# Don't waste your time/money on \_\_\_\_ (stuff that DOESN'T work) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 3, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747 "2010-12-03T01:56:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/41 "2010-12-04T20:24:02Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > The Method unscented/uncolored line used to be called _Go naked_, but now it’s just _unscented_. We have the _Go naked_ surface cleaner also, but my wife tells me it doesn’t cut grease very well. Don’t know about any other products, but Method super concentrated laundry detergent is awesome. Instead of lugging around a big jug of detergent I just have this cute little squirt bottle that lasts twice as long. I am really sensitive to soaps and things and have never had any allergy issues with it, either. Someone upthread said psychoanalysis, but I’ll go one step further and say psychodynamic therapy, which is still a widely practiced form of mental health counseling. What little evidence we have on its efficacy indicates that it works about as well as placebo. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/42 "2010-12-04T22:30:16Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > I’m not sure this really qualifies, as it’s not a “service” I’ve used. > > I see ads on TV for some website that’s supposed to speed up your computer. I think it’s called [maxmyspeed.com](http://maxmyspeed.com), but I can’t be bothered to look it up. The ad goes “is your computer slow? Thinking about buying a new one? Don’t waste your money!” > > And the first thing that goes through my mind is “speaking of not wasting your money…” > > IMO this is a company that preys upon people who are computer-ignorant. If only I had my own advertising budget, I’d purchase time to air my own ad directly after this commercial that says “don’t listen to these sleazebags. Do a simple Google search and download a FREE anti-virus program and a FREE anti-malware program.” > > Now that I think about it, I suppose this “service” does actually work, but it’s not something that money should be wasted on! To the people who need this service you might as well be speaking Chinese. To someone like my uncle who uses the computer by basically remembering exactly where to click in order to get to yahoo mail and any minor change renders him completely an utterly incapable of using the computer something like is pretty much mandatory if I’m unable to help him. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/43 "2010-12-04T23:13:25Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Sea Monkeys. > > In a way they’re kind of cool, but if you’re expecting 4" tall little fish people who juggle and live in a castle, you might be disappointed. Come on, next you’ll be telling me the X-ray Specs don’t work either. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/44 "2010-12-04T23:22:10Z")
Anything that promised to whiten teeth. I haven’t found a single product (toothpastes, rinses, treatments…) that works. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/45 "2010-12-04T23:22:58Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > Someone upthread said psychoanalysis, but I’ll go one step further and say psychodynamic therapy, which is still a widely practiced form of mental health counseling. What little evidence we have on its efficacy indicates that it works about as well as placebo. I don’t disagree, but do you have a good cite for this? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/46 "2010-12-05T00:39:58Z")
> [@cuauhtemoc](#): > > Come on, next you’ll be telling me the X-ray Specs don’t work either. The secret is, you need both. If you’re wearing the X-ray specs, the Sea Monkeys look _just like the pictures!_ ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/47 "2010-12-05T01:06:33Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > The Method unscented/uncolored line used to be called _Go naked_, but now it’s just _unscented_. We have the _Go naked_ surface cleaner also, but my wife tells me it doesn’t cut grease very well. > > And that set off her _Formula 409_ rant, ‘which used to cut grease really well, but then they “improved” it, and now it doesn’t work very well any more, and there isn’t really anything that does.’ So if any one knows of a surface cleaner that does cut grease well, let me know. 🙂 Simple Green. I dilute mine 25:75 and it works great at getting the general cooking grease off of the stove top. I’ve been working down the same $4 bottle of Simple Green for the last year. On the list of shit that doesn’t work: [MyFatCure.com](http://MyFatCure.com). I won’t put a direct link because the stupid will backwash down the internet lines and get The Dope all messy. Yes, if you only eat 500 calories a day, you will lose weight. But that is because you are starving yourself, not because the stupid, urine-derived throat spray they give you enhances your metabolism to that of a pregnant woman’s. Why would anyone think that would work? Oh yeah, my mother. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/48 "2010-12-05T06:03:15Z")
> [@Pullet](#): > > \ > On the list of shit that doesn’t work: [MyFatCure.com](http://MyFatCure.com). I won’t put a direct link because the stupid will backwash down the internet lines and get The Dope all messy. Yes, if you only eat 500 calories a day, you will lose weight. But that is because you are starving yourself, not because the stupid, urine-derived throat spray they give you enhances your metabolism to that of a pregnant woman’s. Why would anyone think that would work? Oh yeah, my mother. :mad: Is that one of those diet things that have the small print - “To be used with diet and exercise for best results?” You know what else works? Diet and exercise, and NOT paying for your expensive scammy crap. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/49 "2010-12-05T06:17:32Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Is that one of those diet things that have the small print - “To be used with diet and exercise for best results?” You know what else works? Diet and exercise, and NOT paying for your expensive scammy crap. It’s sneakier than that. They just convince you to not eat. So, yay! No exercising! I have to congratulate my mom for having the will power to only eat 500 calories a day for an entire month, even if it was incredibly stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/50 "2010-12-05T12:33:20Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > The Method unscented/uncolored line used to be called _Go naked_, but now it’s just _unscented_. We have the _Go naked_ surface cleaner also, but my wife tells me it doesn’t cut grease very well. > > And that set off her _Formula 409_ rant, ‘which used to cut grease really well, but then they “improved” it, and now it doesn’t work very well any more, and there isn’t really anything that does.’ So if any one knows of a surface cleaner that does cut grease well, let me know. 🙂 n-propoxypropanol (aka Dipropylene Glycol Monopropyl Ether). That’s what does the job in 409. > [@Pullet](#): > > Simple Green. I dilute mine 25:75 and it works great at getting the general cooking grease off of the stove top. I’ve been working down the same $4 bottle of Simple Green for the last year. 2-butoxyethanol (aka ethylene glycol butyl ether). That’s what does the job in Simple Green. Simple Green and Formula 409 are damn near the same thing. I am astonished at what slapping the word “green” on the label will accomplish. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/51 "2010-12-05T14:45:55Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > n-propoxypropanol (aka Dipropylene Glycol Monopropyl Ether). That’s what does the job in 409. Is that what it used to be when it worked, or what it is now? The four-year-old bottle in our cupboard that doesn’t work well uses Alkyl (C12 40% C14 50% C16 10%) dimethly benzyl amonium chloride. > [@](#): > > 2-butoxyethanol (aka ethylene glycol butyl ether). That’s what does the job in Simple Green. Simple Green and Formula 409 are damn near the same thing. I am astonished at what slapping the word “green” on the label will accomplish. My wife hates the smell of Simple Green. ---
**Author:** ![Stillwell\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stillwell\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stillwell_Angel)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/52 "2010-12-05T15:11:10Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > And that set off her _Formula 409_ rant, 'which used to cut grease really well, but then they “improved” it, and now it doesn’t work very well any more We recently got a new dishwasher, and I complained to my husband that it was leaving the same white filmy ‘stuff’ on the dishes that the old crappy dishwasher did. I had assumed that one of the perks of a nice new washer would be no filmy dishes. Then I saw [this](http://www.wthr.com/story/13445740/dishwasher-detergent-formula-change-brings-cloudy-glasses) article. Apparently eco-friendly detergent is now mandatory in my area, and apparently the price of eco-friendly dishwasher detergent is icky looking/feeling dishes. So anyone have a product I won’t waste my money on that makes your dishes look and feel nice? (and please don’t tell me hand-washing them. I have very few luxuries in life, and not having to hand-wash dishes is one of them!) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/53 "2010-12-05T16:10:05Z")
I like Simple Green because of the smell. I like it when stuff cleans, but the smell is important to me. I’ve used some great products that I ditched because I couldn’t stand the residual smell when I walked into my kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Vorlon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/54 "2010-12-05T16:10:51Z")
> [@Stillwell\_Angel](#): > > We recently got a new dishwasher, and I complained to my husband that it was leaving the same white filmy ‘stuff’ on the dishes that the old crappy dishwasher did. I had assumed that one of the perks of a nice new washer would be no filmy dishes. Then I saw [this](http://www.wthr.com/story/13445740/dishwasher-detergent-formula-change-brings-cloudy-glasses) article. Apparently eco-friendly detergent is now mandatory in my area, and apparently the price of eco-friendly dishwasher detergent is icky looking/feeling dishes. > > So anyone have a product I won’t waste my money on that makes your dishes look and feel nice? (and please don’t tell me hand-washing them. I have very few luxuries in life, and not having to hand-wash dishes is one of them!) Might I suggest a shopping trip to a place where detergent works? ---
**Author:** ![Stillwell\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@Stillwell\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stillwell_Angel)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/55 "2010-12-05T16:23:19Z")
> [@The\_Vorlon](#): > > Might I suggest a shopping trip to a place where detergent works? Judging from all the “New & Improved!” (ie: we took out all the stuff that actually works) stuff on the market, I’m afraid the land of cleaning products that actually work is quickly fading into obscurity. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/56 "2010-12-05T17:09:25Z")
Not a popular response, but the worst purchase I ever made it my life was a Dyson vaccuum. First one slipped gears and wouldn’t pull. Finally, after three trips to the shop, they gave me a new one. And that slipped gears and wouldn’t pull. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/57 "2010-12-05T19:25:46Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > Dealextreme is actually not all that bad. Yeah, I wouldn’t get anything more than a few bucks or that I was really reliant on in the electronics area, but their prices are great. The ‘weird stuffs’ category is neat for stocking stuffer gifts, though shipping takes awhile as I recall. I did get one of those ‘jelly’ stress relievers, and it was smelly and very sticky. I threw that one out. I used the earphones I got from there for a long time, though. DealExtreme has great prices, but assume that anything you buy will be non-returnable or refundable. They have policies set up to virtually guarantee you’ll never collect - ie, you must have photographed the package and all its contents and attach the photo to your online complaint form, even if the product never arrived (?!), and then then you’re issued a credit that you are unable to access - it took over 6 months to get them to agree to my credit (for a product that they never had in stock and therefore never mailed) after I finally posted on a complaint website, but I’ve never been able to access the credit. So buy from them if you can afford to throw away a few cents on cheap fun stuff, but stay away from anything else. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/58 "2010-12-05T19:32:26Z")
> [@](#): > > So anyone have a product I won’t waste my money on that makes your dishes look and feel nice? (and please don’t tell me hand-washing them. I have very few luxuries in life, and not having to hand-wash dishes is one of them!) I started having this problem, and I started putting a cup of white vinegar in the dishwasher when I start it. The article says to put a cup of white vinegar in the top rack and run it through a cleaning cycle. Fortunately, vinegar is cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/59 "2010-12-05T19:34:31Z")
> [@Stillwell\_Angel](#): > > We recently got a new dishwasher, and I complained to my husband that it was leaving the same white filmy ‘stuff’ on the dishes that the old crappy dishwasher did. I had assumed that one of the perks of a nice new washer would be no filmy dishes. Then I saw [this](http://www.wthr.com/story/13445740/dishwasher-detergent-formula-change-brings-cloudy-glasses) article. Apparently eco-friendly detergent is now mandatory in my area, and apparently the price of eco-friendly dishwasher detergent is icky looking/feeling dishes. > > So anyone have a product I won’t waste my money on that makes your dishes look and feel nice? (and please don’t tell me hand-washing them. I have very few luxuries in life, and not having to hand-wash dishes is one of them!) Are you using Jet Dry as well? You should be if you aren’t. What sort of detergent do you use? My repair guy says Cascade powder or nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747/60 "2010-12-05T22:32:15Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > Green and Formula 409 are damn near the same thing. I am astonished at what slapping the word “green” on the label will accomplish. I found that Simple Green works GREAT on nicotine, while 409 is only so-so. The best cleaner I’ve found for nicotine, though, is LA’s Awesome Cleaner, which I’ve only seen at dollar stores. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-waste-your-time-money-on-____-stuff-that-doesnt-work/562747.md?page=4)