Promises, Promises: Do These Products Make the Grade?
Becky Worley tests popular products against their commercials' claims.
May 14, 2009 — -- When money is tight, it's important to be smart about the products you buy.
"Good Morning America" technology contributor Becky Worley tested some popular products to see if they were able to do all that their commercials claim.
Find out how Tide Total Care, Bounce Dryer Sheets, Pops-a-Dent and the Tempur-Pedic mattress each stacked up.
Tide Total Care
The Test: Tide Total Care claims that colors will fade less over time than other brands. After washing two new shirts 30 times each -- one in Tide Total Care and one in a generic detergent -- there was no visible fading on either shirt. But a closer look reveals piling -- little balls of fluff -- on the shirt washed with generic detergent and hardly any wear or tear on the Tide shirt.
The Final Verdict: There wasn't much fading for either shirt, but the Tide seemed to preserve the fabric a little better.
Tide Responded: Tide Total Care addresses all the aspects of clothing maintenance that help keep clothes like new. While color retention can be dependent on the different fabrics and dyes used in the garment, other important benefits like fit, feel, finish, and lack of pill and fuzz -- like your team found -- all contribute to the "new" look and feel of our clothes.
Bounce Dryer Sheets
The Test: Bounce claims its dryer sheets will repel pet hair. Two socks -- one dried with Bounce and the other dried without a fabric sheet -- were run through a mini mountain of cat hair. The sock dried with Bounce picks up fur, but magically, some falls off. The sock dried without a fabric sheet picks up and retains all its fur.
The Verdict: Bounce was able to repel some of the hair, but if you need to be hairless, keep a lint brush nearby.
Bounce Dryer Sheets Responded: As your test found, Bounce dryer sheets are proven to help repel pet hair by reducing static build-up on your clothes. This benefit helps people get a little closer to their furry friends! While rolling around in cat hair may definitely cause some hair to stick, Bounce still does provide more pet hair repellency than not using a dryer sheet.
Pops-a-Dent
The Test: Pops-a-Dent says it can help remove a dent from your car -- at home in five minutes. The included hot glue gun affixes a cushion to the center of the dent. After a five-minute wait and a turn of the knob, the dent supposedly can be pulled out.
The Verdict: In this test and a subsequent one in which the glue was left on for longer than the prescribed five minutes, the Pops-a-Dent came up short and the dent remained.
Pops-a-Dent Responded: Pops-a-Dent is an economical and affordable way for individuals to remove dents from their automobiles. It is impossible for me to comment as to why you did not have positive results with Pops-a-Dent without looking at your unit, particularly since the problem seems to be with the glue, not Pops-a-Dent. Over the years, tens of thousands of units have been sold through fine retail establishments such as Auto Zone, Wal-Mart, and O'Reilly Automotive. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Tempur-Pedic Mattress
In the commercial for the mattress, a glass of wine put on the bed stays upright, but will it when we do our test live in the studio?