10 Time, Money or Life Savers
Many innovative products were introduced to consumers this year, ranging from a car seat that converts into a stroller to an ironing board cover that really fits. From the 1991 columns, here are our choices for the year’s 10 best, in no special order. See if you agree.
Sit ‘n’ Stroll is a combination stroller and car seat that makes transporting your baby a lot simpler.
As a car seat, the sturdy but lightweight (only 14 pounds) device has been tested safe for children weighing up to 25 pounds; as a stroller, it is safe for a child weighing up to 45 pounds. Converting the unit from seat to street takes about 10 seconds.
Sit ‘n’ Stoll (suggested retail $139 to $169) is available at baby stores nationwide. If you can’t find it in your area, call toll-free, (800) 829-1625.
Tirechecks, valve caps that show whether tires are properly inflated, can save drivers money, wear on tires and, perhaps, their lives, since low tire pressure is linked to nearly 260,000 accidents annually.
The easily installed caps, which fit all normal stems, have a color indicator that shows bright green if the tire has the correct pressure; if it doesn’t, an orange indicator pops up.
Tirechecks ($9.95, plus $3 shipping and handling for a set of four) can be ordered from M & E Enterprises, P.O. Box 37, Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570; (914) 769-1395.
The G2 Smoke Detector screws into a light socket and gets its power from your home’s electrical current.
Just screw the alarm into a single-bulb socket and put a 60-watt bulb in the detector’s base, which charges the alarm’s internal battery every time the light is turned on. It will hold a charge for about six months, manufacturers say, and the device should last about six years.
In the Los Angeles area you can find the G2 Smoke Detector ($19.95) at Home Club, Home Depot, Home Builders Outlet, Lumber City, Payless Drugs or Ralphs. If you can’t find it in your area, call Generation 2 Inc., (800) 788-1518.
Safe-T-Suspenders, a durable, washable and lightweight harness, is designed to keep children ages 6 months to 3 years safe while sitting in a shopping cart.
The rainbow-striped, adjustable straps attach to a bumper pad that snaps over the cart’s handlebar to keep the child from bumping his or her head. The straps fit over the child’s shoulders, cross in back and attach to the cart behind the child. Then they are looped under the child’s arms and fastened securely.
Safe-T-Suspenders ($19.95, plus $2.90 shipping and handling) may be ordered from Future Wave Technologies, 991-C Loma Santa Fe Drive, Suite 140, Solana Beach, Calif. 92075; (800) 222-5005. Add state tax.
Ultra Fit Plus is the best ironing board cover we’ve seen. It adjusts to fit almost any size board and does not wrinkle, slip or slide.
The cotton cover comes with an extra thick, elastic-edged pad for a more-cushioned ironing surface. Ultra Fit Plus features a Velcro hook and loop system that pulls the cover across the width of the board and fastens underneath. An elastic cord stretches the cover tightly over the length, and a fastener secures it.
Ultra Fit Plus covers (from $12.99 to $14.99) can be purchased at hardware and department stores, drugstores and supermarkets nationwide. In the Los Angeles area you can find them at Fedco, Home Club, Hold it, Service Merchandise or Wal-Mart stores. If you can’t find them, call Seymour Industries’ toll-free number, (800) 457-9881.
The versatile Dynamo Solar AM / FM Radio could come in handy on camping, hiking and fishing trips or in your car or home in case of a power outage. It’s also great to add to your emergency or earthquake-preparedness kit.
It’s lightweight, compact and has three power sources--solar, two AA batteries and a hand crank. For a fourth power source, there’s a DC adapter plug (for an additional $5.95) that fits into a 3V jack in the back of the radio.
The Dynamo ($31.95, including shipping and handling) is available through Berk International, P.O. Box 5294, Garden Grove, Calif. 92645; (714) 898-8648.
DriWater, a gel containing 98% water that time-releases into a plant’s soil, can be the answer to your problems if you lack a green thumb or like to travel frequently. A 7-ounce cup will water a small to medium houseplant for a month.
DriWater, which is odorless, nontoxic and biodegradable, works when natural microorganisms in the soil eat the vegetable gum in the gel, releasing water slowly to roots.
DriWater (suggested retail for one cup, $1.49; a three-pack, $3.99) is sold nationwide in lawn and garden centers and hardware stores. In Southern California you can find it at Home Depot and Armstrong Garden Centers. Or you can order it from DriWater Inc., 1550 Furlong Road, Sebastopol, Calif. 95472; (707) 829-3486.
Wacky Vac is just the ticket to remove dust from nooks and crannies, computer keyboards, bookshelves, pleated lampshades and telephone buttons. It attaches to either vacuum cleaners or Dustbusters and easily gets in all those hard-to-reach places.
Wacky Vac, which looks similar to a spider, has 25 small suction pipes with soft filament brushes that can remove dust from the bottom of a full drawer without sucking up small items.
Weighing less than a pound and washable, Wacky Vac ($9.99, plus $2 shipping and handling) can be ordered from IdeaWorks, 74-940 Highway 111, Suite 121, Indian Wells, Calif. 92210; (619) 773-2653.
Silver Protector Strips from 3M Co. aren’t new--they’ve been on the market almost 15 years--but they do keep silver, copper, brass or bronze from tarnishing so fast.
The strips don’t have to touch an item; they just have to be near it to prevent tarnish for up to six months.
Silver Protector Strips ($4.99 for an eight-strip package) are available nationally in selected specialty shops, hardware and jewelry stores. Or you can order through Silver Care Products, 3535 Hoffman Road East, St. Paul, Minn. 55110; (800) 328-1449.
Mark-o-Matic, a handy measuring tape with built-in markers, allows you to accurately measure and mark a surface simultaneously. The 16-foot tape is made of metal, comes in a sturdy plastic case and has an automatic power return.
Retractable front and rear pencil leads at the base of the tape rule emerge with the push of a button. To mark metal, glass or other hard materials, just replace the lead with steel scribes, which are included.
Mark-o-Matic ($12.95, plus $3 shipping and handling) can be purchased from M & E Enterprises, P.O. Box 37, 295 Lake Shore Drive, Pleasantville, N.Y. 10570; (914) 769-1395.
