What you consider *superior* products

[spncity]

What is the best spray bottle vinyl floor cleaner?

Our friends sing the praises of Heartland Natural Cleaning Solution so I've just been trying it. It is quite amazing stuff. Typically you put 3 parts of water with 1 part of concentrate into a spray bottle.

They use it as an everything cleaner. I'm finding that it does live up to expectations.

Evidently it is so natural and safe that in a much more diluted mixture it can be used as a vegetable wash (see directions).

If you try it let us know what you think!

Kindest regards.

 

[zinger1457]

Moemg....What model of the "Shark home floor steamer" do you use? I need something good for my tile floors also.

I use the Shark Professional model floor steamer and I'm happy with it. Works very good on wood and tile floors and although I don't have any I'm sure it would work good on vinyl floors too. It won't clean tile grout if it's badly stained. Based on recommendations I only use distilled water in it but a gallon ($.90 at Walmart) goes a long way and gives me quite a few cleanings.

 

[Pleeplus]

I know we have some Big Green Egg enthusiasts here. As I get ready to fire mine up, I want to share one of the coolest gadgets I've seen. DW surprised me with this BGE table for my birthday this year, and I absolutely love it.



It's all stainless steel, either painted or powder coated, and all the doors are gasketed so critters can't get in. Wonderfully well engineered and constructed.



They come in many sizes and configurations. The pix here don't show mine, but this is very similar to the one I have. There are smaller and larger versions. Somewhat pricey, but very well made and should last as long as the Egg (meaning forever).



Challenger Cabinets :: Grill Carts

Very nice braumeister! I made my own table (wood) but it is no where near as nice as these stainless steel models. Plus I have to sand and stain mine every year which is a Pain in the ***. Congrats and happy "egging".


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[aja8888]

What is the best spray bottle vinyl floor cleaner? I habitually use Simple Green, but I don't think it is that good to clean my floor. The floor is in good shape. I move anything off floor, then start in corner farthest from door, squirt, then usually rub it with a terry towel wither by hand or my foot. It seems to be pretty good rehab exercise for my hip so usually I foot it. I just work over to the door this way. I do it fairly often, so it is not filthy or anything

I can rinse if need be, but prefer something that will work without rinses.

Thanks for taking time out from all the cool products above to help a housework challenged man who nevertheless likes a clean house.

Ha

DW has the Shark mentioned above. Seems like she really likes it. I have no direct experience with it but DD has one too and says it's worth the money.

Me, I take care of everything mechanical and electrical and all outdoor work plus car stuff.

 

[Chuckanut]

50-50 vinegar and water? No rinse.

-ERD50

+1

I am amazed at how many household cleaning jobs can be done with vinegar and/or baking soda.

 

[aja8888]

+1

I am amazed at how many household cleaning jobs can be done with vinegar and/or baking soda.

One's acidic and one is a base. Separately, they are fine cleaners. Mix them together and the combo is pretty neutral and pretty worthless as a cleaning agent.

 

[Moemg]

Moemg....What model of the "Shark home floor steamer" do you use? I need something good for my tile floors also.

I have the shark professional & I love it .

 

[Chuckanut]

One's acidic and one is a base. Separately, they are fine cleaners. Mix them together and the combo is pretty neutral and pretty worthless as a cleaning agent.

True. I know some people who claim the reaction can clear a grease and dirt clogged drain.

 

[aja8888]

True. I know some people who claim the reaction can clear a grease and dirt clogged drain.

It probably can if you time it right.

 

[imoldernu]

*****

 

[Urchina]

I love my wide mouth HydroFlask! In a single month it has replaced all of my other reusable water bottles AND my hot beverage travel mug. Love, love, love it -- and love that it is stainless steel!

 

[Brat]

I have used Bona Floor cleaner on both wood and tile for years. I tried Simple Green for my tile floors but it left a film.

 

[braumeister]

Headphones

There is a small, family-owned firm called Grado Labs in one of the grittier areas of Brooklyn, New York that makes some of the highest quality headphones in the world.

I have a set of their SR325is headphones and have been using them for a little over six months now. After numerous A-B tests with others, I continue to be blown away by the sound quality here.

I've been kind of an audiophile for decades, and I used to be in the habit of taking a couple of my favorite recordings in to stores to do A-B tests of speakers. So I understand a bit about subjectivity and honest comparisons.

Seriously, if high quality sound is important to you, and you use headphones often, this is something to consider. The 325is model has recently been superseded by the 325e model which is most likely even better.

 

[ERD50]

There is a small, family-owned firm called Grado Labs in one of the grittier areas of Brooklyn, New York that makes some of the highest quality headphones in the world.

I have a set of their SR325is headphones and have been using them for a little over six months now. After numerous A-B tests with others, I continue to be blown away by the sound quality here.

I've been kind of an audiophile for decades, and I used to be in the habit of taking a couple of my favorite recordings in to stores to do A-B tests of speakers. So I understand a bit about subjectivity and honest comparisons.

Seriously, if high quality sound is important to you, and you use headphones often, this is something to consider. The 325is model has recently been superseded by the 325e model which is most likely even better.

I've got the lower end in that series, the GR-125's, think I paid ~ $150 maybe 10~15 years ago. I considered going more upscale to the $400 range, but I don't use headphones for serious listening all that much, and these were considered a 'best value' by several reviews. I'm very happy with them, though no doubt the higher end ones are a bit better. Serious audio is always a matter of diminishing returns, but sometimes that 'little extra' is worth it for some of us!

What really shocks me is just how good some of these cheap $15 ear-buds are. Some of them are really pretty decent - far more than I expect for the price.

-ERD50

 

[spncity]

Got this pan and lid at HomeGoods for $29.99.

It's pretty awesome. Easy clean non-stick ceramic. I like deep sides on a frying pan.

http://www.bialettishop.com/BW/LargePictures/Cookware/BWAeternumEvolutionCoveredSautePan.htm



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[spncity]

On the list of great products: Kerasal Richly Concentrated Foot Ointment - The package says: One-Step Exfoliating Moisturizer Foot Therapy. Net wt. 30 grams/1 oz.

The key ingredients are Salicylic Acid 5% and synthetic Urea 10% (I learned from a foot specialist that you have to have at least one of these ingredients in a foot cream for it to be any good - this has both)

I don't think I will ever be without this stuff from now on!

It's available in stores, but you can read all about it on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GCNC2U/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Kindest regards.

 

[NW-Bound]

We have been using AmLactin on our dry cracked heels. It works well but has to be applied regularly, and I often forget.

From users' reviews, it looks like this expensive Kerasal will speed up the exfoliating in 1 or 2 days, after that I can use the AmLactin for maintenance.

 

[someguy]

On the list of great products: Kerasal Richly Concentrated Foot Ointment - The package says: One-Step Exfoliating Moisturizer Foot Therapy. Net wt. 30 grams/1 oz.
Kindest regards.

Stupid question: why does one use a product like this? I'm using to seeing exfoliating products for the face but not the feet, so I'm confused.

 

[NW-Bound]

Why? Because geezers tend to have dry heels where the skin gets thick, and is painful and bleeds when it cracks. I try to remember to use a pumice stone to file away the thick skin after each shower, but often forget.

 

[W2R]

Why? Because geezers tend to have dry heels where the skin gets thick, and is painful and bleeds when it cracks. I try to remember to use a pumice stone to file away the thick skin after each shower, but often forget.

Wow. That must be a geezer thing, and not a "geezer-ette" thing. At least I haven't experienced anything like that so far. I wonder if it is more common in some climates than others. It sounds awful and I'm glad you found a product that helps.

 

[Mulligan]

Why? Because geezers tend to have dry heels where the skin gets thick, and is painful and bleeds when it cracks. I try to remember to use a pumice stone to file away the thick skin after each shower, but often forget.

Well thanks for the tip, NW. I will put this in my volume 3 journal of various old age maladies potentially facing me that I have learned from this forum....And to think before I joined this site, I thought maybe some eyeglasses, a little hitch in the walk, or some more grey hair was all that was involved in the aging process..


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[NW-Bound]

Ummm... Spncity is a geezerette, though I do not know her age.

And, talk about aging problems, this is actually a minor thing. Though it has caused me to hop around quite often, it is nothing like plantar fasciitis, which can cause a sharp pain when you get out of bed in the morning and try to stand up. The pain can cause you to stagger, and just want to kneel down and collapse on the floor to take your weight off your feet.

Well, that plantar fasciitis is gone now, to allow me to bother with those cracked heels. Like Bette Davis said, growing old is not for sissies.

Oh, cracked heels may be more common in dry climate, like that of the desert SW.

 

[spncity]

Costco has, well, lots of things. Here are a couple I've seen recently.

1. A version of wool socks that are like Smartwool, but at that Costco price.

2. Contigo no-spill stainless beverage holders - now with a lid design that is easier to clean.

Kindest regards.

 

[tfudtuckerpucker]

Why? Because geezers tend to have dry heels where the skin gets thick, and is painful and bleeds when it cracks. I try to remember to use a pumice stone to file away the thick skin after each shower, but often forget.

I dealt with this issue for years, and used various abrasive or cutting techniques to reduce the heel thickness. Then I found that simply using a creme that contains urea (like Flexitol) works well for me. It's much more convenient, and there's no risk of removing too much tissue. FWIW.

 

[Sarah in SC]

W2R, I think it is a humidity thing. Us coastal dwellers, regardless of geezer status, have less to fear in this particular department.

spncity, I have some of those socks, but when I wore them for a recent death march across Walt Disney, they gave me a heat rash. I'll try them again in cooler weather, but the heat rash added to my already considerable misery from that particular outing.