Warning over useless products

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Shoppers should look out for far-fetched claims about certain household products, the consumer magazine Which? says today. The magazine released a list of 10 "money-wasting products you don't need" after tests found they failed to live up to the claims on the packaging.

An energy-saving device took more gas to boil a pan of water than without it, and supposedly eco-friendly tumble-dryer balls had no effect in tests and did not save time on drying. A peanut butter maker took 20 minutes to produce 40g of the spread – longer than it would take most people to walk to the corner shop for a 300g jar – and was almost impossible to clean. Which? also said consumers should avoid wash balls, designed to clean without detergent, and colour-catcher fabric sheets.

A test of 12 anti-wrinkle eye creams found a £2.98 pot of Simple moisturiser had the same "limited" effect as the most expensive cream. A test of petrol and diesel additives found none made a noticeable improvement to car performance.



Click here or on the image for the Top 10 useless products

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