5-D Air Purifier

I bought one of these last year and have been enjoying my 5-dimensional air much more than expected.

As stated in the description, the effects of 5-dimensional air are much more beneficial than any processed water I've ever bought.

Dyson DC18 Slim All-Floors Cyclone Upright Vacuum Cleaner

Vacuums often disappoint. They're either unwieldy in size, take too much work to change out longer hoses or put on attachments, etc., need costly bags, or they're heavy or take up too much storage space. And, lastly, they frequently don't live up to performance standards. Well, the Dyson Slim delivers in all but one small category.

As the Cleaning Editor for BellaOnline, I look at cleaning equipment with a serious eye. The first thing I noticed about my Dyson Slim is that performance-wise, it delivers, pulling up cup-full after cup-full of hair, dust, and everything else you find in carpets -even the ones I had just vacuumed with my regular vacuum (I had to perform a quick "quality assurance" test).

The Dyson Slim also delivers in several other categories, such as storage (it takes 1/3 less space than a regular vacuum), and ease of use. It has the "flick of the wrist" action of the Dyson Ball without the massive weight of the Dyson Ball. This is important to me because I broke my wrist last year and had neck surgery in February. I need a vacuum that I don't have to muscle around the house and that torques my wrist and lower back.

Another spot where it delivers is the size of the vacuum head. It's not as wide as regular vacuums and I was reluctant to buy it because a wider head means more coverage; or so I thought. Actually, the shorter vacuum head, combined with the low profile, means the vacuum gets into very small spaces and underneath sofa skirts, etc., easily and more proficiently than a standard-sized vacuum, helping you to vacuum more quickly and with greater agility.

Where didn't it perform? The attachment heads were a disappointment. There's not a good-sized brush or wide head attachment. The attachments seemed a little cheap and overlooked -with one exception. The crevice tool/brush combination it comes with is absolutely perfect for vacuuming baseboards (Halleluiah!). But, I also find that I need a nice-sized brush for areas like wood shutters and a wide head attachment to do places such as stairs and tiled areas. However, you can always buy the Dyson wide attachment ($50) and brush separately. Or, I just bought the Kenmore brand attachments that fit the Dyson perfectly. The wide head was only $9.99 -and it fits in the slot for the Dyson attachments on the vacuum body.

For a vacuum that's easy to maneuver, easy to clean and maintain, takes up less space and gives all the power of a regular-sized Dyson vacuum, the Dyson Slim is a hands-down winner. The only drawback in my mind (better attachments) was no problem because I found an inexpensive work-around. Besides, I'd rather have an easy-to-use vacuum that works well and has chintzy attachments than great attachments on a so-so vacuum. I'd recommend this vacuum to anyone, especially if you want all the power at half the size.

DeLonghi TCH7690ER Safeheat 1500W 28 In. Tower Ceramic Heater

I bought this space heater after searching for something to quickly heat up my bedroom in the winter, so I wasnt running the whole house heater all evening. I have had this for 5 months now and it has worked flawlessly! The remote is super handy as well. From the remote you can turn the power on, turn swivel off and on, increase the temp setting, and change the mode. Thats the other great thing it has a mode that just blows air like a fan, a low heat setting and a high heat setting. It also has an eco setting, but Im not quite sure what that does. The ONLY drawback Id say for this, is that you cant sent the timer from the remote. You have to set the timer on the unit itself. The timer is great too, you can set it for 30 minute increments, up to several hours. Ive never tested it, but it also has a tip feature that shuts the machine down if it falls over. Sorry to disagree with the other reviews, but this heater has been great for me!

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pureguardian H2000 100-Hour Ultrasonic Humidifier

The Germ Guardian H-2000 is the best ultrasonic humidifier I've seen in a decade. But that only means that it works. The humidifier is well-crafted but thoughtlessly designed. I was pleased with a couple of ultrasonics that I had years ago. When their motors eventually died and I needed replacements, I found that ultrasonic humidifiers had all but disappeared from the market by the mid-1990s. So I bought evaporative humidifiers instead. The trouble with evaporatives is that they require a wick, which molds easily and pervasively and must be replaced at least every two weeks. That's expensive. It costs me $150 per year to run each of my evaporative humidifiers. I'd rather have ultrasonics, which are less prone to mold, less expensive to operate, and quieter. When ultrasonic humidifiers reappeared on the market a few years ago, I bought some....and returned them all. They broke within weeks and left puddles on the floor.

This brings me to the Germ Guardian H-2000. If you want an ultrasonic humidifier that isn't fit for the trash, you have to pay more than $100. This H-2000 seems to be well-made. Happily, you can set it directly on the floor if you like. I have run it for days sitting on hardwood, and the floor is not even damp. There are little compartments for storing the power cord and for the air filter. A small brush is provided for cleaning the inside of the unit, though I don't know what use it would be. The humidifier barely makes a sound. The controls are straightforward. You choose cool or warm mist, then turn the humidity dial to the level of output you desire. A blue LED lights when the power is on, and a red LED indicates when the tank needs refilling. I've never had any trouble with white dust from this humidifier.

On the downside, the 1.4 gallon tank has a handle only on top, so it is difficult to balance the tank to fill it from the bottom. It's also rounded on top, so you can't set the tank down to fill it either. Remember the days when all humidifier tanks were flat on both ends and had a handle on each for ease of filling? No more. Usually ultrasonic humidifiers are easy to clean if they should mold, because all the innards are exposed. But the H-2000 has an optional warm mist, so water passes through a concealed channel as it goes from the tank to the vibrating disc, where it is presumably exposed to heating coils. You could run ammonia through the channel to kill mold, but there would be no way to remove slime. The tank is infused with silver nanoparticles to retard microbe growth, but machine's body isn't. Strange, because mold growth in humidifiers never starts in the tank. The on/off knob would benefit from some ridges. It's so smooth that I can't grip it unless my hands are perfectly dry.

The Germ Guardian H-2000 takes 30 hours to empty the 1.4 gallon tank with the humidifier set on its highest output. That's an output of 0.047 gallons of water per hour. My evaporative humidifiers put 0.083 gallons per hour into the air, nearly twice as much. For this reason, the H-2000 is best suited to a small bedroom, placed close to the bed. In the "warm" mode, the water is heated to 80 degrees F. The mist is warm in the base, the column (spout guide), and where it comes out of the spout. But by the time it gets a couple of inches from the machine, the mist is cool. So I see little point in the warm mist feature. If you want an ultrasonic humidifier, I won't try to dissuade you from this one. In spite of its deficiencies, it's the best one I've found in recent years. But it's only suitable for small rooms.

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Air-O-Swiss AOS 7133 Ultrasonic Humidifier

I had been pricing and comparing the substantial number of humidifiers on the market and I am glad I settled on the Air-O-Swiss. Despite its higher price, I am quite satisfied with its functions, control, design and specifically, its quiet operation. I was looking to pay between $70-150 for a quiet, low-maintenance model to add humidity to my [very dry] 10x12' bedroom. I purchased it at a local store for the same price as listed on Amazon; I am glad I was able to see [and hear] this model in operation.

There is NO sound, even at the highest setting. I'm a light sleeper and cannot fathom a bedroom appliance that even approaches a dull hum.

The visible mist generated by this model is pleasant for me and my pets.

I have been refilling each morning, as I have had the device on a high setting and running nonstop.The compartment becomes about half-empty after a full day at this setting. Refilling is a snap.

The ability to have cool and warm settings is a big plus, since the jury is still out regarding the negatives and rewards of either mode.

The system has been running clean and I am certain this will continue to be the case with a modicum of effort. The cost of the filter and the silver stick is not intimidating and the recommended three-week maintenance check is reasonable.

The design is quite fetching. Minimalist and fetching.

I have it sitting on the floor and there is no dampness on the carpet as mentioned by owners of other brands. This tells me that this model is doing a good job of propelling the mist into the air.

My roommate recently paid $29 for a smaller Holmes humidifier. The Holmes is downright deafening and I am sure she would have paid the difference for an Air-O-Swiss. Silent operation is really important.

The only possible shortcoming is the hygrometer. It is not entirely intuitive: the machine is to shut off after the desired humidity percentage is met, yet I have yet to see the model shut itself off. Turning it off manually is not a big deal.

I took a big step purchasing an air purifier, but this purchase has made a significant difference in my bedtime and bedroom comfort. I've had some winter nights with seriously labored [allergy, smoke and pet-related] breathing but I find this device has given me a little peace of mind and tangible change.

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BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser, Refined Bronze/Magenta

It's been many years since I've owned a Dustbuster type of handheld vacuum, largely because every one I've used had limited battery life, and wasn't good at picking up all but the lightest debris.

I thought I'd give the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser a shot, hoping that the handheld technology has evolved, and that something -anything -could make living with a Shepherd and Pointer easier.

Out of the box, I immediately noticed how the pink rubber tip on the end of the vacuum looked and felt a lot like the brush I use on my short-haired Pointer. Holding back the urge to vacuum my dog, I decided to read the instructions, telling me I needed to put it on the charger for 18 hours before I vacuumed anything. Dutifully, I put it on the charger, but noted that the design of the charger base REALLY expects you to mount it to a wall. I wasn't sure I was ready for that sort of commitment, but it worked fine left on my floor.

The next day, it was time to start erasing pet hair. The first few minutes were brilliant. It seemed this was going to be a perfect way to get my furniture and stairs vacuumed without lugging around my upright and dealing with the attachments. But, things started going downhill. The pink grabber thing seemed to bring short hair up, but didn't consistently make it to the actual vacuum. Not a huge deal until I emptied out the bin and noticed how quickly the filter had changed color.

Unfortunately, the filters aren't washable, so in just under two weeks, the Pet Hair Eraser went from "awesome" to "dumb 80's Dustbuster". If I had been using this for hours on end, or if my house was particularly dirty and dusty, I'd totally understand. After all, filters don't last forever. But the performance absolutely tanks if the filter is dirty, and replacement filters (P/N 52H6) aren't all that cheap when they need to be replaced so often.

Personally, I see this as a design problem. If the Pet Hair Eraser had been designed to pick up your kid's spilled Cheerios, I wouldn't rate it so harshly. But when it's advertised as a product to deal with debris that's inherently dirty, I don't understand why they wouldn't put a washable prefilter before the cotton-like filter. At this rate, I'm likely to spend more money in filters than the MSRP of the Pet Hair Eraser in under a year. At that kind of money, I almost start to wonder how long it would take before I'd come out ahead getting a refurbished Dyson DC31 Handheld Animal Vacuum Cleaner.

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Essick Air 4D7-800 Whole House Evaporative Humidifier

I have used it all this winter and it did the trick. My wife was suffering from nose bleeds and cracked skin before we bought this and now she is fine. It holds enough water to only need changed about every other day. The lights that tell you when the resivour needs changed can be seen from across the room. I run mine at the lowest fan speed and it is like it isn't there when the TV is on. With the room quiet you know its there but it isn't annoying. I was dissapointed with the airfilter. It looks like one on a furnace and is loosley attached to the back. It's deffinitly not HEPA quality if thats what your looking for.

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Friedrich CP08G10 7800 btu

I was really hesitant to buy this AC. Originally the AC was made by Panasonic. When Panasonic made it, it was a terrific AC and very quiet. I had to replace my 10,000 BTU Panasonic AC with the Friedrich version of the same AC two years ago. That 10,000 Friedrich version sounds like a truck. Watching TV is usually a real problem. Cool the room, turn off the AC, listen to TV and repeat.

When my 7800 Panasonic from 2005 hit the dust this year, I deliberated. I heard the Friedrich CP08G10 in the store and it seemed quiet enough. I seem to have gotten lucky. The new Friedrich is pretty quiet. Maybe it is not as great as the original Panasonic version, but it is definitely quiet enough so that I can sleep. I don't guarantee you will have the same experience since I think quality control is poor at Friedrich. Also, I am writing this review after only two nights of use. But, I am feeling positive. Suggest you try to buy an AC in an undamaged box. I have a feeling these ACs can't take the rough and tumble of shipping.

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6 Stage Black Acrylic BA3500 New Comfort Air Purifier

I had a Hunter before purchasing this air cleaner. The hunter did good for its time, but was getting old and not cleaning the air as it should.

I have had this running 24 hrs per day for last couple days that I had this. It does wonders in cleaning the air and odors. I used the ozone on first day and you do need to air out room. I will need to take out one of the ozone plates due to size of our apt. and this pruifier is for a 3000 sq ft area. Thats about 10 times bigger than our 1 bedroom apt.

Other reviews said you get a smell like after a thunderstorm. I would not say this is true. The oder without the ozone, is noticable when first entering the apt. but you dont notice it much after a min or two. And the apt does smell alot better. I do smoke and inside the apt so I gotten this to eliminate the smoke odor and it does that very well. Better than the hunter ever did.

Will update later.

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Homedics Hum-cm50 Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier

I bought this because it was one of the cheaper humidifiers that I saw and was recommended by a friend. You can choose 4 levels of mist and I turned it to the highest right away. It was a bit slow to start, the mist was small on the highest setting but after running it overnight, I woke up to a nice strong mist in the morning. We use it in our bedroom which is a medium size and it does the job perfectly. I've been using it for a week now and wake up without dry skin and throat. I love that it oscillates and also the pleasing design. It's also whisper quiet and you can turn the blue glow and oscillation on or off. Highly recommended.

3M COMMERCIAL OFC SUP DIV Replacement Filter

This is a great 3M product. We run the air cleaner 24/7 in our front smoking room. It keeps the air fresh and the rest of the apartment from smoke. We get 3 months on each filter, as the instructions say the filter gets better as it gets dirtier. The filters are a bit expensive but they deliver as promised and then some. Highly recommended. We have been using the air cleaner and filters for about 4 years.

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20x25x1 (19.5 x 24.5) Accumulair Diamond Filter

The 16x24x1 filters that I received were lacking nearly a half an inch in both length and width. Life's too short to be duct-taping other people's shoddy products.

Berkey Light With 2 Black Filters

This is AWESOME!!!! If you have concerns about the garbage that finds it's way into your water, then you should have this. The water is the best. No strange taste, only clear clean water. As I read more and more about the harmful effects of some of the chemicals they now use to "clean" our water, I am glad I have this. Easy to assemble and use.

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Electrolux Ergospace Green Canister Vacuum

Since I've spent the past 24 hours (or more) researching vacuums -and bought two to try out at home, side by side -I thought I should share my findings with the rest of you.

First off, my 23-year-old Hoover canister finally died on me a few weeks ago. I'd had the thing at the shop maybe once for some work, but other than that, it still worked like a charm til the very end. It had a self-propelling power head that roared like a elephant and scared small children and pets, but it but really sucked the dirt in its heyday. It was sort of scary on hardwood, but I made do. After all, it was practically a member of the family -the same age as my oldest son.

So when it died, I knew it would be a hard act to follow. I knew I wanted a canister. To tell you the truth, what I like most are the long wands that I use to clean everything from ceiling fans to air vents to baseboards. The little attachment hoses on the uprights just didn't seem like they'd do the trick. I liked the idea of bagless, though I'd never tried one. The guy who cleans my carpet once a year recommended Dyson. After looking at Dysons, reading reviews and seeing the prices, I decided I didn't want to spend that kind of money.

In the end, I decided to test-drive two vacuums: the Electrolux 4101A Ergospace Green Canister ($149 at Costco) and the Hoover MultiCyclonic SH40060 ($149 at Target.) Both sounded great online, so I decided to buy them both, assemble them and do a side-by-side comparison.

Bottom line: The Electrolux, cute and "green" as it is, is going back. The Hoover is staying.

The Hoover isn't as well made as my 23-year-old dearly departed that's obvious. But it seems far more solid than the Electrolux. I nearly broke the Electrolux simply trying to unsnap and resnap the filter compartment -the plastic seems thin (yes, I know it's recycled) and flimsy. I can't imagine it holding up a year -I'm not sure it will last a month. Same thing with the plastic hose, which also seems flimsy compared to the Hoover. Even the power nozzle-heads (two of them, which I can't imagine wanting to swap out very often) seem sort of cheap. On the plus side, the telescoping wand works very well and is nice and long, the 3-in-1 crevice tool is sort of ingenious once you figure it out (no help from the manual there!) and the motor has variable speeds, which is neat. Another negative: The hot air "exhaust" blows out straight up at you -I felt like I was in a wind tunnel (a hot wind tunnel) if I got too near the canister.

The Hoover, on the other hand, snaps together neatly with lots of clever, well-designed little latches. The bagless design seems very easy to use, and economical. Two filters, both washable. The wand telescopes, not quite as smoothly as the Electrolux, but it's fine (much better than the two-part wand in my old Hoover.) The tools (just two and admittedly not great) store neatly in the rather heavy hose handle. The handle has to be heavy, I guess, because it contains the power switch which is another big improvement over my old Hoover (and the Electrolux), where the power switch is in the canister, which may be some feet away away from you just when you want it most.

But in the end I wanted a vacuum that could clean. So I decided to run each through its paces on my hardwood floor. Fairly dirty and dusty, since as I said, my old Hoover died "a few weeks ago."

The Electrolux was first up. It wasn't bad, though the blowing hot air was a bit bothersome. It was quiet and it moved easily along the floor. It's lightweight and easy to pull. But there was one stubborn Christmas tree needle stuck in the baseboard that just wouldn't budge, even though I went over it again and again. Christmas tree needles are my litmus test.

So out comes the Hoover, to see what it can do. It's a bit heavy, but feels solid and sturdy in a reassuring way. It's much quieter than my old vacuum. I can actually carry on a conversation while I'm cleaning. I can hear the doorbell ring.

And when it gets to the Christmas tree needle -wooooosh! Gone. Just like that.

What was I thinking? Momentarily swayed by a cute green bungee-cord (what's that for, anyway?) and the promise of being green and environmentally correct, I nearly forgot the most important rule of vacuum purchasing. A vacuum needs to vacuum well. I think the Hoover MultiCyclonic and I will have a beautiful life together. And it's sturdy little blue body is growing on me.

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Venta Airwasher Venta Demineralization Replacement Cartridge

Since I didn't see it listed either in the specs or the reviews, I'll just note that (according to the box it comes in), this is the replacement cartridge for Venta-Sonic models:

VS 100

VS 205

VS 207

I can confirm it fits properly in the VS 207, since that's what I have.

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SHARPER IMAGE AIR PURIFIER GP MODEL IONIC BREEZE

I purchased 3 units, and only one still works. I had to return one of them a while back, which is the one that still works. It is a great idea, and it works very well, if you can keep it working. Edie Kelley

4 Neato Pet & Allergy Filters Designed To Fit Neato XV-11

The ends of the filter fabric are cut too large and all the ends are peeling away from the pleats because they are poorly made. They all leak and are therefore useless. All four filters received are either fake imitations or second quality defective filters. Do yourself a favor and purchase only OEM Neato filters elsewhere.

Medelco 4-Cup Permanent Basket Coffee Filter

This filter wss purchased for use in a Mr Coffee DR4.

It replaces a permanent filter from Mr Coffee that had a plastic bottom with the mesh only on the sides.

The Medelco filter has mesh on the bottom as well as the sides, thus the water runs through the filter too fast resulting in weak coffee.

The only suggestion from Medelco's help line was to use more coffee!

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Dirt Devil F1 HEPA Filter

The title claims that this filter is "by Dirt Devil." The picture shows a filter by Dirt Devil (green label & writing on top). But what was shipped was a knockoff by Crucial Vacuum. It does fit and works reasonably well, but it is not what was advertised.

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Jarden Home Environment HEPA Small Room Air Purifier W

I own 3 of the larger models (holding 2 hepa filters) but wanted this smaller size for walk-in closet. I also have another older single filter model at work. The brand is made well, built sturdy and most importantly cleans the air! Less dust and allergens in our home.

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Envision Home Soap Scum Buster Sponge

I am so glad I purchased this sponge. It is great! I have a large shower that my house keeper has not been doing a very good job cleaning. The soap scum had really built up. I tried the usual cleaners with a regular sponge and I just couldn't get it clean. I went to Amazon looking for a good cleaner and found this scum buster sponge. After reading some reviews I decided to try it. I also purchased Krud Kutter KK32. Together they cleaned amazingly! I am going to purchase more for my other bathrooms. I highly recommend this item.

Sharp 8,000 BTU ENERGY STAR Window Air Conditioner

While I find the Sharp 8,000 BTU window air conditioner does an excellent job at cooling a large space, it is however, quite noisy. Even when you run it on Energy save and low fan speed it is still loud. When it cycles on, you have turn up the volume on your TV or radio in order the hear what is being said. You absolutely cannot run this air conditioner at full tilt because then you cannot be in the room with it.

Definitely, would not recommend for a bedroom at all. Best use in an area like the dining room or family room where you want coolness, but do not plan to do anything which requires other activities.

Quite disappointed since it was recommended as a quite model. Will not purchase another one for daily use. Sounds like a bus engine idling.

Hunter 31206 Ultrasonic UV Medium/Large Room Humidifier

I bought this unit because it gets really dry downstairs especially with the fireplace being on. I can already tell a difference in the air. I noticed the poor reviews given with the UVC light and also read in the manual that if on it indicated that it needed replacing. So, upon calling Hunter, the CSR explained that the blue light indicated that the machine was on and working and that the light would turn red when the UVC light needed replacing. That being said, the machine is indeed working properly, it is very quite, and IMO gives out pretty good humidity at the mid-way mark.

The only cons that I would make mention is the really BRIGHT blue light as I had to cut a piece of cardboard and tape over it to tone it down a notch. Also, the replacement of the demineraliztion filters on a monthly basis.

Thanks for reading and I hope this helped.

-S

Soleus Air WA2-02-50 New Aqua Sub Water Cooler

• Unique Bottom-load design
• Keeps water out of direct sunlight to reduce bacteria and algae growth & prevents leakage of cancer causing chemicals like BPA
• Included hose and cap are dishwasher safe
• FDA Approved
• Hot and Cold Temperature Settings

I bought the unit in May. By Aug it was broken. Called the company, they said that since I was in LA I could bring in the plug and exchange for a new unit. They wanted me to cut the plug off and toss the unit. I did as they asked, drove 30 miles to their warehouse only to find they were out of stock. Why tell me to come pick up when you're out of stock. Now they are looking for unit to send me. Not sure when that'll be. Waste of money, time, energy. stay away. this company sucks! This product sucks!

Update, they couldn't find a unit for me. They will refund the money in 10-14 days. The also didn't call me back to tell me this. I had to call them 3 times before finding someone who would tell me what's going on. Do not buy anything from this company. they are just plain terrible. You've been warned.

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Whirlpool Whispure 510 Air Purifier AP51030K

My husband has the worst allergies and it was interfering with his sleeping because he was so congested. He was actually scheduled for surgery to correct a deviated septum to ease the congestion and the night we plugged this in everything changed. It was pretty phenomenal. He could breathe in our room no matter how congested he was all day. That was over a year ago and his condition is so improved that he still hasn't had the optional surgery truly due to this machine. We have changed one of the filters once and still haven't had to change the other filter yet. The unit is no louder than a box fan at 'turbo' speed and puts out a nice, cool breeze. I did hours and hours of research prior to making this purchase learning all about the clean air ratings and the pros and cons of the units in this price range and this was the clear choice. If you are in the market for an air purifier, this is the best buy out there.