4th Installment of DOES IT REALLY WORK by Jessica Rall. SPECIAL 20% off all of Jess’ products for BLOG READERS!

So, in Jess’ final installment of Does it Really Work by Jessica Rall she writes about our MAAS French Lavender Metal Polish (our girl likes to clean!).  Here it is- a strong endorsement from a tough critic, she says YES IT DOES REALLY WORK! Read on–

When I started this blog I thought I didn’t really need MAAS in my home. By day I work in a mid-century antiques showroom where I spend the better part of my days fighting the perpetual layer of schmutz that settles on everything in New York. A thousand square feet of chrome, nickel, and brass surrounds me. We want the pieces to shine like they were made yesterday, and MAAS does a great job restoring them to their original luster.

Then I started really looking around my apartment. Hmmm. My stainless steel sink has seen better days. A few short minutes with the MAAS and its gleaming. I do have some jewelry with tough tarnish even the polishing cloth couldn’t get. The MAAS took care of it in a minute. What’s so remarkable about MAAS is not just how well it works, but that it somehow does it without the harsh abrasive chemicals and smells. MAAS actually smells like lavender. Before I know it I’ve polished every inch of metal in my apartment, from the bathroom faucets to the pedals on our antique piano. Everything continues to stay sparkling and free of fingerprints for weeks. Oh, and that lingering aroma of lavender? That’s the sweet smell of domestic bliss.

Editors note: Over some vino last night I think I convinced Jess to do one more write up for us. We got these great new Wine Savers (see picture below) in the shop and I thought that might something we might all like to hear about. So stay tuned! MAAS Metal Polish- $14.95 for 4 oz. Cheers! Wine Saver- $4.95.  AND AS A SPECIAL FOR ALL OUR BLOG READERS- PLEASE ENJOY 20% OFF ALL OF JESS’ REVIEWED ITEMS (Laundress Stain Solution, Healthy Harvest Freshness Extenders, PVC- Free Nellie’s Dryer balls & Lavender Sticks, and MAAS Metal Polish) for the next week. In the shop just mention you read it on our Blog, and online just email me (ann@blueribbongeneralstore.com) the same message and we will take it off your total bill before your order gets processed. ENJOY!

3rd Installment of DOES IT REALLY WORK by Jessica Rall

I know you’ve been wondering all week, what is Jess going to write about next?? Well, mystery solved folks- in Jess’ 3rd (of 4) installment of DOES IT REALLY WORK she tries out our Nellie’s PVC-free Dryer Balls and Lavender Fragrance sticks…

I’ve tried a lot of fabric softeners and sheets and find they either,

a.) Make my laundry smell overwhelmingly like one of those wax air fresheners or,

b.) Do nothing and make my clothes smell like nothing.

I already use Nellie’s Oxy Brightener, so thought I’d try these dryer ball things. I’d heard about the old tennis balls in the dryer trick, but I worry about color transfer, embedding the smell of burnt rubber into my clothes, and that I’m releasing harmful toxins into the ether . Not to mention that a tennis ball bouncing around in the dryer can get pretty loud. I’ve also tried some natural dryer sheets but just felt they were a waste. Enter: Nellie’s PVC-Free Dryerballs. They’re recyclable, have no harmful toxins, and won’t transfer color. The new PVC-Free balls also have a center cartridge where you can insert lavender fragrance sticks with essential oil. So last weekend I gave them a shot, and It Works!! I did two loads at the Laundromat, one with Dryerballs, one without. My sheets, which always end up super-wrinkled were noticeably less so, and I saved myself a quarter on my drying cycle. And they smell AMAZING, like real lavender instead of some synthetic potpourri. They last up to 2 years, and at only $24.99 that saves a lot of money wasted on fabric softeners and dryer sheets. Each fragrance stick lasts up to ten loads as well. If you’re like me and frequent the Laundromat, I recommend investing in two packs so you can do more than one load at a time. You’re still saving money on products, not to mention the quarters saved in drying time.

Nellie’s PVC Dryer Balls- $24.99 for pack of 2. Nellie’s Lavender Sticks $12.95 (10 sticks in a jar, each lasts for 10 rounds in the dryer).

2nd Installment of DOES IT REALLY WORK by Jessica Rall

Today’s subject by Roving reporter Jessica Rall– Healthy Harvest Freshness Extenders

On the Healthy Harvest website they say Americans throw out 25% of their produce due to spoilage. Oh yeah? Well not this girl. I’ve always had a Depression-era mentality about the fridge and refuse to let anything go to waste. Which is also why I’m a card-carrying member of the Clean Plate Club. But in a city with the best restaurants in the world, I don’t want to be chained to my produce drawer. This is where the Healthy Harvest Freshness Extenders come in. These little babies control the level of ethylene gas which is produced as fruits and vegetables ripen, and can double or even triple the life of your produce. Since I’ve been using them I’ve noticed a marked difference, so I can go out to eat a guilt-free burger while my spinach stays fresh and crisp at home. They [each] last for three months and at a very recession-friendly $11.50 will more than pay for themselves in saved groceries.

Editors Note- Sooo go crazy at the Farmer’s Market this weekend knowing you are well covered with our Healthy Harvest freshness extenders! Also stay tuned for an exciting new product from the mastermind behind the company who brought this grocery store technology to home kitchens. We don’t know what it is yet either, but the owner has been talking it up for MONTHS and promises to knock our socks offf! For now- these great eggs are $11.50 for a set of 2. Available in Red, Yellow, Green and Blue.

First installment of DOES IT REALLY WORK? by Jessica Rall

We have a guest blogger for the next few Fridays in a new segment I am calling, “Does it Really Work?” Our trusty sidekick Jessica Rall took on the fun (!?!) task of documenting a few of her latest purchases from the shop and put them to the test. Today she regails us with her experiences with The Laundress’ Stain Solution (editors note here- this product is how I found The Laundress to begin with– as I was searching for a good product to remove stains from my favorite pieces of clothing, many I have had for DECADES and still cherish and wear all the time thanks to The Laundress)-

I love white. White sheets, white towels, a crisp white button-down shirt….but invaribly I will spill something on everything white I own: red wine, soy sauce, coffee (like today). Which leads me to my first edition of “It Really Works”. The Laundress products are the talk of the town. People come in all the time specifically for them and seem to be diehard believers in the line. Is it just the beautiful and elegant packaging? Is it that the products are 100% biodegradable and made from organic materials? Or perhaps it’s the absence of beef products found in many fabric softeners (excuse me?!?!?!). So okay, it’s beautiful, smells great, is made from good stuff, but Does It Really Work? I wanted to try out the Stain Solution so I decided to check out www.thelaundress.com as recommended by the label for stain removal “recipes” and watched a video on how to remove stains. And then I put it to the test. I created a nice big coffee stain on an old white shirt.

I let it sit all day and over night to really set in. The following afternoon I applied the Stain Solution directly to the stain and let sit for a few minutes while I heated some water in the kettle. Just before it hit boiling I poured water on the stain, and let the whole thing sit in a hot bath for the rest of the day. And…..ta-da!!!!!

No more stains. So, yes it’s made with renewable resources. Yes, it’s free of dyes and artificial ingredients. Yes, it’s a plant-based product. Yes, it’s tested on the very human owners instead of animals. And, Yes! It Really Works!

Thank you Jess for that fine example of investigative reporting! You can get some Stain Solution at the shop too- $16 for 16 oz.