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Letter to the editor

Around the house

By Times Staff, Wires
Published September 8, 2007

Just add water, and clean

The latest way to deliver household cleaners is in clear, premeasured, dissolving pouches, each about an inch square. You may have already seen some brands of dishwasher detergent packaged this way. The pouches eliminate heavy bottles and boxes, decrease packaging and reduce storage space.

More products are getting on this bandwagon. Among them:

- Glass Plus Dissolvable Refills. Drop the packet of ammonia-free concentrate into a clean spray bottle, add warm water, the packet dissolves and you're ready to go. The refills are $2.69 for packages of two at groceries, discount stores and the big-box merchants.

- Drop & Clean pouches are sold at Wal-Mart under the brand names Festival (lavender scent) and Pinalen (pine scent). Drop them into a bucket or spray bottle of water and use the resulting cleaning solution on floors, countertops, toilets, appliances, whatever. See the video at www.dropandclean.com. Suggested retail is $2.97 for a box of five pouches, each 0.33 fluid ounce.

New uses for used items

At www.world.org,click on "recycling database," then choose what you want to recycle and find plenty of uses for everything from archery arrows to eyeglass cases to beat-up three-ring binders to auto floor mats.

Ready to flush? Step on it

The Foot Flush is a device you attach to your toilet's mechanism that allows you to flush by stepping on a foot-shaped pedal on the floor. See the installation video at www.footflush.com (two minutes, no tools, the manufacturer claims). It's being pitched at those with limited hand dexterity orback problems, those who'd prefer not to touch the toilet handle, and kids who are being potty-trained. (Oh, here's some fun! Stomp!) The FootFlush is $29.95 online.

[Last modified September 7, 2007, 10:38:16]