Does it Work: Orange Glo

The Product

Orange Glo, an "As Seen on TV" product pitched by the late, great Billy Mays. The product's claim is that if you use this on your floors it will eliminate scratches and leave your hardwood floors looking like new.

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The Process

I bought this product (and the special mop) because when I moved into my house, my landlord was very adamant that I keep the original wood floors in pristine condition. The result of that was me being totally paranoid about any tiny scratch. So, when I saw a few big scratches on the floor, I decided to pick up this product.

I used it as the directions suggested, squirting and mopping and scrubbing. The floor looked great and just like the commercial...

...until the product dried. Then I could see the scratches in all their scratchy glory, staring at me and mocking my attempts to eradicate them.


The Result

This product did clean my floors. It did not smell like oranges, it actually smelled kind of gross. I did not see any changes in the scratches on the wood floor after the product dried. The results were the exact same I have when I mop with water and vinegar.


The Grade

D, it did a good job of cleaning the floors, but not for the scratches.

Does it Work: Mighty Putty

Today's Does it Work is about infomercial products. Well, one product in particular. I love infomercials and I loved Billy Mays (and Anthony Sullivan on "Pitchmen"). I also enjoy perusing the "As Seen on TV" aisles at my local stores.

The Product

Mighty Putty has been advertised on TV as a miracle product that can patch or fix any product from tiles, to leaky faucets, to hanging shelves.

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The Trial

The curtain rods in our house are screwed into the wall, but they have a tendency to slip out. I don't know if it's because the curtains get pulled on a lot, or because of the plaster on the walls. At any rate, it's a pain in the backside, so I decided to get some Mighty Putty to reattach the bracket to the wall since the screw had been stripped.


The Result

Mighty Putty is an epoxy, so it smells...really bad. This is made worse by the fact that you have to mix the putty in your hand to activate it. The box does include rubber gloves, though. After attaching the putty and letting it set for 30 minutes (as per instructions) I tugged a little bit and the whole thing fell down.

However, that was my fault for not reading the instructions. They clearly state that the bond created is only as strong as the bond the paint has to the wall. Once that section of paint came off, I did the process again and...VOILA! The bracket has been securely in place for several months.


The Grade

A