Consumer Reports Names Best & Worst Home Products

The experts at Consumer Reports tested thousands of household items over the past year -- from detergents to toilets -- and have put together a list of some of the best and worst home products.

 

"Faced with all the options on store shelves these days, even choosing something as simple as toilet paper can be a nuisance," says Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, deputy home editor for Consumer Reports. "We are sharing the best and worst picks from our rigorous tests to help consumers save time and money when shopping."

 

Consumer Reports sifted through its lists of tested products to find some of the best choices for consumers. Staffers looked for products that tested at or near the top of their product category. All picks are recommended, which means they combine performance with value. Consumer Reports' testers also highlighted some of duds they've discovered.Here is a sample of the results:

 

BEST: Procter & Gamble's (P&G) Tide 2X Ultra with Color Clean Bleach Alternative, which costs around 32 cents per average load, was the top-scorer for washing away tough stains in Consumer Reports tests.

WORST: Xtra 2X Concentrated Lasting ScentSations Spring Sun Shine, which costs around 6 cents per average load, may have an attractive price but landed at the bottom of Consumer Reports ratings.

 

BEST: Cascade Complete with Bleach Hydroclean Action Powder from P&G 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.

 

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 Walgreens brand.

BEST: Georgia-Pacific's 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, a Kimberly-Clark brand that costs 6 cents per 100 sheets, was the thinnest toilet paper Consumer Reports tested and was only mediocre in strength and softness.

 

The list is featured in the May issue of Consumer Reports. For the full list of best and worst home products, visit www.consumerreports.org.