ASOTVI Review of Zorbees

What is it? An absorbent towel for cleaning and absorbing liquids.

ASOTVI Rating: Conditionally Works

Major Claims:

• Will Pick Up and Hold Up to 20 oz. of liquid
• Over 27X more absorbent than cotton or paper towels

There are ten (10) Zorbeez in a box, six (6) smaller yellow square ones (approx. 15 in. x 15 in.), and four (4) larger orange ones (approx 27.5 in. x 19 in.). The larger orange ones are noticeably thicker than the smaller yellow ones. Please note that the instructions advise to wash them in a gentle cycle and not to dry them in the dryer to prevent shrinkage. They must air dry.

With respect to the first major claim, we used one of the larger Zorbeez to attempt to absorb twenty (20) ounces of water. The product successfully absorbed all of the water and held it. This claim is true and works as advertised.

However, the second claim is that Zorbeez can absorb OVER twenty-seven (27) times as much as a cotton or paper towel. We put that claim to the test with a simple paper towel. In our evaluation we used a shot glass of water, normally holding 1.5 oz. We didn’t fill it 100% full, but almost, ensuring for the benefit of the doubt that there was at least one ounce of water in it (see video). We then used a generic paper towel (actually the plain ones bought in bulk from a national shopping club), nothing fancy, to absorb the water. The paper towel held every drop of water just fine.

This, therefore, meant that for the Zorbeez to fulfill its second claim of being more than 27 times more absorbent than a paper towel, it would need to absorb at least 27 ounces of water, not just 20. We measured that much water, and with a fresh Zorbeez, evaluated whether it could do it or not. It failed.

So while Zorbeez are indeed very absorbent, noticeably so, they don’t hold more than 27 times the water as a common paper towel. We found the latter claim to be exaggerated.

ASOTVI Review of Hercules Hook

What is it? A wire hook for wall hangings.

ASOTVI Rating: Conditionally Works

Major Claims:

• Installs easy by hand
• No tools required
• Can hold up to 150 pounds

This product is a piece of strong, heavy-gauge wire, sharp on one end for piercing through drywall, curved in the middle, and shaped into a hook on the other end (see video for illustration). The idea behind this product is for its sharp end to be pierced through drywall into a hollow wall space behind it, then by virtue of its curve, tilting it up inside the wall until its tip is braced against the back side of the drywall, directly above the point of insertion, leaving the hook outside the wall for handing pictures or other wall hangings. In a hollow wall with several inches of space this is a straightforward process and, indeed, requires no special tools to accomplish. And in this scenario, the product can work as advertised. However, a user specifically needs to know in advance that they are, in fact, dealing with a hollow wall prior to use, or installation could be problematic, and possibly even dangerous.

This product will not work on wood walls or paneling, plaster or brick; it is intended to be used on drywall ONLY, which is soft enough to allow the sharp end of the wire to penetrate it with only manual effort by the user.

Please note that unless a user already knows where the studs are in a particular wall, or has used a stud-finder ahead of time to locate them, they have roughly a one out of ten chance of hitting a wooden or metal wall stud with this product, due to standard sixteen inch stud spacing of one-and a half inch studs, in which case the product will not work at all.

Heavy insulation inside a wall may also prevent the product from tipping upward into place and thus prevent it from working.

Drywall can also be installed onto thin furring strips attached to a brick, stone, or concrete wall, leaving only about an inch of hollow space behind the drywall, and therefore not enough space for this product to work. This is very common in the outside walls of homes made of concrete block.

CAUTION: There also exists the possibility of not only piercing through the drywall, but in doing so also possibly piercing through the shielding of a live home electrical wire, which could potentially result in injury to the user—who would be holding a bare metal wire (the product). Also, in the event of a short caused by the penetration of the product, should sparks or heat be produced, this scenario could represent a possible fire hazard. For this reason we do not recommend the use of this product without a prior wiring location check.

ASOTVI strongly recommends to all users of this product, prior to use, to use a good stud-finder, available at your local hardware or home improvement store, in order to avoid wall studs, and preferably a stud-finder that also has the ability to detect the presence and location of house wiring, so that particular potential hazard can be avoided as well. Finding out whether or not a wall is filled with insulation is likely to be more a process of trial and error. Most insulated walls can be expected to be found in outside walls, but insulation can also be found within inside walls in energy efficient homes.

To this product’s claim of being able to be installed by hand and not requiring any tools, that statement is only true in the specific conditions of a drywall wall that is hollow (by several inches) on the other side—i.e. no insulation, studs, or house wiring to interfere with its motion required for installation. Yet the only way to be truly sure that this is the case and not take a risk is to use a stud-finder, which is a tool. So while not using any tools is physically possible, it is not a recommended approach.

As to its claim of being able to support up 150 pounds, this feature was not evaluated by ASOTVI, but we have no reason to doubt the strength of the wire to do so. We do, however, have reservations about the strength of drywall to support extremely heavy loads on anything with such a thin surface area actually in contact with the drywall. The drywall itself, depending on its thickness and density, could potentially crumble or tear under very heavy loads. It is strongly recommended that any heavy objects be hung with secure wall anchors rated for the load needed—and for any item weighing 150 pounds, to use at least two anchors to distribute the weight (e.g. only 75 pounds at each point).

ASOTVI also wishes to highlight the poor cost-benefit aspect observed with respect to the use of this particular product. The vendor’s video asserts that the use of a common hammer and nail to hang a picture is somehow problematic, can make large, unsightly holes in walls, and furthermore, that somehow the use of any other tools in general is a problem that requires a remedy. We can find no basis for any of these contentions. Indeed, a clumsy person could surely damage drywall with a hammer and nail, just as surely as the same clumsy person could potentially dig an unsightly hole in a wall using this product if not careful. Fortunately, one of the specific benefits of using drywall for interior walls is its ability to be easily patched and painted.

To the assertions regarding the “problem” of using nails, we would note that nails come in a multitude of sizes, including many in approximately the same diameter as this product, which would leave the same size hole in a wall. Smaller nails are available, which would make even smaller holes than this product. But unlike this product, if a nail comes in contact with a wall stud, it isn’t problematic for the nail, but quite the opposite, it creates an opportunity for a much more secure wall hanging.

Depending on the length of the nail or screw used, and the angle of penetration, the likelihood of hitting live house wiring can be much less with a nail or screw than with using this product, which needs to penetrate and move several inches behind the wall in order to be installed properly.

Lastly, you can purchase a multitude of nails or screws for the price of ten (or even 20) of this product. The vendor of this product offers a “free” lifetime supply of these hooks, if the buyer pays for shipping and handling. But if you’re paying anything at all, then, by definition, it isn’t free.

ASOTVI Review of Dryer Balls

What is it? Two knobby rubber balls.

ASOTVI Rating: Does Not Work As Advertised



Major Claims:

• Softens Fabrics Naturally – no softening was observed whatsoever, rather quite the opposite, leaving fabric rough and coarse.
• Cuts Drying Time – no reduction was observed.
• Reduces Static – no reduction was observed.
• Hypoallergenic – Could be, unless you’re allergic to rubber.
• Reusable – True, they’re made of rubber.

This product consists of two hard rubber balls covered with small knobby spines. They are each smaller than a baseball, a little larger than a billiard ball, and virtually identical to a common pet toy, but with no squeaker. They are intended to be used just as many people have done with tennis balls for years—but with tennis balls their fabric cover actually helps absorb and dissipate moisture, genuinely reducing drying time, which isn’t applicable to hard rubber.

The product allegedly serves to help separate laundry in the drying cycle, allowing hot air to flow more efficiently. The vendor claims the tips of the knobs on the balls “massage” fabrics to naturally fluff up and soften them without the use of chemicals. Indeed, no chemicals are used in the drying process for the simple reason that they are just rubber balls bouncing around in your dryer, making a noise similar to that of drying a pair of tennis shoes.

In our evaluation, after using the product, we didn’t observe any increased fluffiness or softening. Actually, it was quite the opposite. We dried a bath towel and hand towel set with the dryer balls (see video), and then dried an identical set of towels using a standard dryer sheet, then compared both sets. The set dried with the dryer balls was noticeably less fluffy and less soft. In fact, with respect to softness, the towels dried with the dryer balls were very rough and coarse, as opposed to the dryer sheet set which came out more fluffy and very soft and smooth.

This product does not work as advertised – however, for the price, it’s a real bargain for your dog, especially smaller dogs with smaller mouths, making it easier to hold onto. Plus the knobs, when chewed on, are possibly good for a dog’s teeth. It’s a mystery why the vendor of this product is marketing it for something it doesn’t do well, when it makes a terrific pet toy that is very price competitive to other such products sold in pet stores.

ASOTVI Review of The Buxton Bag

What is it? An expandable purse/bag to conveniently organize personal items.

Rating: Works As Advertised

First of all Buxton has been making leather products for over 100 years, and have a good reputation. This particular Buxton Bag is a small genuine leather purse/bag with numerous compartments of various sizes. Its most useful feature, beyond all the utility of the many compartments, is its expandability when needed. Like some suitcases, it has zippers along the sides that when opened allow the bag more room to put larger items inside, and when not needed, the bag can be very trim and sleek.

In our video evaluation we took the entire contents of a much larger purse, and were able to fit everything inside the Buxton Bag with no trouble. We shot the video in one continuous take so the viewer can be assured that everything that came out of the big bag made it into the smaller one.

A very handy feature of the Buxton Bag is a pocket on the shoulder strap for a cell phone, so the user doesn’t have to go digging through a purse to answer a call, or fail to hear an incoming call ring due to a phone being buried inside a large purse. We used a Motorola Razor for our evaluation, and it fit with plenty of room to spare, so even a larger cell phone could be accommodated.

There are seven major compartment areas within the bag, including the cell phone pocket, of which several of the larger ones are lined with multiple sleeves for holding pens, credit cards, business cards, etc. Two of the large zippered pockets have mesh sections so you can easily see what’s inside them.

The adjustable-length canvas shoulder strap is approximately one and a half inches wide, which many users may really appreciate if the bag is full and heavy, i.e. not cutting into the shoulder as much as a thin strap would. The bag may be worn slung over one shoulder, like a traditional purse, or with the head through the strap, across the chest, sash-style, for greater security.

We found this product works as advertised.

ASOTVI Review of Closet Doubler

What is it? A space saving product for closets.

Rating: Works As Advertised

The closet doubler works by effectively taking advantage of “vertically” hanging your clothes in a crowded closet instead of hanging them “horizontally” across a closet rod.

The product is made of heavy plastic and two of the units come in a box, along with the associated mounting screws. Installation was extremely easy. In our case, attaching it to drywall, per the instructions, we used two of the mounting screws, which are self-tapping, and screwed down securely in just a couple of minutes.

The product’s hangers feature 18 slots each, with each slot large enough to accommodate those large plastic hangers. Presumably you could double up with thinner wire hangers, and store even more clothing on the product. The mounting screws are several inches long and pierce the wall at a very sharp angle, so it can bear quite a bit of weight.

Users will need to ensure that they put longer garments closest to the hinge and shorter garments on the end closest to the hook that hangs on the closet rod in order to ensure that clothes don’t drag the floor when the unit is hanging down.

Another functional item to note is that if the product is used to create more space, and if that freed up space is then used by other hanging garments, you won’t be able to raise and lower the product in the space now occupied by other clothes. Thankfully, the product’s hinge also swivels from side-to-side as well as up and down, so in that instance you could swing the unit forward before raising it to remove and use a garment.

This product works as advertised.

ASOTVI Review of Aqua Globes

What is it? Hand-blown glass container used for automatic watering of plants.

Rating: Works As Advertised

This product is both simple and ingenious in its simplicity. It consists of a very attractive hand-blown and decorated glass bulb attached to a narrow glass tube that is open on the end, with the open end angled like a large hypodermic needle. Conceptually, think of it working like an inverted water bottle for a hamster; as the hamster drinks, the product provides water as needed.

To use the product you simply remove it from its packaging, which comes packed in thick Styrofoam to protect it. Fill it up with water, and you’re ready to go. But be careful, it is delicate glass. To “plant” it, the instructions recommend using a stick or other tool to make a hole in the plant’s soil first, and not to use the product itself to poke in the soil as the glass may break.

Once you’ve placed the product into the hole you’ve created, ensure that it’s in firmly at a decent depth and won’t tip over. And that’s about it. From that point the water in the globe is released as the soil needs it. When the soil is moist, it seals the end of the tube and no additional water escapes. When the soil dries it allows air to be released into the tube in exchange for more water, as you can observe in our video showing the little bubbles rise up into the main bulb.

When the water is gone, refill the product. It can be anticipated that depending on how dry the soil is, air temperature and humidity, as well as the water consumption needs of a particular plant or group of plants, the rate at which the water is depleted from the product will vary. The instructions note that in some cases, the use of more than one Aqua Globe may be appropriate.

The nice thing about this product is that instead of waiting to see a droopy plant as your queue that it needs water, you just have to see the product getting empty, without putting your plant through any droughts. And the attractive artistic design of the product can also enhance the presentation of your plants. This product works as advertised.

ASOTVI Review of The One Sweep

What is it? A broom and squeegee.

Rating: Must Have!

Major Claims:

• Polymer Bristles. True.
• Doesn’t Scratch Wood or Tile – we did not observe any damage from the product.
• Use Wet or Dry – be tried it in both scenarios successfully.
• “World’s Best Broom” – Having never observed one that worked better, we have no evidence to dispute that claim. Should a better one ever be invented that we evaluate, we’ll update our review here accordingly.

When you consider the cost of a simple straw broom from the grocery store or hardware store, this product is absolutely a Must Have for everyday use. A good broom is needed all the time for normal household cleaning and this is a very effective one.

This product came out of the box and assembled in seconds. It’s lightweight and well-made. The broom head screws onto the bottom section of the metal handle and the other metal handle sections snapped in place with two spring-loaded studs similar to a pool net connector. The handle grip with hanging loop simply slipped on the end and the product, secured by pressure, and was then ready for use. The handle being made of metal instead of wood or plastic provided noticeable lightweight strength and wasn’t flimsy in any way.

We evaluated the product in three separate environments, as illustrated in our video: first, on a wood floor littered with sand, hair and lint; secondly, on tile using the squeegee to remove water; and lastly, on a thick oriental carpet to remove pet hair. In all cases the product worked as advertised quickly and easily.

We were especially pleased to see it get sand out of the cracks between the planks of a hardwood floor without having to vacuum them up. The squeegee worked just fine on the tile. The polymer bristles were also tough enough to dig down in the heavy carpet to pull out pet hair (from a long-haired dachshund!).

As an anecdotal aside, we can also comment that we have observed this particular product in frequent use at a local hair salon, preferred by the establishment for its ability to clean up the high volume of hair clippings efficiently and quickly. So it’s applicable to say that when it comes to sweeping, this is a product “the pros” use.