Product review: NaturCute Luxury 9-Piece Cotton Bath Towels Set

I like the towels that are not super thick.  These towels exactly to my liking, not flimsy but not the super plush kind.  They are grey in color, the grey has hints of blue in it.  Grey is a very practical color, it does not change much even after a long time in use they continue to look the same.  The towels are color fast. I washed them with color catcher which remained white after the wash.

 

This set includes two bath towels, two hand towels,  2 washcloths (note a discrepancy with Amazon product description) and a bathroom mat.  The bathroom mat is not thick (it similar to the thickness of a towel), so I use it on top of my thick bathroom mat.  I like that I can try it faster by hanging on a rack.



The manufacturing process left quite a few loose threads. I had to wash the towels by themselves until the washing machine no longer had a residue of threads left on the sides of the tank.

The wash cloths: 12" x 12"

The hand towels:  16" x 29"

The bath towels:  26" x 56"

The bath mat: 19.5" x 31"













Update: downgrading!

My initial rating for this product was 3 stars, but after a small number of washes cycles they began to fall apart and I am down grading the rating to 2 stars.

The trim began coming apart both on the towels and the bath mat.  Below I added a few new photos after the latest wash cycle.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: VH Ultra-Quiet USB Powered Portable Desk Fan, Touch Switch with Smart Sensor by Crazo

After using this fan for a couple of weeks on my desk I noticed that speeds up and slows down on its own without me touching it. It seems to have a mind of its own. It is not a total deal breaker because the difference between the two speeds is not significant.  What is worse that sometimes it is hard to stop or start.



This fan is pretty different from any other fan I own. Its strongest feature is that it is quiet. The air flow is reasonable for a very small fan, i.e. I can feel it if it is on a desk close by.



On the negative side, you cannot aim it. It works only one one position and any aiming is done by moving the fan, or putting something under it if you want to raise the angle. The on/off mechanism is touch based. For example, if you touch it to move it you will change the setting. The setting cycle one touch low flow, next touch high flow, next touch off, next touch low flow. The fan only can be controlled when it is in one position (resting on the leather-like strap). If you hang it by the strap (rather than rest on the strap), then you cannot change the air flow. Hanging is really not a very practical option because it does not hang or blow straight down. The fan hangs on an angle so you need a configuration where you want air from above on an angle. Someone might find it useful, but it is not very general purpose.

 



The fan's size is slightly under 4" x 5" (measuring the fan's cage). The USB cord is built-in (i.e. cannot be removed and swapped for a longer one) and is 40" long.  Overall - too many short comings, I am not a fan of this fan.





You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆

Product review: Home-X Salt and Seed Spreader

This salt shaker was a disappointment. I imagined that it was similar to a spice shaker where I can cover the holes of the shaker by twisting the cap in some way, and open the holes when I need to use the shaker. Turns out that this salt shaker cannot be closed. The cap has permanent openings. This means if the shaker tips over the salt spills out of the shaker. In addition the salt cannot be stored in this container as it will turn into a brick by absorbing moisture. Finally, I hoped that the shaker would be made out of heavy duty plastic, but the plastic is pretty thin.



My plan for the shaker was to keep it in my car so I can have it ready in case the steps to my house ice up when I arrive home after a day at work. So I needed to come up with solution that would keep the salt from spilling out in the car. I found a thin piece of plastic that I could insert under the cap and still be able to twist the cap. Before using the shaker I need to remove the cap and remove the plastic. The plastic needs to be replaced every few uses as it gets torn by the threads of the cap.



The shaker is 10.5" tall, and 3.5" wide. In attached video I have it next to a half gallon jug of water for comparison. The holes are 1/4 in diameter and work well with Calcium Chloride Pellets but are too small for rock salt. Pellets came out in a nice amount (not too much not too little), but rock salt is a bit too large so I got only a few smaller rocks with each shake.



Looking at how this shaker is built one can create their own shaker from an old coffee jug (or any similar container) by drilling 1/4 inch holes in the jug cover. And if you have multiple jugs covers for that container you can switch between them: use one to store the salt and one to dispense the salt when needed.



With my "fix" it is usable, but overall I am disappointed. A local home improvement store has a shaker full of salt with a closing lid for $10. I hoped I was getting a better shaker but I did not. When time comes to replace this shaker I will be looking for a different model.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.



Ali Julia review ★★☆☆☆