# let's have another round of " products that actually work," just in time for Christmas! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 17, 2011, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567 "2011-12-17T20:44:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/41 "2011-12-24T22:25:37Z")
Missed the edit…the trick, I’ve found, for doing a good job of applying it is to clean the windshield, apply it in small circles (like wax), wait a few minutes for it to haze, apply it again in small circles and let it haze again and make sure you’ve covered the entire windshield. Now, this is where I break from the directions. I believe they say to wipe it with a dry or slightly damp cloth. I just clean it with Windex. Otherwise I can’t get rid of the haze. The Windex does a great job of getting rid of the haze and the Rain-X stays on just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/42 "2011-12-25T00:00:55Z")
This [Garlic Peeler and Grater Plate](http://www.amazon.com/IMCG-Ceramic-Grater-Plate-Set/dp/B001BOBZSU) works, I just got one tonight for a gift and I’ve already used it, twice. The peeler actually does removed the garlic skin, and the grater works fast. Though it does make the garlic more paste like than minced. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/43 "2011-12-25T01:39:52Z")
I keep endorsing Air Optix Night & Day contact lenses. For me at least, they deliver on their promise: You put can put them in and forget about them for a month. My eyes actually feel better when I’m wearing them. They’re not cheap, but neither is lens fluid; I only need to use lens fluid once a month. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/44 "2011-12-25T04:09:40Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > I keep endorsing Air Optix Night & Day contact lenses. For me at least, they deliver on their promise: You put can put them in and forget about them for a month. My eyes actually feel better when I’m wearing them. They’re not cheap, but neither is lens fluid; I only need to use lens fluid once a month. I’ll agree with that and I usually kept them in for 6 weeks or so. I did that for 7 or 8 years until my eyes started giving me some problems (unrelated I think) and I’ve been taking them out for the last few months…which brings me to ClearCare contact solution. I’ve been using this for the last few months and love it. It cleans your contacts with hydrogen peroxide overnight and no effort on your part. No rinsing or scrubbing or anything. The only thing that bugs me is that there are two nearly identical packages at the store and I always have to figure out which one I need. Though I think they’re both are pretty much the same but one has a few added steps for people that like the old school method. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/45 "2011-12-25T04:20:25Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > My name is WhyNot, and I endorse this message. > > Except…I can’t think of a single person it would be appropriate for me to give a DivaCup to for Christmas. It’d be like giving someone anal lube or something! Too personal an item for Yuletide joy. 😛 Hopefully people aren’t giving each other gifts of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, either! ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/46 "2011-12-25T04:38:59Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Hopefully people aren’t giving each other gifts of Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, either! You obviously haven’t met my (ex)mother-in-law. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/47 "2011-12-25T05:31:30Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Not Rain-X! I read about how great it was in one of these threads, and tried it, and now whenever it rains my car sounds like I’m plucking a live turkey. The wiper blades do this groaning stick-slip thing so violently that people who know my car insist we will take their car instead. I have tried various ways of cleaning the windshield and nothing has fixed it, and I might consider having the windshield replaced. I don’t know how Rain-X got on anybody’s nice list, but I’d pay easily $50 or so to reverse that decision - maybe more… That isn’t Rain X, that’s bad windshield wipers. You will need new ones every winter. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/48 "2011-12-25T09:03:18Z")
The [Book Magic book clip](http://www.amazon.com/Book-Magic-Clip-Maverick-Ventures/dp/B001B0TXEW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324803017&sr=8-1) is great for hands-free reading. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/49 "2011-12-26T00:30:02Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Heh. Round steak is cheap and flavorful, and it makes great chicken fried steak, once it’s pounded into submission. It does not do well in the GFG, though. Not to be disrespectful to either you or **Oak,** but I’ve got to disagree. I buy round steak about twice a month from the grocery store. They are very good at cutting it very lean and consistent in size. Their local in-store promotion is to sell them in “big pack” packages of 6 per pack. They are consistently 7-8 oz per steak. I buy them fresh, pack them up and stick them in the freezer. Whenever I want a steak, I pull it straight from the freezer and throw it on the Ol’ George Foreman grill that I’ve had forever. Without a thaw or anything, it usually takes 12-15 min on the grill and they come out very nicely. I only find that the round steak gets tough and chewy if I let it cook too long and it comes out well well done. Or worse. Granted, it is a plain ol’ steak. Good flavor, but no spices. No marinade. The point being is that the GFG works great. I am thinking of buying myself a Cuisinart Griller for Xmas (because nobody else bought me one), but I think I’ll wait and see more reviews on that one. (Oh, and when you buy the "Big Pack"s, they usually knock the per pound price down by a dollar. So for me, it’s a win-win.) And, just so I don’t totally have a hijack, I’d like to recommend KABOOM bathroom cleaner. I got three bottles for shipping only when I bought the sham-wow mops. This stuff works great! Better than the scrubbing bubbles or plain ol’ grocery store cleaners. It works without a harsh “cleaner” smell and no ugly residue on tub or counter surfaces. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/50 "2011-12-26T05:15:28Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > See, the magic erasers seemed to do nothing for me. Give the Magic Erasers another chance. It isn’t just a simple wipe-wipe-wipe, and oh look, the crud is gone. Put a little effort into it. I had to give my dad “Magic Eraser” lessons. When you scrub the cruddy spot, you’ll feel a slight resistance. Keep scrubbing until the resistance is gone and the spot feels slick. Rinse well. You’ll REALLY perfect this technique if you try it first on soap scum, either in the bathtub or the bathroom sink. Don’t pay attention if some crud gets on the eraser. It won’t cause a bigger mess. The eraser is made from “something” that disintegrates as it cleans. It will become more compact and deformed as you use it. That’s fine, it means it’s working! Eventually it will shred and you’ll find yourself clinging to the scraps, trying to get just a little more cleaning from it. LOL, it’s okay to throw it away then, and get a new one from the box. I LOVE the Magic Eraser! INCREDIBLE invention! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/51 "2011-12-26T07:24:16Z")
No I have scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed with a Magic Eraser until, like you said, it was a shriveled dried-up pathetic piece of crap. I couldn’t find ANYTHING it could clean. What really worked on soap scum? (Shower door) Spray with [Scrubbing Bubbles](http://www.scrubbingbubbles.com/Pages/default.aspx?sid=SEM_Google) and lay into it with a Black & Decker [Scum Buster](http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=scumbuster). (Couldn’t find a current image of the Scum Buster - I guess they aren’t making it anymore!) ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/52 "2011-12-27T04:56:18Z")
Thanks to several posters on the Rain X drama. I did try replacing the wipers, first thing. But the chatter came on like a switch when I first applied the stuff, and new wipers didn’t seem to change it at all. Maybe some industrial solvents and lab chemicals will help… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/53 "2011-12-27T05:17:35Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > Thanks to several posters on the Rain X drama. I did try replacing the wipers, first thing. But the chatter came on like a switch when I first applied the stuff, and new wipers didn’t seem to change it at all. Maybe some industrial solvents and lab chemicals will help… As others have said, Rain-X usually wears off after 8 weeks or so (assuming it rains regularly). If you really are going to use industrial solvents, I’d be sure to raise the blades for fear of dissolving the rubber…and probably flush plenty of water over the windshield when your done to get rid of the residual film on the windshield as well as flush out the drain/passage ways between the bottom of the windshield and the ground. There’s rubber hoses/electrical insulation etc that I’d be worried about as well. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/54 "2011-12-27T15:43:57Z")
> [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](#): > > This is probably not the right forum for this response, but my CFS is the stuff of legend because I am a Southern man who intently watched his momma prepare them while growing up. And I have the clogged coronary arteries to prove it. > > 1. Round steak is fine, but remove as much gristle as you can. As you correctly note, you have to beat your CFS into submission on a cutting board with a toothed kitchen mallet, the heavier the better. Some of the holes should go all the way through the meat. > > 2. Moisten your CFS with milk, lightly salt and pepper both sides, then dredge it in flour. Remoisten the breaded meat with milk again then dredge it again until you have a nice thick coating. > > 3. Use a seasoned iron skillet and heat about 1/4 inch of lard (or vegetable oil for the timid) in the skillet. Heat the lard to the point that a drop of water quickly evaporates into non-existence, but not quite smoking hot. Add the meat to the skillet, cover the skillet, fry the meat for exactly 3 minutes, then turn over the meat and fry the other side for 3 minutes. Remove the meat then drain it on paper towels. > > 4. To prepare the gravy, drain all but about 4 TBSP of the hot lard from the skillet. Leave as many of the “flavor crystals” left behind from the frying process in the skillet as you can. Then turn up the heat to high. > > 5. Put enough of the leftover flour dredge into the skillet so that it soaks up some of the oil then stir, leaving the consistency slightly liquid. Add more oil or flour as necessary. Then shake about 1/4 TSP of salt and pepper into the skillet. > > 6. Fry the oil/flour for around 30 seconds until it turns brown (but not black - burned roux is awful), stirring constantly. Then add about 3/4 inch of cold milk to the skillet and stir. Make sure to scrape up all the roux from the bottom of the skillet as you stir. > > 7. Cook the gravy on high until it thickens and starts to boil, still stirring constantly. After it reaches the desired consistency, turn off the heat and spoon about 1/4 cup of the gravy onto your CFS. I think I love you. Thanks!! ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/55 "2011-12-27T16:18:34Z")
I don’t know that they’d make a great Christmas present but “Moving Men” or their equivalent generic knockoff work magnificently. My 70 year old father and I moved a huge bookcase with ease. There’s no way we could have done it without them. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/56 "2011-12-27T16:24:56Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > No I have scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed with a Magic Eraser until, like you said, it was a shriveled dried-up pathetic piece of crap. I couldn’t find ANYTHING it could clean. > > What really worked on soap scum? (Shower door) Spray with [Scrubbing Bubbles](http://www.scrubbingbubbles.com/Pages/default.aspx?sid=SEM_Google) and lay into it with a Black & Decker [Scum Buster](http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=scumbuster). > > (Couldn’t find a current image of the Scum Buster - I guess they aren’t making it anymore!) My mother decided that she was too old to stoop and bend and scrub out her big shower. So, she invested in one of [these](http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-NPS1018-Cordless-Electric/dp/B000NJQ73M/), which I think is actually meant to scrub the outside of an RV. It’s a large, powerful tool, and definitely overkill, but it sure does work on the shower. We borrow it from her sometimes; we call it “the bazooka”. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/57 "2011-12-27T22:23:36Z")
> [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](#): > > This is probably not the right forum for this response, but my CFS is the stuff of legend because I am a Southern man who intently watched his momma prepare them while growing up. And I have the clogged coronary arteries to prove it. > > 1. Round steak is fine, but remove as much gristle as you can. As you correctly note, you have to beat your CFS into submission on a cutting board with a toothed kitchen mallet, the heavier the better. Some of the holes should go all the way through the meat. > > 2. Moisten your CFS with milk, lightly salt and pepper both sides, then dredge it in flour. Remoisten the breaded meat with milk again then dredge it again until you have a nice thick coating. > > 3. Use a seasoned iron skillet and heat about 1/4 inch of lard (or vegetable oil for the timid) in the skillet. Heat the lard to the point that a drop of water quickly evaporates into non-existence, but not quite smoking hot. Add the meat to the skillet, cover the skillet, fry the meat for exactly 3 minutes, then turn over the meat and fry the other side for 3 minutes. Remove the meat then drain it on paper towels. > > 4. To prepare the gravy, drain all but about 4 TBSP of the hot lard from the skillet. Leave as many of the “flavor crystals” left behind from the frying process in the skillet as you can. Then turn up the heat to high. > > 5. Put enough of the leftover flour dredge into the skillet so that it soaks up some of the oil then stir, leaving the consistency slightly liquid. Add more oil or flour as necessary. Then shake about 1/4 TSP of salt and pepper into the skillet. > > 6. Fry the oil/flour for around 30 seconds until it turns brown (but not black - burned roux is awful), stirring constantly. Then add about 3/4 inch of cold milk to the skillet and stir. Make sure to scrape up all the roux from the bottom of the skillet as you stir. > > 7. Cook the gravy on high until it thickens and starts to boil, still stirring constantly. After it reaches the desired consistency, turn off the heat and spoon about 1/4 cup of the gravy onto your CFS. I’ll be trying this, for sure. Thank you! The easiest way to make a round steak tender and tasty is slow-cooking it as a pot roast. Either in a heavy dutch oven on a low low burner or in a crock pot. It takes hours, but if you have some broth, some carrots and potatoes and seasoning and some time, it comes out falling-apart tender and dee-licious. ---
**Author:** ![carimwc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@carimwc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carimwc)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567/58 "2011-12-27T22:41:53Z")
For those of you having issues with Rain-X, try the Rain-X wiper fluid. A thin layer goes on every time you clean your windows. It works just as well but the application is much easier. I love it. Never had a problem with it. I’m going to add [Hamilton Beach Countertop Convection Oven](http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/products/convection-ovens-countertop-oven-with-convection-and--rotisserie-31197r.html) also known as the awesome toaster oven. Our regular oven is currently broken, and I use this for everything except roasting a turkey. (It doesn’t fit.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-another-round-of-products-that-actually-work-just-in-time-for-christmas/606567.md?page=2)