Both these "As Seen on TV products" claim to pick up almost any mess, including pet hair, debris, and even coins. Consumer Reports' Pat Slaven couldn't resist checking them out.
First, Pat "schtickied up" messes around Consumer Reports' headquarters. Then she took on pet hair at her home. She compared both infomercial products to a regular old lint roller. Turns out they all work.
"They pick up lint. They pick up cat hair. They pick up coins," Slavin said.
But an advantage with a conventional lint roller --a quick rip gets you to a clean sheet. The reusable Schticky and Sticky Buddy both need to be washed.
The commercials say "...with a little water, the dirt comes right off." And, "Then just rinse it, dry it, and it's sticky all over again."
Well, that's not exactly the case.
"You have to rub them. You should use soap. It takes a bit longer than the commercials show you," Slaven said.
And Consumer Reports found you have to take off the end caps and drain them thoroughly -- otherwise water gets trapped inside and can leak out later.
Consumer Reports says you might want to "shtick" with a lint roller for quicker cleanups, and for bigger jobs -- go for a vacuum.
Consumer Reports' testers have a great upright vacuum to recommend at a great price. It's the 180-dollar Hoover WindTunnel Max model number U-H-30-600. It rates excellent in Consumer Reports tests.
All Consumer Reports Material Copyright 2012. Consumers Union of U.S. Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Consumer Reports is a not for profit organization which accepts no advertising. It has no commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site. For more information visit consumerreports.org.
