Consumers : With a Wave of the Wand, 4,000 Feathers Make Light Work of Car Care

Feather Wash, a wand with 4,000 feathers, is the newest, speediest way to keep a car, motorcycle or recreational vehicle clean and shiny. Long a popular car-care product in Japan, the wand is being introduced into the United States.

The 22-inch-long, six-ounce washer, made from the feathers of Peking ducks, does not scratch the auto’s finish, chrome or glass. It can be easily attached to a garden hose and used with low water pressure.

You don’t rub back and forth over the car’s finish with the wand: Simply stroke it one way across the surface. A sports car can be cleaned in seven to 10 minutes, a standard-size auto in 15.

For waxing, the feathered wand can be sprayed with Feather Lustre, a silicone wax included. If you wax your vehicle once a month, a can of spray wax should last about a year.

Feather Wash also can be used on boats, airplanes, racing bikes and furniture. It can be cleaned by dipping it into a mild detergent and rinsing.

Suggested retail for the package--wand and wax--is $34.95. In the Los Angeles area, it is available at Beverly Hills Motoring Accessories. Or you can order it from the manufacturer, King Feathers Inc., 339 S. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, Calif. 90211; phone (800) 933-2224.

Getting Legal Advice at Home by Phone

Senior citizens, disabled people, parents without child care and others who might find it difficult to visit a lawyer’s office now can get legal advice at home from Tele-Lawyer, the first pay-as-you-go legal telephone service using a 900 number.

If you want legal help via phone, call (900) 446-4-LAW.

Officials of the Huntington Beach-based Tele-Lawyer say their service can deliver statewide legal advice to consumers and small businesses conveniently and economically through a staff of lawyers tapping a computerized database. They can speak to callers on such topics as landlord-tenant disputes, business law, personal injury matters, bankruptcy, Social Security problems and consumer protection.

“We aim to give callers the care and analysis of a seasoned attorney supported by state-of-the-art information processing and telecommunications,� said Michael Cane, a lawyer and Tele-Lawyer’s president.

The regular price of the service is $3 a minute; calls are charged directly to the caller’s phone bill. As an introductory offer, calls will cost $2 a minute until Nov. 15. Credit card billing for legal advice can be arranged by calling (800) 283-5529.

Cane estimates the average phone consultation will take 10 to 15 minutes and cost $30 to $45. If a lawyer needs to review a client’s documents, they can be mailed or faxed.

If callers need more help, the firm’s lawyers can put them in touch with social service or government agencies, help lines or lawyers specializing in litigation.

“This is not a referral hot line, prepaid legal plan or a way to solicit office appointments,� Cane stressed. “We’re lawyers who advise consumers by phone.�

Because laws vary from state to state, Tele-Lawyer will confine its service to California.

New Device Sheds Light, Saves Money

Consumers seeking to save money on expensive three-way light bulbs may want to try Convert-A-Bulb, a small device that makes a regular light bulb (15 to 150 watts, including color bulbs) into one with three settings--low, medium and high.

To use, simply screw the Convert-A-Bulb socket into the socket in a three-way lamp. Then screw in the regular light bulb and turn to the desired setting.

Convert-A-Bulb, which works only in three-way sockets, raises the bulb 1 1/4 inches, so you may need a shade extension, which is available at lamp shops or hardware stores.

The device not only saves money on bulbs and energy, “it also conserves regular bulbs,� said Phil Kaye, vice president of the Connecticut company that manufactures Convert-A-Bulb. “I’ve had the same bulb, a 150-watt, in my desk lamp for five years.�

Convert-A-Bulb is available nationwide at Ames-Zayre, Pay ‘N’ Save and Amway stores or can be ordered from Miracle Products Inc., 162 Commercial St., Watertown, Conn. 06795; phone, (203) 274-7565. The convertible sockets cost $1.65 each; a package of 12, $17.90. Add $1.95 for shipping and handling.

Earring Organizer Hangs in the Closet

Got a jumble of pierced earrings in your dresser drawer or jewelry box? Consider Ear Gear Grid, an earring organizer that hangs in your closet.

Made from clear plastic with a hanger top, the Grid can store and display up to 78 pairs of stud, wire and hoop earrings. It keeps the earrings organized, out of sight, and protects them from chips and scratches they might get in a drawer or box.

The 11 1/2- by 17 1/2-inch unit was designed by Placentia graphic artist Sue Cooper. It is available at ContainWares in Costa Mesa and Brea or by mail for $9.95, plus $2 for shipping and handling. Contact Sue Cooper/Richard Anderson & Associates, 2219 Montgomery Circle, Placentia, Calif. 92670; phone, (714) 524-9759.