There are certain infomercials that seem to take on a life of their own, and the ShamWow is one of them. The hyped-up cloth promises to wow you with its ability to clean spills. But what are the results when those claims are put to the test?
The ShamWow infomercial claims "It's like a chamois, it's like a towel, it's like a sponge!"
This is an ad for the ShamWow -- another can't live without it infomercial product. Consumer Reports wanted to put it to the test. But the first dilemma is which claim to test.
At various times the infomercials have boasted that the ShamWow holds 20 times its weight in liquid -- then that dropped to 12 times its weight, and now it says just 10 times its weight.
So which is it? Before the claim changes again, here's what tester Bob Karpel discovered.
He dunked the ShamWows in cola and in water. Then he weighed them and did the math.
"We found that it held 10 times its weight," he concludes.
Consumer Reports also ran 14 cent sponges through the same tests. And just like ShamWow, they held about 10 times their weight. And testers found the ShamWow doesn't mop up spills as well as its infomercial shows.
"Here we are going to test by adding a little bit of water as though it were spilled on the floor. And were going to try wiping it up. I think you can see there are quite a few droplets left," warns Karpel.
And then there's the price. An order of eight ShamWows adds up to about $28 with shipping and handling. So Consumer Reports take on the ShamWow is that you may not want to swear off paper towels and sponges just yet.
The ShamWow claims to last 10 years and is machine washable. Contrary to what the infomercial suggests sponges can be washed, too. And while they won't last 10 years, they do cost a lot less.
With a report from CTV British Columbias' Chris Olsen
