June 2006
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My fiancée were at the store a couple months back and a new dryer product caught my eye. They are Dryer Balls, and they aim to replace dryer sheets and fabric softeners as we know them.
Basically they are small spiky balls made from PVC plastic which kneed your clothes as you dry them. Just as the arms of the dryer flip your clothes around to dry them quicker, these balls create small areas of air which they claim to make your clothes dry up to 25% quicker.
After using this product for a couple months I have made the following observations:
They work just as well as dryer sheets. I could not tell the difference between clothes dried with a dryer sheet and clothes dried with the dryer balls. The clothes were just as soft, had no static buildup, and smelled just as fresh. In fact, I prefer the smell of the dryer ball clothes.
I have not noticed if the clothes dry any quicker using the balls. I imagine that this could be true, and I will do an experiment in the future to test this.
Using the balls as opposed to the dryer sheets is not only saving the environment, but it is also eliminating another source of chemicals that I am exposed to everyday. I would not be surprised if 20 years down the road a study will find that the use of dryer sheets increases the risk of some kind of health problem.
The balls are moderately priced at $10 for a package of 2. You should of course use both with each dryer load. It will take a long time to recoup the cost from dryer sheets alone, but it will be recouped. The balls are very durable and I expect them to last a long time.
I fully recommend this product for anyone who is worried about the environment, the chemicals they are exposed to, and who thinks new technology is cool. This product is ingenious and a great buy.
Written by admin on June 26th, 2006 with no comments.
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My soon to be brother in law’s computer died a week ago and like most computer illiterate people, he took the computer to a local computer repair shop. He was forced to do this because he knows nothing about computers and didn’t know what to do.
The repair guy obviously sensed this and tried to take my BIL for a ride. Fortunately for him, he could ask for my input when things seemed a little fishy to him. Basically the repair guy charged my BIL $35 for a diagnostic and said repairs would be $400-500.
His computer is not even worth that much money. He would be better off buying a new computer at that price. On top of that, it sounds like all that the computer needs is to have the power supply replaced. That’s a $50-100 repair, or less if you can get a Fatwallet Deal
So how do you protect yourself from being taken for a ride? Educate yourself about your computer. Anytime you totally rely on others, you open yourself up to being taken advantage of. You should have a general understanding of what is going on.
Here is my Computer Diagnostic 101 course:
Get yourself a couple guides on computer troubleshooting and repair. Make sure they are written in non geek speak so that you can follow them. Here are a few recommendations:
Morris Rosenthal has put together a free computer troubleshooting resource on the web. It’s easy to follow and has step by step directions. There is also a visual flowchart to help you out.
Morris Rosenthal Resource
If you are going to need more, you can try out a computer troubleshooting book. Here are some books that I found on Amazon. They have good reviews and are inexpensive.
Computer Repair With Diagnostic Flowcharts: Troubleshooting PC Hardware Problems from Boot Failure to Poor Performance
PC Help Desk in a Book: The Do-it-Yourself Guide to PC Troubleshooting and Repair
These resources have you answer yes and no questions to narrow down the cause of the problem. Through the process of elimination, the problem will be found, which will of course allow you to fix it.
Written by admin on June 23rd, 2006 with no comments.
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