Mr. Clean MagicReach Starter Kit: Sigh....
Written: Jan 04 '05 (Updated Jan 14 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sturdy construction, easy to assemble, extends your reach by four feet
Cons: Cleaning pads are full of nicely scented stuff that is afraid of dirt
The Bottom Line: If this product ever actually becomes available in stores, wait until someone else plunks down their $19.99 and assures you that the cleaning stuff really cleans.
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| thedragonweyr's Full Review: Mr. Clean MagicReach Starter Kit |
When the box containing my shiny new Mr. Clean MagicReach Starter Kit arrived from Hass MS&L, I immediately ripped it open and presented it to Saint Mary (A.K.A. our devoted and most understanding cleaning lady). Figuring that as she is the one who actually gets down on her hands and knees to scrub up after us she might as well have first whack at the new toy.
Bad Omens
Alas, this saintly woman was not blown away by my largesse. Instead she opened the box, put the pieces together, announced that it seemed sturdy enough, and strode off to the master bath with a look of resigned determination on her face.
Ten minutes later she was back, brandishing the new Mr. Clean MagicReach in the air over my chaise lounge and spattering my bon-bons with orange-scented foamy cleaning solution. Apparently it was not performing up to her exacting standards and the only good things she had to say were that it was strong and reached up into the high corners of our shower enclosure.
Dragon Dirties Her Talons
After she calmed down with a soothing cuppa, we returned together to the scene of the crime. Personally, I thought the shower looked great. It was cleaner than previously and there were hardly any bits of soap scum residue to be found. Mary, on the other hand, was quick to point out all sorts of grime that had not come off and I had always assumed was part of the tile pattern.
I gingerly took the offending instrument in my hands and, after Mary showed me the correct angle of attack, tried to remove the soil, hoping that there was a fault in her technique.
Silly Dragon! Mary is a pro, I a mere neophyte in the fine art of cleaning. Try though I might, the dirt stubbornly refused to budge. Even attaching a new cleaning pad to the device failed to do the job to Mary's precise expectations.
Not to be daunted by one failure I suggested that we give the floor-cleaning pad a try. Mary sniffed, muttering darkly under her breath something about people with too much time on their hands that I chose to ignore, and handed me the floor pad packet.
I managed to get the thing open and onto the business end of the Mr. Clean MagicReach with very little assistance from Mary. Then, with her guiding my technique, I proceeded to clean the floor. Sad to say, even to my eyes, the floor failed to sparkle after our trial cleaning.
The Dragon's Findings
Mary thinks that this could be a great little time-saver for her if it actually cleaned as advertised. She was not at all happy with the foaming stuff for tub and shower and the floor cleaner rated a snort of derision when she examined the results.
On the other hand, the wand is extremely strong and long enough to reach up into our large, tall shower enclosure, allowing her to clean without having to get inside or stand on anything. She also liked that the cleaning part can be removed and used separately, again if it actually did a good job of cleaning.
I loved the scent of the "cleaner," preferring orange to lemon scent in cleaning solutions. Lemon reminds me of furniture polish, bleach is too astringent, and pine oil smells like the school cafeteria - ick! Unfortunately, a nice orangey scent is no guarantee that the substance will remove dirt and soap scum.
After tussling with the removable blue, firm foam cleaning head and finally getting it off the telescoping wand, I found that it was easy to use in our rim-less basins. That little blue football scoots around and in and out of places where dirt can collect with little or no effort.
This sample product came with only four cleaning pads, two for floors and two for tubs and showers. They were quickly used up and discarded and, because this is not yet on the market, refills are not available. I know, I looked at Food Lion, Kroger, and Wal-Mart, with the forlorn hope that there might be a greater choice of cleaners in the refills.
The Dragon Humbly Suggests
Mr. Clean needs to infuse the cleaning pads of Mr. Clean MagicReach with something that actually cuts soap scum and grime. An agent that will brighten the grouting and caulking would go a long way to making this item more acceptable to consumers.
The wand is very sturdy and long enough to get up into shower enclosures that are eight feet high or even higher. The removable blue football is useful for cleaning basins and vanity surfaces.
Alas, the overall evaluation of the Mr. Clean MagicReach is that it is not worth the trouble until they put a better cleaning solution in the pads.
A Silver Lining!
Updated 1/13/2005
The last time I had day surgery on my hand they gave me a pair of terry cloth footsies to keep my talons warm while I walked to the OR. I kept them, being a frugal Dragon who throws nothing away. Well, it turns out that they are the perfect replacement pad for Mr. Clean MagicReach!
My pair has a soft top side and a no-skid sole. This sole part is perfect for scrubbing grime using your own preferred cleaning solution and the soft side is fine for rinsing and going over less soiled areas. One fits perfectly over the cleaning head and can be tucked into the fastening slot on the top to keep it in place
So, if you think that the extra reach of a Mr. Clean MagicReach would be useful for you, go ahead and buy one when they are available. Just don't bother with the cleaning pads. Get yourself a pair of terry cloth footsies instead. This way you can get the best of both worlds, the convenience of using Mr. Clean MagicReach and the money-saving option of not having to buy replacement pads saturated with an inferior cleaner. The footsies are washable and reusable and you can use your favorite cleaners with them. I'll bet they are sold at Dollar Stores everywhere, too.
If used in this fashion, I give Mr. Clean MagicReach a full five stars.
Copyright 2005, Pamela Matlack Klein
Recommended:
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thedragonweyr
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Member: Pamela Matlack Klein
Location: Appomattox, VA
Reviews written: 131
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The sky is falling!
~Chicken Little~
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