May 27, 2008

TwoDaLoo Toilet: His-and-hers respirators optional

Twodaloo_toilet_2 The TwoDaLoo toilet is one unusual commode. The Web site for the wholesaler, WiseRep.com, bills the TwoDaLoo as the "first toilet two people can use at the exact same time" and as "a supertoilet that saves rocky marriages and the planet.”

But you'll have to be flush with cash to buy a TwoDaLoo since it costs $1,400. What’s more, WiseRep.com takes orders of only a dozen or more toilets at a time. If you’re concerned about indelicate noises or just want to multitask, consider the "upgraded version." It includes a 7-inch LCD television and an iPod docking station, according to WiseRep.com.

While some have questioned whether the TwoDaLoo is for real, an article in the San Francisco Chronicle seems to indicate that this loo is legit. A call to the WiseRep.com offices confirmed that the TwoDaLoo is  for sale in the U.S. market. The company hopes to have distribution deals with big-box stores by this summer, says Mark Pardue, vice president of marketing for California-based WiseRep.com.

Essential information: Visit our Bed & Bath page for reviews of toilets, buying advice for countertops, and ideas for bathroom makeovers. And read more home-related Selling It humor.

May 01, 2008

Selections from Consumer Reports' Selling It

In each issue of Consumer Reports, the Selling It page covers the goofs, glitches, gotchas, and howlers that appear on product packaging, in advertising, and elsewhere. Below you’ll find a few recent Selling It entries that relate to the home. We’ll present these pieces on this blog from time to time. (Click on each image to enlarge it.)

Look for more Selling It items on our Web site—new ones are added monthly—and submit ideas to this section.

Selling_it_door_knocker Military mix-up
This offer for a door knocker (right) says, “Show your pride for our Armed Services.” Just don’t be picky about which service you support. As a Maryland reader pointed out, the knocker identified as “Army design” has the Navy design; “Navy” is Air Force, and “Air Force” is Army. The Marines design is correct. (From the December 2007 issue of Consumer Reports.)Cuisinart_miniprep_selling_it_2

Maybe you use scissors?   
Cuisinart’s Mini-Prep food processor (right) came with directions to heed before use: To get an even chop, “always cut large pieces of food into smaller pieces of even size—about 1/2 inch.” (From the January 2008 issue of Consumer Reports.)

Eco_bulb_selling_it A kinda sorta guarantee
The language on the package at right is common in lightbulb packaging (longevity depends on how bulbs are used), but those two tiny words—"up to"—still shed very little light. As a Georgia reader reasoned, “If it lasts one minute, one hour, or one day it fulfills the guarantee.” (From the February 2008 issue of Consumer Reports.)

Ge_partsmaster_selling_it_2 Gee, no GE
This package for a replacement part (left) had a Massachusetts reader scratching her head. (From the March 2008 issue of Consumer Reports.)

Essential information: Learn more about entry doors and door locks. Find the best food processor. Consider replacing incandescent lightbulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs. Choose a new coffeemaker.

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