Mr. Clean MagicReach: Gadget Junkie - 5 stars! Cleaning inspector - 3 stars!
Written: Nov 19 '04 (Updated Nov 19 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: GREAT for behind the toilet!!! Nifty hanger. Use with or without the telescoping handle.
Cons: Not great for heavy tub/shower cleaning. More disposable stuff to fill up the landfills.
The Bottom Line: This is a neat cleaning gadget to have but perhaps not a must have. Watch for a good deal and get one for the fun of it!
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| elainehn's Full Review: Mr. Clean MagicReach Starter Kit |
I confessed a long time ago to being a Gadget Junkie … make it gimmicky and I’ll probably want to try it, may or may not buy it, but definitely will find it appealing! So when my free for a review Mr. Clean MagicReach starter kit arrived as I prepared supper one night last week I was happy as a clam! I could hardly wait to finish cooking, eat supper, and then get to clean the bathroom. Woah! … did I just say that … couldn’t wait to clean the bathroom.? Yep, that’s right, I couldn’t!
After supper, my 7 year old and 13 year old watched, and helped, as I opened the package and assembled the unit. I’m really not sure what all the fuss over the assembly is about … we glanced at the illustrated instructions, assembled the unit and were ready to go in less time than it had taken to cut the tape off the FedEx box. For those who need to know, the handle comes in three pieces which snap or slip inside one another. Two of the sections work together to produce the telescoping feature and the very end snaps onto the handle of the actual cleaning head. The telescoping feature may be a bit of a let down when you assemble to unit because it really doesn’t make that big of a difference in the length of the handle, but I suppose for some users it may be a beneficial feature.
Once the unit was assembled it looked much like a Swiffer or similar light weight touch up kind of duster or sweeper. The one distinct difference is the shape of the cleaning head. It’s like a flat football … or an iron that’s pointed on both ends. The front point slips right into the corner shaped pocket of the disposable cleaning pad and then the user presses the opposite corners into a little holding device on the other end. Kind of like sticking your finger into the straw opening of a fast food cup, you know?
Two types of cleaning pads came with my trial kit; one for cleaning the tub, shower, etc. and one for floors. I received two of each type pad. When I opened the tub/shower cleaner pad, a whiff of cleaner fumes and scent caused me to gasp and then cough. I was not expecting a chemical assault! Be warned, the cleaner scent and fumes are not really overpowering once you are using the product, but use caution in opening and unwrapping the cleaning pad. You really don’t want to breath in a big face full of cleaner.
Using the Mr. Clean MagicReach was fun! I wet the tub a bit and allowed my 7 year old first chance at the gadget. She slopped it around the tub a bit and seemed to be having fun but not really doing much good. I took a turn with the unit and found that while I could control the cleaning head and direct it to areas of the tub a bit better than my 7 year old, it didn’t really seem like I was doing all that much better of a job than she did. We all took turns trying to clean the bottom of the tub, the sides of the tub and the shower walls. We adjusted the telescoping handle to various lengths and kept going. After a while, I took the cleaning head off the handle and found that I could control it much better and that the cleaner did seem to be fairly effective as a scrub brush. The kids enjoyed playing with the telescoping handle as I cleaned.) I'm guessing that the more one uses the unit with the handle attached the better one becomes at controlling it.
After rinsing the tub we went downstairs to clean "Daddy’s tub" … *que the horror movie music*. No really it’s not that bad … it’s not nasty or a health hazard … but I have to admit that since neither me nor the kids use that bathroom very often at all and my hubby has claimed it as his own territory … I don’t venture in there to clean all that often. I remind him too occasionally, but goodness knows I doubt that many of my reminders even register with him. Anyway … I sat on the edge of the garden tub and began to prepare it for cleaning. Now I appreciated the telescoping handle a bit more! I could clean the large tub from the front side without having to climb into the tub itself. I could reach the back and far side without leaning on my belly and balancing on the edge of the tub or else stepping into the tub. This was nice! Even though I had already cleaned one tub with the same cleaning pad, there seemed to be an ample amount of cleaner and suds to clean this second, larger, tub. I did remove the handle and use the head as I would a scrub brush on all the areas that I could easily reach … but for the far side and corners, I just did the best I could with the handle in place. Hubby can scrub it better next time he cleans.
On to the floor cleaner! Wowzers!!! That is what Mr. Clean MagicReach does best, in my opinion! I loved using it around the bathroom fixtures. Our upstairs bathroom is small with little space between the tub and toilet and cleaning in that area and behind the toilet with a regular mop always seems awkward. But the Mr. Clean MagicReach slipped right in with no problem. I was able to easily maneuver it around and behind the toilet and got to areas that I doubt I really clean often enough. Yipppeee! The cleaning head isn’t good though for trying to get into all the little curvy nooks and crannies that are at the base of the actual toilet bowl. I ended up having to take a washcloth and wipe up where I tried to clean the base of the toilet as I cleaned the floor.
Of course for anyone with a Swiffer or similar cleaning gadget the floor cleaning function of the Mr. Clean MagicReach may not seem like that big of a deal. But since I don’t have any of the other small disposable mop systems (mine got stepped on and broken and never replaced several years ago), I really do value the usefulness of the Mr. Clean MagicReach as much for mopping the bathrooms as for anything else.
A really neat feature of the handle is a small hook mechanism that slips out of the very end of the handle. It’s just right for hanging the unit in a pantry or from the edge of a wire shelf in a closet … or like me, from the metal space saver shelving unit about our toilet. It hangs from the side rail and is so small you barely notice it. I would probably take it to the hall closet if we were hosting a party or if we put the house on the market or something like that … but for practical, everyday casual family living .. having it in the bathroom is just convenient.
Final Thoughts ...
Based on my experience, I probably wouldn’t bother with the Mr. Clean MagicReach for cleaning the tub unless I happened to be given one for free (which I was) and I wouldn’t buy expensive disposable refills for it. But if I happen to find them on sale or have great coupons for them, I probably will buy some since I already have the unit. As a side note though, this unit might be great for someone with limited mobility such as an aging parent or someone with a disability ... they could clean without having to bend or kneel or stretch and twist as much. Just let them know that it may take a few tries to get used to using the unit and to learn to guide the cleaning head.
On the other hand, I love it for cleaning the bathroom floor and I would be inclined to say it’s worth having just for that function. I’m more likely to buy replacement floor cleaning pads than I am the tub cleaning ones. I’ll still watch for the best price and hope for good coupons on them … but I definitely think I’ll be holding onto the Mr. Clean MagicReach and buying refills just to use it for cleaning my bathroom floors. All in all the product isn’t necessary and it’s probably a bit gimmicky … but so what … anything that makes cleaning quicker and easier is alright by me!!
*Note: Thank you to David of Hass MS&L and Proctor and Gamble for providing this kit to me at no cost. I believe I have provided an unbiased review and would provide the same opinon even if I'd purchased the product.
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Recommended:
Yes
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elainehn
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Member: Elaine HN
Location: Near Atlanta, GA
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