)

Purell is my favorite sanitizer - it does the job, dries quickly, and does not leave my hands sticky. For the flu season I was looking for a small dispenser for my office and this unit is just the right size. It is not an industrial size unit, yet large enough to be used not only by me but people who visit me.

Total height is 8.25"
Purell refill height 4"
Width of the dispenser 3"
Its weight is 21.60 oz

It comes with three mounting strips.

The unit dispenses well, even and smooth.
You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: JKitty 8 Outlets 6 USB 8A Total Smart Charge 3000W Surge Protector - Tower Power Strip

My review is for the 2 level 8 outlet JKitty power strip.

This  strip has a 67" power cord (non-retractable) and a regular size grounded plug. In addition to 8 AC outlets this tower also has 6 USB outlets. I tested them with my Android phone using a current monitor, and the current monitor showed that they all charged my phone at the optimal rate (AC rate of 1A).

This tower power strips work very well in tight spaces. It has a very small foot print yet accepts large plugs next to each other. The AC outlets are well spaced out. I can power several battery chargers next to each other without problems. This is a very clever design.

I love the shape of this power strip, it gave me more than enough outlets in the area which barely has any space.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: JOHAKU Card Reader, 4 in 1 Micro SD Card Reader (mini USB, Type C, Lightening)

This adapter is designed to work with both Android and Apple devices.  It has a mini USB  connector, type C connector, and lightening connector.

Nexus 5 and Nexus 6p Android phones immediately recognized the card reader, brought up ES File Explore, and I was able to look at external storage and video images and video. iPadMini gave me more problems and did not work right out of the box. I had to find an app that would work.  I mostly an Android user so the Android behavior is the most important to me.  I tried both SD cards from SONY NEX 5 camera and my a trail cam.  I am able to view JPG and MP3 file. Note that AVI files are visible but my phone cannot play them back.  This is not a problem with cards reader (it showed the files) but rather the limitation of the phone.  

The card reader is compact (2"  wide), I show it on the 1/2" grid for size reference.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Rii Multifunction Portable 2.4GHz Mini Wireless Fly Mouse Keyboard and Infrared Remote Control

I use an air mouse with my Android TV every week.  I have tried several designs of air mice and the older version of this Rii mouse has been my favorite for several yeas.  My only complaint about the old version was the click button was not the large ok button but a smaller button below it.  This minor annoyance has been corrected in this version and the most common function is now controlled by the big OK button (easy to find even in a dark room).

This air mouse is shaped like a TV remote control: it is 6.75" long and 1.875" wide and 0.375" thick.  One side of remote has all the mousing functionality and the TV remote functions, the other side has a QWERTY keyboard.

My normal use for this keyboard is Android TV, but I also checked my computers and it worked with Linux Fedora 25 and Windows 10.


OPERATION: MOUSE
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Air mouse comes with a wireless USB 2.0 receiver dongle (nano style) that plugs into a USB port. Then all I have to is aim the remote at the screen of  my TV (while it is in HDMI mode set to my Android TV) and I can move the mouse my just moving the remote.  The control is very good, it did not take me any time to get used to it. The remote also has other functions such as home, next previous screen, back, volume up and down and so forth.  I was able to operate it from as far as I could go in the room (it is rated for 10 meters which is 30 feet).  It uses 2.4Ghz radio frequency.

My only remaining small complaint is that the dongle has a plain black back. It has no name printed so it looks just like any dongle and I have quite a few of them. To fix this problem I attached a handwritten label of my own to back of the receiver.  It is not pretty but functional.  I learned from experience that these labels really help down the road.

OPERATION: KEYBOARD
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The keyboard keys have a nice feel (hard rubber) and good feedback (mechanical type click). It is a full QWERTY keyboard with letters and numbers.

OPERATION: TV REMOTE
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IR remote can be trained to know some of the functions of your TV remote.  To get into learning mode you need to press a "SET" button on the IR remote for 4 seconds.  When if flash light once, aim it at the your TV remote and press the button you want to assign a function on your IR remote, it will flash two short blinks followed by a long one to indicate it is in learning mode.  The press the button on the original TV remote. IR remote will flash three short blinks followed by a long one to indicate that the function was assigned.  You can repeat this operate for all the keys you want to use on the IR remote to control your TV. The two remote controls need to close to each other (2.5" or less). To end the training session you need to press SET key (or do not press nay keys for 10 seconds or more)

INSTALLATION:
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Insert USB receiver into a USB port on the device.  No other action is needed. The air mouse was immediately recognized.

CHARGING:
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Air mouse has a built-in Lithium-ion battery. It is charged by a standard micro USB to USB cable. The device can be used while the battery is charging. When the battery is low, the low-voltage light blinks to give a warning.  My old Rii air mouse needed to be charged once a month.  So far this remote still runs on the original charge (15 days and counting.)


Overall it works well, however be aware that it cannot be used to turn on and turn off the device you are controlling, so you still need a remote control.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Bath Bombs Gift Set by Herbs & Bees

These bath bombs come in six scents : Lavender, Cherry Blossom, Eucalyptus, Green Tea, Lemon Grass, and Orange Peel.  They all smell nice, my favorite is Green Tea,

I store the bath bombs in a linen closet to take advantage of their nice scent.  Each bomb is about the size of a golf ball.  Each is a one time use product, the entire bomb fizzes away in about a few minutes leaving the scented water infused with a moisturizer. I now tried a couple of different bath bombs, some generate bubbles like a bubble bath but these bombs do not. There is a bit of foaming as the bomb fizzes and then the foam quickly disappears. These  balls are a little smaller than some others I have tried, but I do not think the size matters, it infuses enough moisturizer. 

The ball description states that they are designed to dissolve slowly. I personally like them to dissolve quickly and wait until the entire bath bomb is dissolved until I get into the tub. When I want it to dissolve faster I aim the stream from the shower head at it, that speeds up the dissolving process. Overall a very pleasant and relaxing experience.

The balls colorful rather than white. I was concerned that this bright color will leave stains or will color the shower liner but it did not.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: Rainbow Reusable Flexible Gel Ice Pack & Wrap with Elastic Velcro Strap (Hot and Cold)

I use cold packs for headaches and back pain. This pack comes with a sleeve with a strap that holds the pack in place.  The strap is 23" long (end to end), which is just enough to wrap around my head. It also works for me around my arms and legs if I ever would need that. It is not long enough to strap around my waste for back pain, I have to use other methods for holding it up there (press against the back of the seat, use the pant's belt and so forth).

Before using Rainbow packs my most commonly used cold pack was "Ace Reusable Cold Compress".  I like it for two reasons - it remains flexible when cold so I can shape it as needed. Ace cold pack does not sweat as it warms up.

Rainbow pack also remains flexible after it is frozen, it does not sweatas it cools.  The sleeve and strap works exceptionally well.  This is now my preferred ice pack for headaches.

The pack stays cold for about 20 minutes, and then needs to be kept in the freezer for 2 hours to provide the next 20 minute treatment.  This is by design and also true of for ACE packs.  My refrigerator has a large assortment of ice pack, so I can swap out the new ones while the recently used ones chill.

This pack also works as hot pack by heating it in the microwave between 60 and 40 seconds depending on the power of your microwave.

I keep the pack in the sleeve when it is the freezer.  I have two reasons for this.  First, it is easier to manipulate into the sleeve when it is not cold.  Second, the plastic material feels a little less durable than the material used in Ace Cold pack and I keep it in the sleeve in the refrigerator to minimize the stress of taking it our and putting into the sleeve.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.


Ali Julia review ★★★★★