Mr. Clean - The bald guy helps you get those hard-to-reach spots.
Written: Nov 26 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: This solved my problem with the bathtub wall area.
Cons: Hard to assemble. Needs reusable pads.
The Bottom Line: If you have hard-to-reach spots, then this is the ticket. That "extra reach" can be really nice.
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| CyndiA's Full Review: Mr. Clean MagicReach Starter Kit |
Do you have spots that you can not or really hate to try to clean?
At my house, it is the bathtub wall stall area. I am not tall enough to get to the ceiling. The tub is too small to really put a stool in and work, plus it is a slick surface and feels unsteady. When I use a chair or my stool outside the tub, I am at a bad angle to try to get up to the top of the ceiling and especially the far corner.
Ah, what to do?
Since I am not Ms. Clean (but not Ms. Nasty either), I usually just let it slide (well, that may be kind of nasty). But, when I can see the dirt, or when that spider built a nest in the corner of the tub corner area, then I manage by straddling the tub with one foot on the outside which is pretty wide and the other on a very narrow (one inch or so) side against the wall.
When I got a package in the mail with the Mr. Clean Magic Reach tool as part of a test by the company to see what folks think of a new product, I thought immediately of my tub stall problem. David Binkowki worked with pogomom here at Epinions to get these gadgets out to members to test out and to comment on. No strings. Just use the product and put up a review with honest thoughts. I respect any company that will do that and then step back and see how things shake out.
I was blessed with boys, and my youngest is a gadget fellow. He wanted to be the builder on this new thingamajig, and that was fine with me. This is the way we operate around here, so I am in the recliner, Caleb is on the couch, and Eli is in the floor working with our new put-together thing. I was watching closer, though, since I am the family writer/reviewer.
This darn thing is hard to put together, mutters my Eli. This is the kid that figured out the tent and also the portable boat with the odd folds. So, though he is young (12 this week - Happy B-day kiddo), he has a natural ability for putting things together. Mr. Clean did not put colored dots or such to make the process easier. That would be my first suggestion. Make this easy to match up and get right with the little pole pieces. Eli managed, but he is really good at such tasks. I can imagine many users getting very frustrated with the assembly. Also, I would be very disinclined to take this apart as intended. It can be a short scrub piece or the extended with about 4 foot on the reach. I already have scrub brushes, so I really do not need a short model. The beauty on this one is the length. I will be using it at full length.
My bathroom does not have a closet, so a longer piece is a bit of a problem. This now lives beside the toilet. I guess it could be out of sight and out of mind, so that could be a good thing that it is long and sits there and ready to use. If I felt that I could quickly and easily put it together, then I might take the pieces apart and store this in the cabinet. I just do not feel comfortable with the assembly part, so it is full length and will probably stay that way.
There are two types of pads intended for use with this cleaning tool. One is for floors and is wet. The other is dry and is multi purpose and has to be wet down. Both must be pulled over the football shaped head of the Magic Reach. It is a little tricky to get these hooked in and ready to use. The set up is OK and easy enough to figure out on the attachment for the cleaning fillers. I think I would like something like a clip or a clothes pen type attachment, but I am OK with the refills. My fingers are just not as strong as I wish with some joint problems, so pushing is harder than clipping.
I would prefer that Mr. Clean have some reusable options for the cleaning pieces. Though it is nice to use and toss and especially in the bathroom, I do think that we, as a society, are too quick to take the short cut and forget that when we do that, we hurt our world. This is just a personal thing on my part. I do use some convenience items, but I try to do my part to cut down on waste. If Mr. Clean had a washable pad that I could use and then run with the rest of my wash, then I would like that better. I do use paper napkins and paper towels more than I should, but I also have cloth that I can use and wash. I would like that option with the Magic Reach.
As a mop, I did not like the Reach that well. I would rather just use a mop. The swivel on the head was kind of odd for mopping in my opinion. It is also kind of small on floors. The pre-wet feature was nice but only good for one wipe over, so I will just use my old mop on the floors.
As far as a toilet cleaner, NO, I do not think so. I was not even willing to try, so shoot me. Once this was together, I did not want to go shorter and with the wobbly head, I was not going in the toilet with Magic Reach. I tried that 3M sponge cleaner, and that was a big mess, so I stick with the old bristle brush, and I am not likely to change on that.
For those areas, hard to reach, over the tub that I mentioned, this is nice. I did need the estra Reach, and this product provides that. The swivel is just right to get in the corner where that old spider took up post once. So, I can get to an area where I had problems before. I appreciate that, and I do thank Mr. Clean for coming up with something that is needed. I can straddle the tub now, but that will be harder as I get older, I am sure. It is also safer, even now, to have this Reach tool to get those places I can not reach safely.
Here is what I would say to Mr. Clean:
1. Make this easier to put together.
2. Add some reusable cleaning pads.
3. Do not try to be everything. Market this as an extension tool.
For potential buyers I would say:
1. If you have spaces where you can not get to easily, then this four foot tool can be really helpful.
2. Do know that you probably do not want (at this time) to take it apart and put it back together. Plan for space to keep a pole item that is four feet long.
3. Be creative and come up with ways to attach your own cleaning rags if you do not want to add to the landfills.
Overall, I will go with above average(4 stars) for the reach which is needed. But, I would like to see some work on the assembly and also some reusable pads to cut down on waste. Reusables may cut down just a little on profits, but I think that sales would be higher with some attention to details. That, then, makes it something that works for the company and the consumer.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
CyndiA
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 in Home and Garden |
 - Top 50 |
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Member: Cyndi
Location: out in the yard grilling
Reviews written: 1156
Trusted by: 633 members
About Me:
Get some sleep and dream of rock 'n roll - Bread.
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