# What \*as seen on TV" products have you purchased? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 26, 2026, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409 "2026-09-26T18:25:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/1 "2026-09-26T18:25:53Z")
I got hung on those blankets with arms. Ordered several. Junky fabric. We were too long for them. You may not know it but I have freakishly long arms. It was basically elbow length in the sleeve. When washed and dried they stuck together and got mishaped. Ended up being doggy blankets and then outdoor rags for muddy dog paws. Kinda pricey (appx $20 a pop) for that use. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/2 "2026-09-26T18:29:42Z")
Pocket hose, the expanding one. Inner hose blew out within a year. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/3 "2026-09-26T18:54:45Z")
I bought a Flowbee at least 20 years ago, and I’ve used it every 4-5 weeks since then. I love it and it’s saved me a ton of money over the years. I think I paid about $30-35(US) for it, but brand new ones run close to $200. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/4 "2026-09-26T19:06:20Z")
I have a Garden Claw bought more than 20 years ago, still use it occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/5 "2026-09-26T19:31:57Z")
As seen on TV has turned me off ever since I saved my 50 cents and two box tops for a turbo beam car. It was about four inches long and took about 30 minutes to total it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/6 "2026-09-26T19:38:40Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Pocket hose, the expanding one. Inner hose blew out within a year. I’ve bought that twice. The secret to keeping it alive is to store it _out_ of direct sunlight. There was also a superglue-like adhesive that was activated by shining a UV light at it. Not as effective as it appeared on the teevee. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/7 "2026-09-26T19:52:29Z")
One of those interior car windshield cleaning wands that had a microfiber pad over the head. You _lightly_ spritz the glass with distilled water and the slim profile and enables you reach the narrow clearance areas of steeply raked windshields that are normally a real PIA to reach with a paper towel and windex. Did ( and still does ) a very good job removing that annoying fog/scum that forms on car window interiors. ( mostly from the vinyl/plastics releasing gas ) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/8 "2026-09-26T20:03:08Z")
I want some Bullshot cleaner. Nowadays they always say available everywhere. Not so much. But I found it on Amazon. Stuff is $29 a can. It can’t be that good that I’d pay that much. I did buy Pooph™ odor eliminator. It did work ok. But cost way too much. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/9 "2026-09-27T22:05:28Z")
The bigger brother to those hoses, the[Teknor Apex Zero-G series](https://www.amazon.com/Zero-G-Lightweight-Heavy-Resistant-Garden/dp/B079T9CBH9/ref=asc_df_B079T9CBH9?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=79920961900687&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=77246&hvtargid=pla-4583520438363202&hvocijid=10295084215822355013-B079T9CBH9-&hvexpln=0&th=1) are fantastic. They aren’t the expanding/contracting ones, but they’re a similar sort of inner hose covered by a nylon external sheath. They’ve got good fittings and are very lightweight. Highly recommend. We got some kind of non-stick pan that worked absolutely fantastic for a few months, and then everything stuck like crazy. Made me wonder what wore off/evaporated/ended up in our food that made it so non-stick for a short period of time. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/10 "2026-09-27T22:08:58Z")
I’m gonna hazard a guess. You cooked something tomato or acid forward. That’s hell on seasoned cast iron as well. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/11 "2026-09-27T22:10:36Z")
I don’t really recall, but that should be fine for a non-stick pan. It’s certainly been fine for the other ones we’ve had over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/12 "2026-09-27T22:14:27Z")
Yeah..if all things are equal, it should be. But, in my experience it’s not. We only use enamel or ceramic coated pans for tomatoes. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/13 "2026-09-27T22:18:43Z")
We had a couple of those “wonder hoses” that expand. They do all that, but they do not last long, and they start to leak pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/14 "2026-09-27T22:23:39Z")
> [@bump](#): > > We got some kind of non-stick pan that worked absolutely fantastic for a few months, and then everything stuck like crazy. My understanding is that all nonstick pans lose their nonstick ability over time, some quicker than others. You can also speed up their demise by using too high of a temperature, and of course, using any metal utensils. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2026, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/15 "2026-09-27T22:24:31Z")
True, but this was extremely short and abrupt. It was very strange. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/16 "2026-09-28T01:19:28Z")
Rain-X. It really does what they claim. I swear by it. Those expanding hoses are junk. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/17 "2026-09-28T02:37:01Z")
I agree on Rain-X, but only mostly on the hoses, since they _did_ coil up nicely. Except that their half life was a month or so. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/18 "2026-09-28T14:31:45Z")
I will never give up my My Pillow. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/19 "2026-09-28T14:46:58Z")
That guy seemed creepy even before he made his politics known. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409/20 "2026-09-28T14:59:21Z")
Regardless, best pillow ever! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-as-seen-on-tv-products-have-you-purchased/1033409.md?page=2)