‘Gorilla’ Protects Car Doors

Tired of having your car doors banged up in the parking lot? You might consider Gorilla Door Guards, which you can install in seconds to keep the dings from your doors.

Made of black polypropylene, the lightweight guards (each weighs 8.2 ounces) are thicker than factory door trim, so they can temporarily protect the doors when the car is parked.

Sold in sets of two, the guards are 36 inches long and 3 1/2 inches wide; they have locking hinges that fit on the open end of doors for installation.

A vinyl-covered magnet keeps the guard in position on the door. The magnet won’t scratch the car’s metal surface, but it also won’t stick to plastic-body cars.

The guards are easy to remove, as well, and can be stored behind the seat or in the trunk of the car.

Gorilla Door Guards ($19.95, plus $5.95 shipping and handling) are available from Gorilla Automotive Products, 2141 E. 51st St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90058. In California, call (800) 642-6267; out of state, call (800) 262-6267.

Children Can Learn About Family Trees

A new children’s book from Workman Publishing, “Do People Grow on Family Trees?: Genealogy for Kids & Other Beginners,” will encourage children (ages 8-12) and perhaps their parents to start researching their family backgrounds. The book also is the Official Ellis Island Handbook.

“Do People Grow on Family Trees?” ($9.95) provides information about where families came from before moving to America, what port of entry they used and where they settled.

It shows junior genealogists how to make a family tree, where to search for documentation--birth and death records--and advises children to talk with grandparents and other relatives who can provide background.

The book also has a list of last names, their countries of origin and what they mean. It includes forms to request citizenship papers and other family information from government agencies.

Written by Sesame Street magazine’s editor-in-chief, Ira Wolfman, “Do People Grow on Family Trees?” gets a thumbs-up from “Roots” author Alex Haley, who wrote the book’s foreword.

“How I wish I could have read this book when I was a child,” Haley writes. “If I had, I would have been so much more aware that my grandparents were a source of riches beyond belief.”

Wolfman became interested in genealogy in 1988, when he discovered a passenger list for the ship that brought his grandfather to America. He went on to trace his family back more than 200 years.

The unusual children’s book is available in Southern California at Waldenbooks, Dutton’s in Los Angeles and Brentwood, and Mrs. Nelson’s Toys and Books in La Verne.

If you can’t find it in your area, call Workman’s toll-free number, (800) 722-7202.

Steel Hose Prevents the Wash Day Blues

A California company has just introduced the No-Burst High-Pressure Washing Machine Hose that’s made of braided stainless steel so it won’t unexpectedly rupture like traditional rubber hoses used on washers.

Designed with a non-toxic inner core, the No-Burst washing machine fill hose was tested for temperatures up to 212 degees Fahrenheit, according to manufacturers representatives, so it is reliable under extreme heat and will stand up to the surge pressure of washing machine cycles. The hose has heavy brass fittings for lock-tight connections.

The No-Burst washing machine hose (suggested retail, $15) comes in four-, five- and six-foot lengths and fits all standard washing machines. The hose is available nationwide in selected hardware and plumbing supply stores and home centers.

In Southern California, you can find it at the Home Club. If you can’t find it in your area, contact: Fluidmaster, 1800 Via Burton, Anaheim, Calif. 92803; phone, (714) 774-1444).