One of the benefits of living in a country where companies such as Clorox have innovative Research and Development divisions is the resulting plethora of incredibly useful products that make some chores (such as doing the laundry) a bit less difficult. Sometimes, of course, the R & D and Marketing divisions come up with stinkaroos -- remember the Ford Edsel? Or "New" Coke? -- but more often than not the men and women in the labs deliver gadgets and gizmos that are so useful that one wonders Why the heck didn't anyone come up with this ages ago?

Clorox's Bleach Pen is a cool little gadget that is designed to apply a small amount of bleach (in gel form) to get rid of a stain on a relatively small area of bleach-tolerant fabric; I liken it to using a laser-guided bomb against a single building, since the pen can be used just on the desired area rather than the "carpet bombing" approach of using a lot of liquid bleach, especially on clothing that isn't just white but might have other colors or patterns (polka dots, stripes, and houndstooth) which may suffer from the effects of too much bleach.

The Bleach Pen is about the size of one of those oversized novelty pens one sees in offices or office-supply stores and has not one but two dispensing tips. The tapered-off "point" is designed to apply the Clorox bleach gel to pinpoint areas on fabric or -- if need be -- household surfaces such as tile floors and Formica countertops, while the wider "back end" tip can be used to apply the gel onto larger stained areas with equal precision.

A case in point: You are enjoying a hamburger or hot dog with all the works when something startles you or someone jostles your hand and some of the food goes Splat! on your shirt, blouse, or pants. The resulting stain isn't too big, but you change your clothes and go to the laundry room with the now-dirty item of clothing and look for something to get rid of the stain before it sets.

Now, you could use a bit of Shout! or a comparable stain remover, but you now have this handy Clorox Bleach Pen. And you want to use it...so...here's what you do.

Directions for use (from the product label):

Shake before use.

Unscrew cap on chosen tip. Gently squeeze bottle to apply. Replace cap after use. Do not have both caps off at same time.

Laundry: Treat stain on white areas of garment. Rub into stain. Wash immediately with an all- or mostly white load. Do not treat garment while wearing. Not recommended for use on colored portion of garments, dry clean only fabrics and fine fabrics such as silk, linen, mohair, and spandex. If in doubt about colorfastness, apply small amount of product onto hidden seam. Rinse and let dry. If no color change, use as directed.

Household surfaces: Apply to stain. Rub. Rinse or wipe clean. Do not use on silver. Avoid prolonged contact on plastic laminate coiuntertops and metal surfaces, and rinse promptly after use. Some stains, such as rust, permanent inks and dyes, may be impossible to remove. DO NOT FREEZE.

WARNING: EYE IRRITANT. Avoid contact with eyes. May cause skin irritation. For sensitive skin or prolonged use, wear gloves.

While I personally haven't used the Bleach Pen, my mom has, and when I asked her if it lived up to its promise of easy application and thorough stain removal, she said it works like a charm. She says she has used it about five or six times in the past year and thus far she's had no complaints. She still uses Shout! products for the more delicate color fabrics that the Bleach Pen is not compatible with, but for whites or garments with white and bleach-resistant fabrics, this product is simply superb.

Recommended: Yes