Talk about a pet project. To test the claims of the Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair, Bernie Deitrick, a program leader at Consumer Reports, enlisted his mixed-breed dog Jade and tabby cats Rexy and Precious. First, for the purpose of comparison, Deitrick tried a trio of other products. Scotch’s adhesive Lint Roller and the similar Pet Hair Roller both did a workmanlike job of picking up hair from couches, chairs, carpets, pillows and the cats’ favorite resting places. But the sheets were quickly matted with fur, requiring Deitrick to frequently pause and peel off one sheet to expose the next. The sticky Scotch Fur Fighter Hair Remover has a slightly different design­ but it also required peel and re-stick breaks. With the Pledge Fabric Sweeper’s non-adhesive twin roller, Deitrick was able to collect more fur for longer periods­ and without overly disturbing Rexy as she lolled nearby. And although Pledge says the Sweeper is disposable, it was easy to clean and reuse by just unsnapping a roller and removing the collected hair. So we took the Pledge. For .59, the Pledge Sweeper might be all you want. But if you need to unleash more cleaning power, check our Ratings of upright, canister and handheld vacuum cleaners (available to subscribers), which note the models that excel at an even tougher pet-hair removal tests. —Gian Trotta

Homeowners who need to replace their water heaters have more choices these days and an array of incentives makes those options not only attractive but affordable. Recently we tested three types of water heaters—solar, tankless and hybrid—to see how well they perform their primary task and at what cost. We put some shiny new solar panels on the roof of our Yonkers headquarters to heat water and then stored it in tanks below. The solar heaters shone when the sun did and are good for the environment. But they're expensive to buy and install and payback time can take 20 years. Tankless water heaters sound good because they heat just the water you need when you need it. But our testers found that they're not an economical or practical choice for most people. Under the right circumstances, a hybrid water heater (a storage tank with an added pump that extracts heat from the air) can be a good choice and a consumer can realize savings in years rather than decades. But they're tall—about 7 feet—and you'll need ample space to capture enough heat from the air. We didn't test conventional heaters but if you're considering one we recommend at least a 9-year warranty because those models tend to have thicker insulation and are better at resisting corrosion. For more information, read the full report from the October issue of Consumer Reports.

TLC officially stands for “tender loving care”, but as the New York Times reports today, the acronym has been open to looser and looser interpretation. Take the two-bedroom apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side that was recently listed as needing TLC, but in fact was missing not just all of its appliances, but also any working electrical circuits. With home sales down and foreclosures on the rise, liberal use of "needs TLC" is likely to increase nationwide. If you’re in the market for a new home, learn what red flags might indicate major structural damage, and read our advice on buying a foreclosed property. And if you’re lucky enough to find a true diamond in the rough, check our Home Remodeling and Improvement Guide for advice on paint, countertops, and other materials that will provide just the right amount of tender love and care. —Daniel DiClerico

It's not that Americans aren't trying to be more energy efficient. In Consumer Reports' recent survey of 1,536 U.S. homeowners we found that 81 percent bought energy-efficient lightbulbs, 44 percent had purchased an Energy Star appliance and 43 percent caulked their windows and doors, among other good deeds. Why did they do this? To lower their energy costs, reduce the impact on the environment or to take advantage of a rebate or credit. We also learned from experts and consumers that being energy efficient is harder than it should be. Though the Energy Star program has saved people billions in utility bills, it should and could deliver even greater savings, as our lab tests continue to show. And government rebate programs, designed to encourage energy-efficient choices, are too complicated and confusing for many consumers. In the October issue of Consumer Reports, online and on newsstands today, we outline things the government can do to help consumers and things you can do to help yourself. We also have new Ratings of lightbulbs and space heaters and a report on water heaters. Lightbulbs The compact fluorescent bulbs in our labs have been cycling on and off since early 2009, or 6,000 hours. For comparison, a typical incandescent bulb lasts only around 1,000 hours. Even after all that time, brightness and warm-up times remained virtually the same as after 3,000 hours of testing. Our results were confirmed by an outside lab. See our new Ratings (for subscribers) of spiral, indoor flood/ reflector, outdoor flood/ reflector and porch/ post covered bulbs. We're also keeping our eye on the latest generation of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which claim to rival the look, dimming ability, and light quality of incandescents; contain no mercury (as CFLs do); and last up to five times longer than CFLs and 50 times longer than incandescents. Space heaters Practically any heater can help make a chilly room more inviting. Our latest tests show that the best do that more consistently, conveniently, and safely than ever for as little as —not the hundreds you can spend on a fancy infomercial model. We focused on electric heaters, the best-selling type by far. There are 13 models in our Ratings and we recommend five of them. If you're considering a space heater, remember that portable space heaters cause an estimated 21,650 home fires and 1,512 fire-related injuries and deaths each year so you should follow these safety precautions. Water heaters As recently as last year, replacing a broken water heater meant paying a few hundred dollars for a relatively inefficient storage-tank unit or spending thousands to eke out energy savings with a solar or tankless system. But smarter new heaters are changing that. Three we tested saved enough energy to pay for their roughly ,000 cost in about five to seven years rather than decades. Known as hybrids, they have a conventional electric storage heater paired with a heat pump that extracts heat from the air and uses it to help heat the water. Check out the payback time for hybrid, solar and tankless water heaters. You can also save with the right conventional water heater.

Planning to do some actual labor this Labor Day weekend? Several national retailers are vying for your dollars with deals on paints. Ace: 20 percent off all Royal and Royal Finest paints. Lowe’s: off 1-gallon containers and off 5 gallons of selected Valspar paints. Home Depot: off 1-gallon containers and off 5-gallon containers of Behr, Glidden, and Martha Stewart Living paints. Many of these products are included in Consumer Reports’ latest reviews of interior and exterior paints. Determining which is right for you depends on your project. For example, Behr Premium Plus Ultra Satin Enamel is an excellent interior paint overall, but it is prone to fading in sunny places. If you’re painting a sunroom, you may want to consider Valspar, since some of its finishes proved more fade-resistant in our tests. See our Ratings for the pros and cons of more than 50 products. Remember that even the best paint can’t make up for poor application. Our expert tips will help ensure a perfect paint job, and make this Labor Day chore less laborious. Check out these other Labor Day deals. —Daniel DiClerico

Last week, I wrote about my wife’s tendency to pre-rinse dishes. The blog got a fair amount of feedback, including this comment on Fark: “Sounds like this guy and his wife will be throwing dishes at each other before long. His wife probably was [upset] that he identified her as a water waster ... Sure, she laughs now but inside, she's keeping a list.” “Wow,” my wife said. “It’s a good thing you didn’t talk about the AC.” “It’s a good thing,” I said. Okay, my wife is crazy with the AC! Granted, it’s been the hottest summer on record in the Northeast, with temperatures hovering again this week in the uppers 90s. That doesn’t mean it should go down to the low 70s indoors. But those are the icy conditions I’ve come home to on several occasions this summer. A few times it’s even been in the 60s! I’m a strict 78 degree F guy myself, which Consumer Reports has called an ideal temperature for combining comfort and efficiency. In an informal poll on this blog, 665 (31 percent) of you agreed, saying you set your AC between 76 and 78 degrees. My wife’s not alone, however, with 348 respondents (16 percent) voting for a 71 to 73 degree setting. Comfort is a subjective thing. So my wife and I don’t argue too much over the AC. Instead, we engage in a surreptitious thermostat war, each one setting the unit to his or her preferred setting when the other exits the room. I’ve thought about leaving copies of our electric bill in random places, like under her pillow. But that seems a little cruel. Then again, all is fair in love and war. —Daniel DiClerico

Automobile groups are crying foul over the government’s proposed new window sticker, in particular the version that would assign letter grades for fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions. The sticker “falls short because it is imbued with schoolyard memories of passing and failing,” Dave McCurdy, chief executive of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, told the New York Times. Welcome to our world, say appliance leaders, who have debated the merits of grade-based product labeling for years. The controversy stems from the fact that the U.S. is one of the few countries that doesn’t use a categorical scale to indicate appliance efficiency on its yellow EnergyGuide label. The European Union label features an A-to-G scale, with A being the most efficient and G being the least, while the Australian label features 1 to 6 stars, the more the better. In the U.S., the EnergyGuide label uses a continuous scale, which shows consumers how a model compares with similar models. Critics argue that the scale isn’t punitive enough. “There’s no way to shine the light on products that are truly the least efficient,” says Noah Horowitz, senior scientist with the National Resource Defense Council. “Why the rest of the world understands this and we don’t is mind-boggling.” Maybe not, responds the Federal Trade Commission, which administers consumer product labels, including EnergyGuide. James Kohm, associate director of the enforcement division in the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, told Consumer Reports that categorical labels have at least two problems. “First they have a tendency to convey quality. Consumers might think an A or 5-star product is of higher overall quality, even if it’s inferior in terms of performance or durability.” Then there’s the matter of grade inflation. “We’ve seen less enthusiasm for categorical labels in Europe since pressure from grade inflation has started to cause confusion for consumers,” says Kohn. It’s true that the European Union’s recent addition of A+ and A++ to certain product categories is a little confusing. On the other hand, seeing a big fat F on an appliance sold here in the U.S. would definitely hammer home its inefficiency. Maybe a fresh take from the car industry will help settle the debate. —Daniel DiClerico

Delaware and Idaho both ended their cash for appliance programs on August 31. Despite their modest scope—Delaware distributed 8,800 in federal funding, while Idaho dished out .46 million—officials in both states were upbeat about their programs’ long-term benefits for energy savings and consumer education. “We’ve created more efficiency-minded consumers who are going to help transform the marketplace and pass their consumption patterns to their kids," says Paul Kjellander, the administrator of Idaho’s Office of Energy. "That’s key because it’s the consumer that defines how markets develop.” “Where we got creative is trying to focus on saving electricity and water, so we were trying to focus on appliances like dishwashers and washing machines that could do both, rather than refrigerators” says Collin O’Mara, Secretary of Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. In other cash for appliances news: Florida, whose cash for appliances program ended in April, launched a new state program that will provide 10,000 ,500 rebates on energy-efficient central air conditioning systems. But concerns have arisen that there are may not be enough accredited professionals to perform the sophisticated duct testing required by the program. West Virginia, which still has approximately .05 million available in its cash for appliances program, is running a sales-tax holiday on Energy Star-qualified washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers, dehumidifiers, programmable thermostats, ceiling fans, air conditioners, and CFL light bulbs through November 30. That’s a six percent savings for consumers. Cash for appliance rebates are still available in 33 states and territories. Next week check for Consumer Reports Energy Saving package will be online and on newsstands. —Gian Trotta

Here’s an ad from the 1960s that Mad Men’s Don Draper might have dreamt up, before dashing off to a three-martini lunch. In it, the oil company Humble (which would later become Exxon) boasts that, “This giant glacier has remained unmelted for centuries. Yet, the petroleum energy Humble supplies—if converted into heat—could melt it at the rate of 80 tons each second!" Times have changed, as evidenced by Exxon’s latest ad campaign touting its research into greenhouse gas-reducing algae. But an investigation into U.S. energy policy in the October 2010 issue of Consumer Reports finds there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Check back next week—when the issue will be online and on newsstands—for the full details. —Daniel DiClerico Image courtesy of Sociological Images

You can't make this stuff up. State Farm recently concluded that a fire that caused ,000 damage to an Arkansas home was caused by a dead plant. Or in insurance-speak: “The fire was caused by self-heating through decomposition of organic materials contained within a plastic flowerpot.” Translation: Spontaneous combustion. The homeowner told the Associated Press that the flowerpot had contained dead, decomposing flowers and potting soil that his wife had planted in the summer of 2009. “She had intended on repotting (the flowers),” he said. Sadly, they sat on the porch, unwanted and unwatered, and eventually died. What happened next was even sadder. On July 25, the plant burst into flames, burned a hole in the deck and spread to the vinyl siding. The heat caused a sidelight window next to the front door to break. But that wasn't the end of it. The air conditioning was running and the house filled with smoke. Fortunately, the homeowner’s father-in-law was able to put out the fire with a garden hose before it spread further. In the end, according to the AP, the family had to repaint the entire interior of the 2,200-square-foot home and replace the carpeting. Outside they replaced the window, the vinyl siding and the wooden decking. Lesson learned: Water the plants and consider buying a fire extinguisher.

What, you thought Newton cracked this one already? Physicists at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) say they may have a way to measure the effects of gravity at very short distances, say 1/1,000 the diameter of a human hair. “There are lots of competing theories about whether gravity behaves differently at such close range,” says NIST physicist Andrew Geraci. It’s not entirely clear how this information might be used. But, adds Geraci, “progress in the scientific community comes not just from individual experiments, but from new ideas.” And so we thought you’d want to know. —Daniel DiClerico

Of all the holiday-weekend sales, Labor Day is the biggest. Not only is it wedged between summer and fall, when retailers slash prices on seasonal wares to make room for new inventories, but it also catches the tail end of the back-to-school rush. Consumer Reports has combed through the circulars, websites, direct mailings, and Facebook pages (yep, Lowe’s, Sears and Walmart, among others, all have ‘em) in search of the product categories that will likely see the most red tags this weekend. If you’re a subscriber to ConsumerReports.org, remember that you can access our Ratings and other shopping advice through your mobile phone. The great outdoors Things like mowers, grills, and patio furniture may not be displayed front-and-center this late in the season. But take a stroll to the back of the store, where you’ll find closeout deals on lots of outdoor equipment and furnishings. Sears tells us they’ll be offering 20 percent off all Craftsman mowers. In our latest review, the Craftsman 37659 and the Craftsman 37435 self-propelled mowers were both recommended. You might find even steeper discounts—50 percent and up—on used floor models or those that have been returned and must therefore be sold as rebuilt. Looking ahead to winter, Lowe’s is shaving 15 percent off all Troy-Bilt snow blowers as part of its Labor Day promotion. In our snow blower reviews, the Troy-Bilt Storm 3090 XP 31AH5ZQ earned the top rating, thanks to its excellent speed, handling and ability to clear compacted snow. Sears is also promising competitive, pre-season deals on snow blowers. Appliances aplenty Many retailers are taking 30 percent off kitchen and laundry appliances. Lowe’s, for example, has an advertised price of 8 for the Whirlpool WFW9050XW front-loading washer and Whirlpool WED9050XW electric dryer. Consumer Reports paid 0 for our test model of the washer alone, which delivered very good performance and efficiency in the lab. We have not tested this particular dryer, but we have many models of dryers both from Whirlpool and others that have performed well in our testing and have a good repair history. Hhgregg is cutting prices on all items over , including 20 to 30 percent off Energy Star appliances and electronics. You might be able to get additional savings on Energy Star models if your state’s cash for appliances rebate program is still going on. If you’re going for the stainless steel look, GE is offering free stainless steel upgrades on select refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, and microwaves. In the bedroom The mattress industry loves 3-day holiday weekends, especially Labor Day, which can account for up to 20 percent of the annual take. “Retailers can’t predict when someone is going to want to buy a mattress, so they have to be competitive when they know people will be out shopping,” explains Dan Butler, vice president of merchandising and retail operations with the National Retail Foundation. In our latest Consumer Reports National Research Center survey of mattress brands, Tempur-Pedic, Original Mattress Factory, and Select Comfort scored higher for customer satisfaction than Serta and Sealy. But our investigation found that retailers continue to lure customers in with offers on sub-premium mattresses and then upsell them to a pricier model. So how do you spot a real deal this Labor Day weekend? Sleep on it—the in-store mattress that is, for at least fifteen minutes. This is the only way to judge if a mattress has the support your body needs. According to our tests, the difference between a ,000 mattress and a ,000 one will be negligible for many people. Once you settle on a model, don’t be shy about haggling. Given the price variability with mattresses, salespeople usually have a fair amount of wiggle room. Linens are another white-hot Labor Day item, with some retailers saying they’ll slash prices by 50 percent. In our latest review of sheets, two Bed, Bath & Beyond exclusives—Wamsutta 1000 and Wamsutta Dreamzone—were top-rated. We don’t see these sheets on sale just yet, but first-time e-mail subscribers to Bed, Bath & Beyond get a 20-percent off savings certificate for any one item. Not keen on battling the crowds (or wary of Hurricane Earl)? You can also find great deals online, especially on small appliances, such as vacuum cleaners and toaster ovens. In our annual survey of appliance retailers, perennial-favorite Amazon was again deemed best overall for smaller purchases, combining excellent pricing and selection. Update: Some of your favorite retailers are advertising sales on paint.—Daniel DiClerico

Whirlpool refrigerators tends to perform well in Consumer Reports’ tests, with the brand’s Gold GX5FHTXV[Q] topping our Ratings of bottom-freezer refrigerators. The home-appliance maker said today it is taking at least a small step back from offshore manufacturing when it announced its plan to rebuild a cooking-appliance plant in Cleveland, Tennessee, with construction of the one-million-square foot facility beginning at the end of 2010. That would add 130 employees to the current 1,500 at Whirlpool’s Cleveland plant. There had been talk of the Benton Harbor, Michigan-based company moving its Cleveland operation to Mexico, as it had with thousands of jobs from its refrigerator/freezer factories in Arkansas and Michigan in recent years. Industry experts see Whirlpool’s decision to stay as part of a broader recommitment to domestic manufacturing. Caterpillar Inc, the world’s largest manufacturer of construction equipment, is also discussing plans for several new plants in the U.S. Whirlpool has also been a winner in Consumer Reports’ laundry tests—five out of seven top-loading washing machines we recommend are from Whirlpool or Whirlpool-owned Maytag or Amana. But the company has been less dominant in the kitchen: GE, Kenmore, LG, and Frigidaire have all posted better results in Consumer Reports reviews of electric and gas ranges and cooktops, as well as electric wall ovens. The new facility is going to specialize in built-in, premium cooking products. —Daniel DiClerico

Thousands of tourists were ordered to evacuate islands off the coast of North Carolina as Hurricane Earl continued its inexorable approach towards the mid-Atlantic. The National Hurricane Center issued various warnings and watches that extended up to the New England states. A warning indicates hurricane conditions are expected within 36 hours; a watch indicates 48 hours. "Our two biggest concerns," Bill Read, director of the National Hurricane Center Director, told NBC's Today are "the coast of North Carolina and extreme southeast Virginia on early Friday morning, late Thursday night, and then on Friday into Saturday for southeastern New England. Just a small change in the direction of the storm could raise an impact, and the large waves, beach erosion and rip currents will be a problem along the East Coast." The Federal Emergency Management Agency advised residents in the projected storm path to "get a kit" together in the event that they lose power. The agency recommends: One gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation At least a three-day supply of non-perishable food Battery-powered or hand crank radio and extra batteries Flashlight and extra batteries First aid kit Whistle to signal for help Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities Can opener for food Local maps Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger The U.S. Department of Agriculture offered tips to help keep food safe, even if you don't have a backup generator (read our report). Keep an appliance thermometer in the refrigerator and freezer to indicate the temperature in case of a power outage. Make sure the freezer is at 0 degrees F or below and the refrigerator is at 40 F or below. Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator or coolers after the power is out. Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately — this helps keep them at a safe temperature longer. Plan ahead and know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased. Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerator food cold if the power is out for more than four hours. Purchase or make ice and store in the freezer for use in the refrigerator or in a cooler. Freeze gel packs ahead of time for use in coolers. Group food together in the freezer — this helps it stay cold longer. Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding. If you do lose power for a prolonged period, read the USDA tips on How to keep food safe during an emergency, which includes a chart of which foods to save and which to toss. Here are the two most important bits of advice: Never taste a food to determine its safety, and when in doubt throw it out. Read our Storm and Emergency Guide for for more helpful information.

California lawmakers have rejected a bill seeking to ban plastic shopping bags after a contentious debate over whether the state was going too far in trying to regulate personal choice, the Associated Press reports. The Democratic bill, which failed late Tuesday, would have been the first statewide ban, although a few California cities already prohibit their use. Supporters of the bill said it would be good for the environment while opponents claimed the measure would be bad for the economy. The bill's author isn't giving up. "It's not a matter of if, but a matter of when consumers bring their own bags and become good stewards of the environment," said Democratic Assemblywoman Julia Brownley the AP reported today.