Trader Joe's Cedarwood and Sage Multi-purpose Cleaner. My mother doesn't like it - says it streaks her counters and glass, but I use it on our antique pine island and honed granite. It contains some oil, so the island loves it. LOVE the smell too.

Hasn't anyone used Sprayway window cleaner?!?!?

It's a white aerosol foam. I've been using it since I was on the farm in the 70's! I order it for our HSW department at work too. ACE has it in most warehouses. We'll roll thru several hundred in a year.

Many fans of Mrs.-Meyers stuff here too! ACE has a good portion avail. thru their warehouses. I've got this stuff on a front endcap.

Also MAJOR-POPULAR is the Bona floorcare stuff. TWO front e/caps of this!

>>> If these items vanished from my HSW dept., I'd have to buy lots of Kevlar!!! I'm serious! ;-)

Faron

Natal, the Magic Eraser doesn't scratch my glass oven door, I did do a small spot first because I was concerned about it, too.

Sprayway and Bona floor care fans here too.

oakleyok - I'm right there with you on the Pledge Multi-Surface. I picked some up, just to try it, and it was perfect when we were still living in our house that is on the market. I'd whip through the whole house before a showing to make it look like a "cleaning day". It smells good too!

As for the Magic Eraser -- I never knew what to use it on either, but discovered that it takes soap scum out of fiberglass tubs effortlessly! I'll never scrub a tub again!

Witch hazel on my face. I remember using it for a short time back in my teens years because it was around the house. I've been using it for a little over a week and my pores are smaller.

I finally bought the Swiffer duster and can't believe it took me this long.

Love the Magic Eraser for the tub!

There is a new duster similar to Swiffer that I bought a few weeks ago, a Glade duster. It's a bit different but almost half the price- which is what they promote. I can see using both of them.

Italian herb seasoning grinder made by McCormick. Adds a nice touch to salad with a little EVOO and balsamic vinegar.

Sprayway window cleaner in the blue and white can is sold at Costco and Sam's Club in my area.

Sprayaway had a coupon in the insert in our local Sunday paper. I checked out their website, and they also have a stainless steel cleaner, a granite cleaner (both of which I have used and like), a grill and oven cleaner, an all purpose cleaner and a bed bug and dust mite spray.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sprayaway site

Hi. My name is Pam and I'm an OrangeCrushAholic. And I'm diabetic.

Since my "numbers" have been good I've been buying Orange Crush out of the glass bottle and having one a week. Okay, maybe two.

Yesterday in Walmart I noticed they made sugar free OC! I bought some and it had to be THE best diet pop I've ever had. No kidding! No after taste, nothing.

Today I sweated a lot due to housecleaning and drank some Crush in a styrofoam cup with lots of ice.

Yeah I know styrofoam is bad, but we keep them around in the summer so our drinks stay really cold. :)

Memo to self: Almost out of the Pledge MC, so put it on your grocery list along with more Crush!

Pam, Have you tried sugar free fudgsicles? Really chocolatey and sweet!

I love Kerasal foot cream....kept my dry feet moisturized all winter....also Jergens natural glow moisturizer...gives you a natural looking tan.

Oakley, I thought you bought some special glasses last year that keep drinks cold.

Nancy, have you tried Skinny Cow mini fudge pops? Good stuff!

My latest food find is jicama. Made a salad with it Saturday night with an orange dill vinaigrette. Love the crunch!

Here is a link that might be useful: Skinny Cow Mini Fudge Pops

I just placed an order for some more Tervis tumblers. The new ones are all BPA-free (some of the older ones had miniscule amounts, well below anything thought to be a concern.) They're great at keeping my dietCoke cold, are dishwasher safe and guaranteed for life. We have a bunch of different styles already; my favorite is a flying pig.
They're handy for large groups because everyone can keep track of his drink by the design.

I skimmed (getting sleepy). Sorry if this is a repeat but I noticed my stove today so thought of something else I love. :)
Those house pumice stone bars. They sell them in grocery stores sometimes and Lowe's has them in household cleaners. Look like this. Only mine comes in a box. $4 or so.

The gray enamel parts on my stove get so icky so fast. DH likes to cook. DH is a messy cook. DH does not like to wipe the stove right after use. So drips & spills bake onto the gray enamel while it's all still hot. That baked on crud will not come off with soaking or magic eraser or anything. Found a pumice accidentally one day so bought it. Success! Makes it look brand spankin' new, and not a scratch. Supposed to be good for all kinds of things, but so far that's all I've used it for.

Natal, I haven't tried the Skinny Cow mini fudge pops, but I intend to! :)

Forget the mini pops, I'll take a plate of that salad with jicama and orange vinaigrette! Natal, your dishes always sound SO good! When are you going to open your restaurant?

We can rave about it on a "Places we Love" thread!

Natal, I did, but these styrofoam cups keep them much much colder, and since I only sip on a drink it lasts for hours.

Sheeeshh!

I've got many of these things already in my HSW/cleaning aisle!
ACE has all the Sprayway products available in their warehousing. I've got the window cleaner of course, the Bedbug-spray (travel/TSA-approved size too!), the 360-all purpose Citrus cleaner, Sprayway Stainless-steel cleaner, & their Granite c-top spraycleaner.

Pumice-bricks and smaller "sticks" I've got too....

Working-Hands & Working-Feet lotions...

The Pledge cleaners mentioned here too!

I wish I could show you guys my cleaning aisle!
You'd like it!!!
(then there's the paint....;-))

Faron

Above I asked if anyone used John Frieda Sheer Blonde Go Blonder Lightening Shampoo, lightening conditioner and spray. The spray isn't hair spray, it's just a lightening spray to put on your hair after you towel dry it.

OH...Instructions says to add heat to the hair afterwards, like a curling iron or flat iron. I use my blow dryer very close to the hair to give it heat. I guess the heat brings out more color.

I love it! Also very inexpensive. My hair is more of a dirty dishwater blonde, light brown. It stayed naturally highlighted until I got older and I wanted my blonde hair back!

My dh can't notice it's lighter but I sure can. (Seriously, do men notice anything? lol) I've used it twice now. The instructions says you can use it every day to get it lighter faster, but I have thick shoulder length hair and it doesn't get dirty that often. It's permanent, but no peroxide in it.

It's supposed to work better for lighter hair than mine, even if you have your hair lightened at a salon.

I even have new streaks in it! I use all three at once, the shampoo, conditioner and spray. I was leary about lathering the conditioner on because too much conditioner makes my hair flat. But my hair feels like silk and seems to have a bit more volume to it.

5 Stars.

the Bedbug-spray (travel/TSA-approved size too!)

I have never encountered bed bugs in my rather limited travels, but this is a great idea!

What is the bed bug spray? I'm going to get some if it gets good reviews.

Check out my post further up the page - I linked to the Sprayaway site which has the bed bug spray. It has mixed reviews on Amazon. Link below to the travel size.

Here is a link that might be useful: Travel size bed bug spray

Interesting about the spray. Last year, when our exterminators were doing our annual inspection, I asked about bedbugs in our area. Although not a big problem at the time, I was told that they were seeing more. The technician showed me how to check for bedbugs and told me that heat is the most effective method in eliminating them, not a pesticide, etc. So, I wonder about the spray.

tina

dlm2000 - Where do you get the La-Brasiliana Tre Define & Shine?

Those of you who love the Perfect Glass - did you know Hope's also makes a glass cooktop cleaner -- actually, I think they make a few versions of it, but I've been using their "Cooktop Cleaning Cream" for years. It is THE. BEST. thing I've found for cleaning glass cooktops. I couldn't find it locally for a while and tried a bunch of other brands, but nothing else came close. I finally found a source (some obscure cleaning supplies company) on the internet and ordered like a CASE of it because I was afraid I wouldn't find it again, so I am hooked up for cooktop cleaner for the next 20 years. Of course now I see that Amazon carries it -- I'll link below. Anyhow, those of you with glass cooktops should definitely give it a try - it cleans and buffs to a nice shine in one easy step.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hope's Cooktop Cleaning Cream

Months ago, I asked you folks about places to find really warm socks for winter. A bunch of you recommended SmartWool socks, so I picked up a pair of the PhD Outdoor Medium Crew socks at a sporting-goods store. OMG! My feet felt so good! There's a bit of rigid stitching here and there that kind of hugs the foot and actually feels like a support. And the cushioning is fantastic (I was conflicted between the light cushioning and the medium, and another woman shopping for the socks recommended the medium--glad she did!). They feel soft, not itchy. It's the only pair of socks that I will not let my little dog get near! More than I usually pay for socks, but worth it!

My hair is even blonder today! :)

Laurie I buy my La-Brasiliana products from my stylist because he gives me the best price, no shipping and I can buy the large bottles. I use the shampoo, conditioner and the shine. But I see they now carry it at Amazon - looks like the whole line.

Here is a link that might be useful: La Brasiliana

I love Leggs Sheer Energy or Active Support panty hose. They are amazing. My legs used to ache a lot when I was pregnant even though I'm not overweight. My midwife suggested the support hose and I've been wearing them ever since. I cut the feet off and wear them with socks. I get the nude color which looks like natural tan - hides my white legs.

I highly recommend Weiman Glass Cook Top Cleaner for cleaning shower glass doors. This is only thing I've found that makes it easy to clean them. Use the (dry) rough blue or green pads and a car buffing machine or just elbow grease. My glass doors had hard water stains. Now they look like new. You can get this stuff at Walmart for about $3.89. Great for cleaning other things too because it doesn't scratch or have much odor.

Method granite cleaner! It works great, smells good, and can be found at Target for cheap.

Also, I love the Trader Joe's sage and cedarwood cleaner, mentioned earlier. I am constantly giving it to friends, family and coworkers to try, and they always end up buying it.

O.K., girls, here's an unusual product both DH and I love (no, not anything like that!): it's a particular ratcheting, hinged, multi-head screwdriver we found at Harbor Freight one day a few weeks ago. It is truly The Best most wonderful, useful, adaptable screwdriver I've ever had. It's like someone smart finally took the time to design it. Tight spaces? Ratcheting back and forwards? Need to change heads midstream? Need an allen wrench *and* phillips head screwdriver? No problem! We think we'll get a couple more just to have them around. Here they are. You may thank me later : )

Here is a link that might be useful: Anything around the house need fixing? : )

Dh had one from HF ... I don't know if it was the same ... but it finally broke. I'll tell him about this one. Thanks!

Well, yes, it's not a Snap-On tool, it will break sooner or later, but I tell you it is a little handful of sheer convenience until it does : ) I think it would be perfect, as the reviewer mentioned, for a dorm or 1st apartment, just to have around as needed.

I have to laugh when I remember my first co-op in NYC...I was single and had almost no interest in remodeling (although I did like art and design). I got by for years with just a battery-powered screwdriver for any picture or drapery hanging needs!

we have light colored carpeting on the 2nd floor of our house---and it is nearly 10 years old-10 yrs of heavy use! and we have our new little guide dog puppy that we are raising!
so, i was browsing the carpet spot remover section in the store the other day and found 'folex' decided to try it and am VERY happy with it!! very good at spot/stain removal!!

I bought a Vapur "Anti" water bottle and it is great for traveling. It is a flat plastic water bottle that you can roll up when empty and takes up very little space in a purse or backpack, yet is a very functional water bottle. I took it on my trip to Europe and avoided having to buy pricey bottled water. It is even dishwasher safe! I bought mine at Eddie Bauer.

Love that water bottle. Bought my daughter one last spring and she takes it to lunch every day. Doesn't take up space in the backpack for the trip home.

terri, that's very cool - thanks. We'll get some for the family. One question: does the top tend to stay on nice and tight? The plastic bottles we've had before tend to leak, which can be a yucky problem if you've got, say, Endurox in them.

I only had water in my bottle, but the top does stay on tightly. I just love that when I am done with my water I don't have to drag around a full sized empty water bottle.

I like that aspect too! We'll give it a try. Thanks again.

terri, guess what we found at Goodwill tonight? : ) 2 of them...into the dishwasher they go. We're very excited.

(We also found an Aero Pilates "Performer" (reformer) today too. Haven't used it yet, so I can't say for sure that it's as great as the ones I've used in clubs, but at this point I'm personally excited about it : ))

Just wanted to add that they were *completely new, unused*. Don't want any misunderstanding : ) (they were 2/$1.00, btw)

That's fantastic fly! I think I paid about $8 for mine on sale at Eddie Bauer.

Great thread!

For cleaning -- mix of alcohol and water with a bit of lavender oil --got this from CatMom on Kitchens -- works well for stainless

Also like Caldrea Basil Blue Sage --cleaner, dish soap, anything they make with this scent.

Also like the old fashioned scent balls -- Aura cacia and others sell it -- because you can use pure oils.

For my face:

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant -- it is expensive for what you get but it really does seem to make a difference.

Tretinoin-- just the plain generic stuff -- and also some of the products from Skin Laboratory -- such as salicylic acid --

Shu Uemura eye shadow -- but they discontinued some of the best colors

What is tretinoin? I need to look up the microfoliant, sounds interesting. Isn't salicylic acid very drying?

tina

Tretinoin is the generic name for Retin-A.

Thanks Terriks!! Not going there - I used a product with retin-a and it was horribly drying to my skin.

Here's a relatively new product that now I can't live without! Paper mouse pads.

When I'm on the computer I constantly take notes which needs to be dealt with on the computer.

I received a tablet for Christmas and now I can't live without them. I've since ordered two more tablets!

My dh doesn't need a mousepad, but he uses these too because he takes notes at times also.

Highly recommended!

I've never heard of paper mouse pads, but I don't use a mouse!! (Well I do at work, but plenty of sticky notes, etc. there LOL).