Good Housekeeping's Seal-Worthy Products

Tried-and-true products, including dish soap, garbage bags, popcorn and more.

ByABC News via logo
August 21, 2009, 3:33 PM

Aug. 24, 2009— -- The Good Housekeeping seal celebrated its 100th anniversary this year, and Carolyn Forte, from the Good Housekeeping Research Institute shared some of the products that have earned the coveted seal with "Good Morning America."

To show people exactly how a product earns the seal, Good Housekeeping now offers public tours of the research institute in New York City, and it's taking the institute on the road with a first stop in Tampa, Fla., Sept. 26.

Many people don't realize that products that have earned the Good Housekeeping seal carry a limited warranty. That means if the product is defective within two years of purchase, Good Housekeeping will replace the item or refund the consumer.

Cascade Plastic Booster

Most people can relate to this scenario: You put leftovers in a plastic storage container, and the next day the plastic has changed color.

Forte says simply add Cascade Plastic Booster to your dishwasher cycle to remove the stain and bring your plastic-ware back to its original color.

You can use it right in your regular dishwasher load, or run it in a cycle with the dishwasher empty to clean the inside of a dishwasher with a discolored plastic tub.

Dawn Plus Odor Eraser

Dawn Plus Odor Eraser dish liquid lives up to its promise of removing odors while cleaning dishes, Forte says.

In tests, it removed the smell of onions and garlic that were stored in plastic containers better than regular dishwashing liquid alone.

Seal Shield Keyboard: $40-$75

If you're the type of person who is always spilling things on your keyboard, you may want to get this keyboard from Seal Shield. There's no more struggling to clean between the keys because you can put the whole keyboard directly in the dishwasher!

In Good Housekeeping tests, Forte says testers dumped soda on and rubbed burnt toast over the keyboard, and let it sit and solidify. Then they put it right in the dishwasher on a normal setting, and it came out as good as new.

Glad 13-Gallon Drawstring Kitchen Bags: 18 Cents Per Bag

Say goodbye to your garbage bag splitting open all over your kitchen floor.

Glad's 13-Gallon Drawstring Tall Kitchen Bags are the strongest ones available on the market, according to Good Housekeeping tests. Forte says they performed strength, puncture and drop tests with the bags filled with garbage and they came out on top. And at 18 cents per bag, they're cheaper than many competitors.

Forte says be sure to look for the "mil" number on the packaging to determine trash bags' thickness, and, therefore, their durability. Kitchen bags "mil" numbers range from .60 to .90, and Glad's are .90.