Reviews by RudiXeno

RudiXeno says "Black & Decker CHV1400 14.4-Volt Cyclonic DustBuster: Finally!" about Black & Decker CHV1400 14.4-Volt Cyclonic DustBuster

RudiXeno — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:15:24 GMT

I've long had a love/hate relationship with Black & Decker DustBusters. I loved their portability, but always found them underpowered and nasty to to clean.

So, when we were looking to replace our ancient and failing DustBuster DB200, I was inclined to look at several different brands. For one reason or another, portable vacuums by Euro-Pro, Bissell and Dirt Devil didn't appeal to me.

Then I spotted the Black & Decker CHV1400 14.4-Volt Cyclonic DustBuster. It had a substantial look to it. I was impressed immediately to learn that it was powered by a 14.4V battery.

More Power, More Run-Time

By the time we were replacing our older unit, its run-time was no more than 5 - 6 minutes. This new DustBuster claimed that fully charged it would provide 15 minutes of continuous run-time. That seemed more than adequate to me for routine use around the house.

But what really got my attention was its relative suction power. Measured in air watts, the new model was rated at 25, while our...

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RudiXeno says "Dremel Cordless Multi Tool: More uses than you can think of" about Dremel Cordless Multi Tool 7700

RudiXeno — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:25:43 GMT

For as long as I can remember I've had an infatuation with Dremel Rotary Tools. What's hard to understand? I'm a male, the Dremel spins fast and it grinds, sands, cuts, drills and polishes. Case closed.

Background

I remember watching my uncle using his Dremel. I was always impresed with what he could do with this versatile tool.

At the time I was really into AMT 3-in-1 automobile models. I would always opt to customize my new model. So, I would take out the included putty and customize away. It wasn't long before I realized that with the Dremel Rotary Tool I could really refine my designs. Before you knew it I was winning local modeling competitions. So, my dad, the least handy person I know (barring my brother) got me my own. To this day I still own it.

Time Marches On

These days, the tools de jour are cordless. So, when I saw the Cordless 7.2V Dremel Multi Tool, I just knew I had to have it. Never mind that I still had two perfectly good corded Dremels in my...

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RudiXeno says "Luminarc Working Glass: The Glass for a Man's Hand" about Luminarc Working Glass 16 pc. Set

RudiXeno — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:45:06 GMT

Whenever I'm at home (as I am now), there is always to be sure a tall beverage sitting beside me. Usually it's either Iced Tea or ice water. It's always there, always.

Over the years I have become very particular about the glasses I use. I like a substantial piece of glass that holds a generous amount of beverage and feels good in my grasp. Plastic cups just don't cut it for me.

Several years ago I came across Luminarc Working Glasses. These glasses available most often in 14oz and 21oz sizes fit the bill nicely. They were originally designed for storing jelly and preserves and can still be purchased with snap on lids.

Luminarc Working Glasses are quite substantial. The 14 oz glass weighs over 10 ozs, while the 21 oz glass weighs just under a pound. They have a great feeling in your hand. the glasses tend to feel indestructible, but of course they do shatter rather nicely if dropped on a tiled floor

The thick walls of these glasses make them ideal for iced drinks since...

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RudiXeno says "Metamucil Fiber-Sure: An easy way to increase your fiber" about Metamucil Fiber-Sure Supplements

RudiXeno — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 01:57:33 GMT

Adults require between 25 - 30 grams of fiber per day in their diet. While that doesn't sound like much, most Americans eat diets with insufficient amounts of fiber.

So What to Do?

The simple answer is to change the way we eat to include foods that are higher fiber. A good example might be to replace that mound of mashed potatoes with a mound of mashed cauliflower. Work for you? I didn't think so. See, part of the problem is, most of us eat what we eat because it's what we like to eat. If changing our eating habits was an easy thing we wouldn't see the amount of obesity we do in the US. Eating habits die hard.

But if there was a supplement available to us that would for the most part be odorless and tasteless and could just be added to the foods we eat and drink to give us more than 50% of our daily fiber requirement most of us could easily hit the magic number.

Metamucil Fiber-Sure

Well Proctor & Gamble has developed just that thing, Metamucil Fiber-Sure, a flavor-free,...

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RudiXeno says "Metamucil Fiber Laxative/Supplement: Berry Burst! It works." about Metamucil Metamucil Fiber Laxative/Supplement: Berry Burst!

RudiXeno — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:51:07 GMT

It probably makes sense for me to say that I don't often take laxatives. During normal periods I'm about as regular as rain. Constipation is not something that I've had to deal with often.

I'm sure part of it is genetic and part of it has to do with eating habits. My family eats a very high fiber diet and fiber is important for keeping your digestive system in shape and moving.

But of course there have been times when I've done some foolish eating, such as wolfing down a half pound of macadamia nuts that caused my digestive system to grind to a painful halt. That's when you need a really fast acting laxative. And, if that's what you need, this isn't it. This is more a maintenance type of laxative. Something to include in your daily diet to keep you regular.

It doesn't have the immediate effects of citrate of magnesia, glycerin suppositories, a tall glass of prune juice or a stiff dose of castor oil.

I've been using this Metamucil product for the past week. I've been taking...

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RudiXeno says "SCOE 10X Odor Eliminator: What Pet Odors?" about BioFog SCOE 10X

RudiXeno — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:56:54 GMT

A few years back we decided to lay an area rug we had stored away. We brought it into the house, unrolled it and were greeted by the odor of old pet accidents. We let a few days pass and while the odor faded a bit (or we became acclimated to it), it was clearly a no go.

Then I remembered an infomercial I had seen for a concentrated odor eliminator, SCOE 10X. During the infomercial, a small amount of ammonia was poured into a woman's palm. Sniffing it, she recoiled. A moment later some SCOE 10X was sprayed on her palm and the odor was gone she claimed.

Since the rug was an extremely expensive piece of floor covering I thought it was worth a shot. We sent away for some.

SCOE 10X

A starter kit of SCOE 10X includes a 3.2 oz. container of the concentrate and a 32 oz. sprayer. I mixed it with enough purified water to fill the spray bottle.

Armed with a black light I located all the "stained" areas and proceeded to saturate those areas with the solution. The solution is fragrance-free...

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RudiXeno says "Wall Pops!: Puts some zing into solid painted walls" about Brewster Wallcoverings Wall Pops!

RudiXeno — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:18:07 GMT

If you've been reading me lately you know I've been removing wallpaper and replacing it with clean smooth painted walls.

The funny thing about projects like this is that the joy of getting rid of all that wallpaper is quickly replaced with a feeling that something's missing.

When you replace paper with paint you do indeed lose texture and a certain eye appeal. Unless you were particularly adventurous, a painted wall is just that, a painted wall! Sure it may be a bold or otherwise interesting color, but a painted wall it remains.

Wall Pops!

An interesting and relatively inexpensive way to jazz things up a bit is to employ Wall Pops! What are they?

Wall Pops! are removable vinyl appliques that come in a variety of shapes and patterns. They offer stripes that can be used as trims and a variety of geometric shapes that are designed and sized so that they can be used in combination to complement one another.

The key aspect is the fact that they can be applied, removed and repositioned. ...

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RudiXeno says "Formula 409: Our go-to product for general cleaning and more" about Clorox Formula 409 Daily Kitchen Cleaner

RudiXeno — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:58:54 GMT

For as long as I can remember we've always kept a spray bottle or three of Formula 409 under our kitchen sink.

After a particularly messy meal preparation there are few non-abrasive cleaners that can cut through grease and food splatter on our granite counter tops with as much ease and leave them smelling as fresh as Formula 409.

Around the house, this all-purpose cleaner is ideal for cleaning the inside of our fridge, cleaning bathroom fixtures and shower stalls. On jobs such as these it is about as easy as Windex or Glass Plus to use. Simply spray and wipe clean with a paper towel.

For weekly cleaning of our gas grill outdoors I typically spray and work it onto the grates with a green plastic scrubby before wiping it down with paper towel.

A New Use

Recently I was removing wallpaper from our kitchen. I scored the wall with a scoring tool and was intending to spray a wallpaper and paste remover on the wall to soften the paste. By mistake I picked up a generic spray bottle that...

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RudiXeno says "ZUD Heavy Duty Cleanser: The Big Gun!" about Zud Scrubbing Powder

RudiXeno — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:36:47 GMT

There are so many cleaning products on the market these days, but the old "scouring powder" remains.

Is there a household without a can of Comet or Ajax under the kitchen sink? These powdered cleansers come in handy when you have what I refer to as a nasty job. But sometimes a job is too nasty for your run of the mill powdered cleansers.

That's when you pull out the big gun. You pull out the ZUD!

ZUD Heavy Duty Cleanser

You'll usually find this inthe same aisle as the other powdered cleansers. Similar product indeed, but it has strength an order of magnitude higher than the others. This is raw cleaning power.

Unlike most other powdered cleansers, ZUD derives its power from the combination of Oxalic Acid, pumice and ground quartz. The Oxalic Acid comes in handy when you're trying to remove rusted stains, while the pumice and ground quartz give you incredible abrasion ability.

If you have cookware that has years of burnt on grease on the bottoms of the pots & pans, ZUD is what...

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RudiXeno says "Hyde Caulking Tools: For the perfect bead" about Hyde Caulking Tool & Caulk Removal Tool - Value Pack

RudiXeno — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:06:50 GMT

Often the difference between a high quality paint job and an amatuerish DIY effort can be found in the little things, like the quality of the caulking.

You can paint the walls and the trim, but it's that little space where the two meet that often gets neglected. For a really professional looking finish your eye should not be able to tell where one starts and one finishes. This is where caulking comes in. It fills those gaps between wall and trim. Most often you'll want to use a paintable latex caulk that comes in a tube and meant to be applied with a caulking gun.

You'll run a rounded bead between the wall and the trim in order to fill the void. Some beginning DIYers stop there. And, if you were a very careful caulker it wouldn't necessarily look half bad. But the truth is, even a very experienced DIYer probably couldn't do the job right without a caulking tool.

Look at the product photo. You can see that a caulking tool is little more than a rigid piece of plastic that...

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RudiXeno says "Arnold Select Sandwich Thins: Great for taste and your waist!" about Arnold Select sandwich thins

RudiXeno — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:56:58 GMT

America has a love affair with sandwiches. It makes no difference what you choose to put between two pieces of bread, it is a love affair I tell you.

The Problem

Bread is fattening. Whether you are counting calories or carbs, they both mount up quickly when we indulge in our love affair.

Although I have found both low-carb and low calorie breads they always leave something to be desired. Both tend to be soft and fluffy and lack what I'll refer to as "chew". There's usually very little substance to chew on. They also seem to lack any distinctive taste.

Arnold Select Sandwich Thins

Apparently, Arnold Bakeries saw an opportunity here and I for one am glad they did. They developed Arnold Select Sandwich Thins. Available in at least Multi-Grain and Whole Wheat (I haven't yet seen other varieties), Sandwich Thins are pre-sliced pita-like rolls of about 4 1/2" in diameter.

Each Sandwich Thin contains 100 calories, or about half that for regular bread slices. As far as Carbs go,...

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RudiXeno says "Cuisinart DLC-5 Food Processor: Back to Cuisinart Goodness" about Cuisinart DLC-5 Food Processor

RudiXeno — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:26:40 GMT

Following the demise of my vintage, circa 1980 Cuisinart 11-cup food processor a few years ago I balked at spending the $249 or so that it was going to cost to replace it.

After going the cheap route selecting two Black & Decker food processors that lasted from 1 - 2 years I've come back to Cuisinart and I didn't have to spend $249 to do it.

Cuisinart DLC-5 Food Processor

The DLC-5 bears a striking resemblance to my original 11 cup Cuisinart but at about 2/3rds the size. It comes with the usual chopping blade and a pair of disks for slicing and shredding. Unlike my original Cuisinart that had two controls on its face, the DLC-5 has one control switch for "continuous on", off and pulse. Except when I'm using it to slice and shred, I almost exclusively use the pulse feature. The very sharp blades of the chopping blade does a very good job of turning over ingredients with each pulse.

The slicing and shredding blades differ from my older model in that they are permanently attached...

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RudiXeno says "Handy Paint Pail: Great for touch-up work." about Bercom Handy Paint Pail

RudiXeno — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:10:55 GMT

Bercom's Handy Paint Pail is one of those things that when you see it you slap your forehead with your palm and say "why didn't I think of that?"

We've all been there. We finished our paint job and we're feeling mighty good about ourselves when we notice there's some touch-up needed. And, just in case we didn't notice our better half will be there to point it out to us.

For the last few years I would just get out the ladder, pour a little paint into one of those blue Maxwell House Coffee containers with the plastic handle and choose a brush for the job. No problem.

But usually somewhere along the line I'd get distracted and next thing you know my brush will have fallen into the container. This is where it gets messy.

Bercom's Handy Paint Pail

This pail anticipates this problem. The Handy Paint Pail isn't too much different than my Maxwell House pail. It does have a more comfortable handle that lets you slide your hand in with your palm on the pail. I like that. It has a...

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RudiXeno says "PureVia: The Artificial Sweetener D'Jour" about PureVia All Natural Zero Calorie Sweetener

RudiXeno — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:26:00 GMT

I recently received a box of PureVia, a Stevia-based natural sweetener in exchange for my unbiased review of the product. Nothing new for me, I've participated in this way with a number of manufacturers.

Now as many of you may know, there's this whole thing regarding natural vs. artificial sweeteners going on. I say let's hold off on any discussion of this issue until we've covered "Does it taste any good?" Make sense to you? Good.

Stevia and me

A few years ago one of my lunatic fringe green friends came over the house with a baggy of dried ground Stevia leaves and pronounced cane sugar dead. So we put up some organic coffee, added some organic milk and stirred in some Stevia leaves. Well there's a thing about ground Stevia leaves. They don't really stir in. They kind of just float around on top. Aesthetically, it doesn't work for me. Taste-wise, I found it left a bitter aftertaste in my mouth and an unpleasant sensation in my mouth. I was diplomatic and above all...

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RudiXeno says "Arbuckles' Ariosa Coffee: The Sioux Never Had a Chance" about Arbuckles Ariosa Coffee

RudiXeno — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:54:08 GMT

Recently we received a package of Arbuckle's Ariosa Coffee as a prize from one Sweepstakes or another. Being a big coffee drinker I was really interested in trying this previously unheard of coffee.

"The Coffee that Won the West"

Yes, that's what the package boasts. I had to try it. How could it be otherwise with a claim like that.

My Assessment

Okay, this isn't going to take very long. Perhaps with the possible exception of the coffee I was forced to endure out in the field while I was in the Army, this is perhaps the worst, most insipid brew I have ever experienced. Actually, let me partially recant. Army coffee was better even if it left me with a nasty disposition.

This coffee is thin, lacking any body to speak of. While I'm not a great fan of either Folger's or Maxwell House Classic Roasts I have to say that Arbuckles Ariosa Coffee measures up to neither. And, don't even think of comparing it to either of the former brands Colombian or Dark Roasts. It just doesn't...

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RudiXeno says "Chateau by Moen: A modern classic " about Moen Chateau Chrome Lavatory Faucet 4621

RudiXeno — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:29:40 GMT

When we remodeled our bathrooms about 10 years ago, we again turned to Moen for our new faucets. We were replacing the traditional two faucet models with the single center-mounted faucet in the Chateau by Moen line.

This chrome finished single control faucet and drain set features a low profile faucet that is controlled by a single large tear-shaped plastic crystal knob that is easily manipulated. To turn the faucet on the knob is pulled toward you. When the tip of the "tear" is centered the faucet is set to warm. Turning the tear to the left increases the water temperature while turning to the right decreases the temperature. We seem to automatically return the faucet to the warm position whenever we turn the water off.

This fixture has a straight rod push/pull drain control that is also easily operated.

The faucet has an aerated spout that provides a maximum flow of 1.5 gallons/minute. Though the flow can be controlled from the off condition to the maximum flow setting, the...

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RudiXeno says "Dove Cool Moisture Bar: The Ideal Summer Beauty Bar" about Dove Cool Moisture Bar Soap, Cucumber and Green Tea X 4 Pack 4.25 oz

RudiXeno — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:27:32 GMT

Sure, whenever possible I prefer a genuine soap to a "beauty bar". But honestly, sometimes I'm just too lazy to whip up a new batch.

One of the few commercial beauty bars I tend to enjoy here in the steamy Florida climes is Dove Cool Moisture Bar Soap, Cucumber and Green Tea.

Dove Cool Moisture Bar, Cucumber and Green Tea

Much the same as other "beauty bars", Dove Cool Moisture starts out with a synthetic detergent as it's base ingredient rather than a natural soap. But where most other brands rely on Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (the most commonly used cleaning detergent), Dial uses Sodium Lauroyl Iesthionate, a detergent known to be milder to the skin and considerably safer for children's eyes..

Though I won't include a lengthy list of ingredients, Dove does in fact contain a very significant content of natural soap. The saponified oils used by Dove include either tallow or palm oil and either coconut or palm kernel oil. Each of there oils are commonly used in natural soaps.

Vegans...

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RudiXeno says "Sensodyne: It does seem to work" about Sensodyne Extra Whitening Toothpaste

RudiXeno — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 20:23:20 GMT

One day our Crest toothpaste just disappeared. Poof, just like that. It was as if the earth was thrown slightly off its axis. You know what I'm talking about here, don't you? That sneaking suspicion that something just isn't right.

Sensodyne Extra Whitening Toothpaste

In its place I found Sensodyne for sensitive teeth. Funny, I had never thought of my teeth as particularly sensitive. "Hon, is someone having trouble with their teeth?", I asked the lovely Mrs Xeno. "It's better for us", she reponded. End of discussion. So, I walked off, scratching my head, thinking to myself, "I thought I was the product reviewer in this family." But, deciding that this wasn't the mountain peak that I was prepared to die on, I did the sensible thing. I used it to brush my teeth. It does appear to work. My teeth are noticeably whiter and those little pains I never seemed to much notice when I drank either hot or cold seemed to disappear.

When did we develop this need?

In recent years,...

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RudiXeno says "Loctite Super Glue Gel Control: Ready when you need it!" about Loctite Super Glue - Gel Control

RudiXeno — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:34:02 GMT

No homeowner's shop is complete without a little bottle of cyanoacrylate. What? Okay, call it Crazy Glue, Super Glue or Wonder Glue. Most homeowners usually keep a tube or bottle of it around the house.

Cyanoacrylate glues are offered by any number of companies. My favorite is Loctite's Super Glue Gel Control.

Loctite Super Glue - Gel Control

Most of these types of adhesives work in pretty much the same fashion. Put a drop or two on something that's broken, stick it back together and in about 60 seconds you have a bond that has set up. The bond continues to strengthen over the next several hours.

Some of these glues are thin liquids. Loctite Super Glue - Gel Control is as the name would suggest a gel. It's a little easier using gels, particularly on vertical surfaces. But again, pretty much all manufacturers now offer gels.

The Difference

What distinguishes Loctite Super Glue - Gel Control is not the glue at all. It's the bottle/applicator it comes in. It keeps the...

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RudiXeno says "Moen Extensa Kitchen Faucet: Elegant, Simple & Durable" about Moen Extensa Kitchen Faucet - Model 7560C

RudiXeno — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:34:52 GMT

When our kitchen and bathrooms were remodeled several years ago, all of our "contractor special" faucets were tossed in favor of one single brand, Moen.

In our kitchen, we have a Moen Extensa Model 7560C. It has a chrome finish and it features a single low-arc handle and a pull-out sprayer. The design is simple and at the same time elegant. The single handle moves both vertically and horizontally to control water flow and temperature.

The ability to pull the sprayer away from the faucet often comes in handy whether cleaning painting tool or filling a bucket too large to be placed in the sink.

Of course there are several companies that manufacture this type of faucet. But as a homeowner for the last 30 years I've always been impressed with the quality and durability of Moen products. I particularly appreciate the lifetime warranty that Moen offers on this faucet.

Just this week

After serving us faithfully for almost 10 years our kitchen faucet in fact broke. The lever came off...

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