The different brands of household products that cram the shelves of stores can be a bit overwhelming to shoppers.
Should you buy the more expensive dish detergent? Or can you get the same level of cleanliness if you save a few dollars and buy the cheaper brand? Who really does make the best washing machine and dryer? Consumer Reports recently tested thousands of products - from toilet paper to detergent.
Check out their results, which will be published in the May issue.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT:
BEST: Tide 2X Ultra with Color Clean Bleach Alternative, which costs around 32 cents per average load
WORST: Xtra 2X Concentrated Lasting ScentSations Spring Sun Shine, which costs around 6 cents per average load
LIQUID DISHWASHER DETERGENT:
BEST: Cascade Complete with Bleach Hydroclean Action Powder at 12 cents per load, excelled at cleaning dishes, thanks in part to phosphates which can harm the environment.
WORST: Wave 2X Ultra High Performance costs 33 cents a load and left Consumer Reports dishes pretty dirty.
CARPET CLEANING
None of the carpet stain removers Consumer Reports tested were great, but there a few that were able to lift certain stains. The report also features recommended full-sized and small vacuums.
CARPET STAIN REMOVERS:
BEST: Bissell's Oxypro Carpet Spot and Stain Remover, $4.85, was best overall and one of the best at lifting French dressing and spaghetti sauce.
WORST: Dyson's Dyzolv Spot Cleaner, $13, left most of the French dressing and spaghetti sauce behind and was even worse on coffee and red wine.
CARPET-CLEANING MACHINES:
BEST: The Hoover Dual V Steam Vac All Terrain with Spin Scrub F7452-900, $270, cleaned almost as well as a professional service Consumer Reports hired. The Hoover left very little solution behind, so the carpet dried faster.
WORST: The Bissell QuickSteamer 1770, $80, left most of the dirt in the carpet.
IN THE KITCHEN
PAPER TOWELS:
BEST: Walgreens Ultra Quilted, $2.50 per 100 square feet, was one of the top-rated brands of paper towels. It was absorbent and held up well in scrub tests.
WORST: Earth Friendly Products tore easily when scrubbing, held little water, and cost almost twice as much as the Walgreen's brand.
TOASTERS:
BEST: Cusiniart CPT-170, $180, consistently produced batch after batch of evenly toasted bread, and a digital display counts the seconds until the toast is ready.
WORST: The Toastess Digital TT321, $60, was only fair at toasting and results were inconsistent from batch to batch in Consumer Reports tests.
TOASTER OVENS:
BEST: The Cuisinart TOB-195, $80, was very good at baking and broiling, toasts bread evenly, and is spacious enough for a four-pound chicken.
WORST: The Emerson TOR35, $70, was only fair at baking and took longer to bake and broil than other models.
COOKWARE:
BEST: Earth Pan with Sand Flow (10 pieces), $190, delivered high performance at half the price of some of the other cookware sets Consumer Reports tested.
WORST: The Mercorla Healthy Chef cookware set, $300, landed at the bottom of Consumer Reports Ratings because of burned food, handles that broke during testing, and stuck-on food.
STAND MIXERS:
BEST: KitchenAid Classic K45SS[WH], $200, has topped Consumer Reports Ratings for years because it can whip up fluffy meringues and handle double batches of bread dough with ease.
WORST: Sunbeam Mixmaster 2594, $90, was a lightweight in performance and pounds. IN THE
BATHROOM
TOILET PAPER:
BEST: Quilted Northern Ultra Plush, which costs 29 cents per 100 sheets, is top-rated and disintegrated easily when flushed, making it easier on plumbing and septic systems.
WORST: Scott 1000, which costs 6 cents per 100 sheets, was the thinnest toilet paper Consumer Reports tested and was only mediocre in strength and softness.
TOILETS:
BEST: The American Standard Champion 4 2002.014, $425, provided power, quietness, and thorough bowl cleansing in one flush.
WORST: The Kohler Persuade K-3654, $325, has separate modes for liquid and solid waste.
SHOWERHEADS:
BEST: Moen's top-rated Inspire 21777, $50, offered a strong flow of water at a consistent temperature and seven settings.
WORST: The Price Pfister Bell 15-070, $40, had a big drop in water temperature between the showerhead and one's body and had so-so force.