Who wouldn't want help cleaning gutters? It's a nasty job.

A TV infomercial for the iRobot Looj -- a gutter cleaning robot --promises to take "the work and stress out of gutter cleaning."

Sounds great. And it looks like a powerhouse. But when Consumer Reports' Eric Hado tested the $170 Looj, it kept getting stuck.

Cleaning a sink full of greasy pots and pans is another messy chore. In its infomercial, the Grease Bullet promises an easy solution.

It says you can just "fill your sink with hot water, drop in the grease bullet, and soak your toughest baked-on cookware. It does the work so you don't have to."

Consumer Reports' Chris Regan tested the Grease Bullet on a variety of filthy pots and pans.

After the recommended half-hour soak, Consumer Reports' most-challenging dirty dishes were cleaner but not exactly pristine.

The Grease Bullet costs $10 for a pack of 12 tablets.

"Generally, you're going to get the same effect by just soaking your dishes overnight. So you really don't need to spend the money on Grease Bullet," Regan said.

And what about the tedious task of jacking up your car to change a flat?

The Exhaust Jack from Titan is supposed to raise the car for you, using the exhaust from your car to inflate the bag.

The $100 Titan Exhaust Jack could be handy off road, but Consumer Reports found it can be tough to hook onto some tailpipes.

"You can't seal it," Consumer Reports' John Banta said.

And for the cars Consumer Reports tested with dual exhausts, the Air Jack wouldn't even inflate.

So while these devices promise to save you time, they're likely not worth the money.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Chris Olsen.