Customer Reviews

Tersano lotus LBU100 Sanitizing System

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

I am a physician and a homemaker. I am always looking for safe, effective, easy ways to clean. This product has been the answer for me in the following ways:

1.) Washing fruits and vegetables. Now I am finally following Rachel Ray's advice to wash everything when I bring it home from the grocery store. I pile in as much as the bowl (included with the system) will hold and rinse it briefly under the faucet to remove loose dirt. Then I fill the bowl with cool tap water and place it on the base. As I write this, I am processing 5 avocados, 4 tomatoes, and 2 peaches in the bowl. The cleaning cycle takes about 4 minutes, then you leave the produce in the water for another two minutes. The base unit counts down the time so you know when you're done. Finally, I use the bowl's lid, which has a built-in strainer, to drain the bowl.

There are a number of advantages to this method of washing produce. For me, the most important one is that I know that the produce is truly clean when the final beeper goes off. In the past I was never sure when I could stop rinsing my produce. This method is also a time-saver, since I can wash quite a bit of produce in each batch, and I can do other things while it is processing. Washing the produce when I bring it home from the store also makes it last longer, because the bacteria which cause decay are destroyed. Additionally, when I drain the water from the bowl into my sink, the super-oxygenated water helps to sanitize the sink. Finally, I don't have to wash the bowl, because it is sanitized with each use.

2.) Sanitizing my kids' orthodontic retainers, and the family's various toothbrushes, nail clippers, nail files, etc. I use the bowl for this. I wish I had had this when my kids were babies, because according to the instruction book it can be used to sanitize pacifiers, baby toys, and other baby paraphernalia.

3.) Sanitizing my kids' shower shoes and gear when they get back from camp or a field trip. I use the spray bottle, which is included with the system, for this. First I rinse the gear in my utility sink or with the hose outside. Then I fill the spray bottle with cool tap water. I place the bottle on the base, and start the processing cycle which takes about 2 minutes. Then you have 15 minutes to use the super-oxygenated water, after which it starts to break down into oxygen and water. The base unit counts down the 15 minutes, so you know when your time is up. I spray everything and let it dry in the sun.

There are several advantages to this method of sanitizing gear over my old way of using bleach and other cleaners. First, it is extremely effective. Second, there is no residue left on the gear (again, the super-oxygenated water breaks down into oxygen and water), so there is no rinsing. And third, I do not have to wear gloves.

4.) Cleaning my refrigerator inside and out. I use the spray bottle for this. I especially love the fact that no residue is left in the refrigerator, and there is no odd cleaning-product smell either.

5.) Kitchen countertops, sink, and cabinets. I have an under-mounted sink, and the thought of all the bacteria growing in the space between the countertop and the sink used to really bother me. In the past, I would fill my sink with hot water and bleach, but now I use the spray bottle. It is quick and easy, requires no rinsing, and there is no bleach smell or concern about getting bleach on my clothes. Plus there is a strong environmental benefit to avoiding bleach and the plastic bottles that bleach comes in.

6.) Bathrooms. In the past I used cleaning products that smelled terrible and that warn you to only use them in a well-ventilated area. It made bathroom-cleaning a dreaded chore. Now I use the spray bottle, and the job is quick and easy. I live in Florida, where mold and mildew are a big problem in the bathroom. We have had a particular problem with mildew growing in the toilet tanks (up where the flush mechanism is). This has been difficult to keep under control in the past, because bleach damages the rubber portions of the flush mechanism. The super-oxygenated water has not caused any damage, but has been extremely effective against the mildew.

I like the fact that no residue is left behind on surfaces, and the bathroom is truly sanitized. I will also note that although I have arthritis in my hands, the spray bottle is easy to use.

Other reviewers have mentioned getting an error code when trying to use the Lotus system. I have also had error codes in two situations, but I figured out how to deal with them.

The first error code I have encountered occurs when there is no water in the base. During processing, water circulates between the base and the attachment you have chosen (either the bowl or the spray bottle). Between uses, clean water remains in the base unit. However, when you are first starting out, or if you have emptied the base unit, it takes time to get water into the base unit. This is when I have had an F4 error code. I remove the attachment, fill the blue reservoir on the base with water, and then put the empty bowl on the base unit. Using a large measuring cup, I pour cool tap water directly over the valve system in the bottom of the bowl to get water to go through the valve into the base. Then I turn on the processing cycle and see if it will go. If not, I repeat these steps until it does. Normally you do not have to worry about this, because clean water will be left in the base between uses.

The second situation where I have encountered an error code is when washing fruits that shed tiny seeds or hairs, such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and kiwi. I belive that there must be a sensor in the base that reads the water as dirty, and halts the processing. Even when I pre-rinsed these fruits, I still got an error code because you can't get rid of all the tiny seeds and hairs. I dealt with this situation by emptying the "dirty" water out of the base. Next, I get clean water into the base as described in the previous paragraph. Then I put clean water in the bowl and process it in the usual way. At the end of the processing cycle, I remove the bowl from the base and add the fruit to it. I let the fruit sit in there for two minutes before draining. This way, no seeds or hairs circulate through the base to create problems. This is actually the method that the instruction book suggests for meat, poultry, and seafood.

I highly recommend this product, and plan to give it to family members as Christmas gifts. Please note that I am not associated in any way with the company that makes this product.

I first learned of the Tersano Sanitizer in the January 2008 issue of "Fine Cooking", in a review of this and other ozone-based cleaners by the respected scientist and author Robert Wolke. Since I eat a lot of raw fruit and salads I was interested because of all the news stories about contaminated produce (and in our industrialized food chain, a contaminated batch from one farm infects a huge amount of food). So intrigued but not in a rush to spend $150, I read thru all the posted reviews (and comments to reviews, since a company spokesman leaves comments - especially on negative reviews). So why am I adding another to the pile? There are a few things nobody else has mentioned that I think are worth knowing before buying this unit.

The most important thing, of course, is does it work? I'm not a biologist so I can't offer a professional opinion as to germ killing, but it clearly to me seems to be doing something plain water doesn't. For example, after a dinner with wine if the glasses dry out there is a red film left that water and even soap don't easily remove. But a spray of the Tersano-treated water and it dissolves away. It also seems to kill mold and dissolves grease splattered on the stove.

But you've read about cleaning elsewhere. Here are the new observations. First, if you're planning on using this, figure its going to take some extra time. For example, you come home with some fruit, some lettuce and salad fixings. The Tersano comes with a large bowl for cleaning food, but it might hold 6 or 7 apples. So wash those, then repeat with the next fruit, then the lettuce stuff. Each cycle takes 2-3 minutes to prepare the bowl water and then its supposed to sit for 2 more minutes, then drain/dry and put the items away. Each cycle takes me 5-6 minutes, so I can spend 15 minutes just getting stuff cleaned and put away. Granted its now clean and wasn't before so that's valuable, but you should ask yourself if you're going to commit this time each time you bring home groceries. To me it's worth it.

Also while cleaning food its easy to end up with a bunch of bowls on your counter. The Tersano unit will tell you if the water isn't clean at the end of the cycle, so you really need to rinse lettuce, parsley, etc. well before using the unit. Its an eye-opener to find out how much dirt is in stuff that looks clean and that you've just run under the tap (which is how I used to clean greens before); I find I need to dunk it in a bowl of water and swirl, often 2 bowls worth, before the food is really clean. And you'll probably want a salad spinner out too so you can dry the lettuce before putting it away, otherwise it'll get moldy. So that's another bowl on the counter in addition to the Tersano unit. Bottom line is the unit really does sanitize food and you're putting it away clean, but its taking some time and effort.

As for cleaning, I really LIKE that I can spray it around my kitchen and not worry about splattering any knives or things in the drying rack, or on the sink in my bathroom without having to first move toothbrushes and so on. Read the label on cleaners and you'll understand why splatter isn't a good idea with chemical spray cleaners. But again, there's a catch. The bottle of 409 isn't that big and is right there under the sink. With the Tersano the ozone water only keeps for 15 minutes, so you need a fresh bottle each time you're going to use it. It only takes the unit about a minute to prepare the spray bottle, which is faster than the food bowl. But the Tersano isn't small, so be sure your kitchen has room letting you put it somewhere where you can get to it quickly. If you have to unstack and move a bunch of things, you may be less willing to pull it out when you should be using it.

One bonus not mentioned in the literature is that the water seems to be purified by the machine so it doesn't leave spots when it dries. I was spraying my sink and was quickly getting tired of drying the chrome faucet, so I decided to just let it go. To my surprise when the mist dried the chrome didn't have spots. I'm just using ordinary tap water that usually leaves spots, so I'm curious to hear if other people are getting spot-free drying also.

While the literature says it can replace harsher cleaners, I tried it and it doesn't always work. On some dirt spots the treated water didn't really allow them to come that clean even with some scrubbing, but when I hit it with 409 the spots dissolved right away. This has only been in a few places, most others the Tersano water does a great job, but I wouldn't throw away all your other cleaners until you've found out whats going to work for you.

Lastly, if you look at the pictures on the amazon site they show it with a mesh holding the fruit under the water. You need it because apples and other fruit tend to float, lettuce bobs above the surface, etc. That mesh is NOT included with the unit you buy. Since I read thru the reviews, I knew the company would send me one free if I called and they were really nice and did just that.

To sum up, I'm glad I got this. I use it a lot. I'm happy to be using it when I can instead of harsher chemicals.

I read the review of Ed G of San Jose, California with interest. The reviewer is correct that ozone kills bacteria and can cause chemical reactions such as converting bromide to bromate, a potential carcinogen. However, the conversion of bromide to bromate is pH dependent, and also dependent on the amount of available ozone and bromide present in the water. I have personally tested the Lotus systems for bacterial killing, pesticide removal, bromate formation and ozone production. Analysis of pesticide removal and bromate formation was conducted by a private independent laboratory. Known amounts of bromide added to the water before Lotus treatment. Analytical analysis revealed little if any formation of bromate during the Lotus ozonation process and subsequent removal if present, of bromate through the filtration of the water. Moreover, the water after Lotus treatment was superior when compared to the water used before Lotus treatment.


Gary E. Rodrick, Ph.D.
Professor
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida 32611

...since there have been mixed experiences with this product, I waited until I had owned the sanitizer for a while before I wrote a review. I have had the system for 9 months now, and absolutely love it. There have only been 2 times where I have had an error (I believe it was an F1, though I can't remember exactly) that was due to the machine needing one more cycle to complete the sanitization (I was sanitizing store-bought apples at the time) - I emptied the bowl, filled it with fresh water, and the cycle completed itself. The vast majority of the time the machine completes its cycle the first time. The food feels and smells squeaky clean after the sanitizing process, and tastes terrific.

The spray bottle attachment has been a particularly pleasant surprise - I haven't need to use chemical cleaners at all. The super-oxygenated water simply dissolves dirt and grime on contact, and has removed spots in the carpet as well. It makes a good deodorizer for upholstery as well.

This is truly a terric product in so many ways - it's effective, safe, environmentally friendly and one of the most "important" appliances I own for my health. Highly recommended!

UPDATE - Jan 2008:
OK, I've now had my Lotus for close to 1 1/2 years, and I happy to report I still use it and am glad I bought it. Actually, sometimes I wish I didn't buy it because I hesitate to eat non-Lotused food, wondering what icky pesticides are lurking there!! It still works great, although the spray bottle is not the best sprayer and I've noticed sometimes some gunk gets caught in the blue wheel at the bottom of my bowl, which can be difficult to remove (push in the wheel, turn the bowl upside down and run it under water is what works for me) It can be a bit time consuming sanitizing all of your food, so I usually run one bowl of water and then dip items in there for about 30 seconds at a time -- if I have a lot or if the water gets dirty, I may do a second bowl. Not sure if this gets everything 100% sanitized, but I figure it's close enough, and I don't have to run things multiple times and/or worry about waterlogged fruit or lettuce.

I don't use it for household cleaning all that much -- I just haven't been all that impressed with that aspect, and the 15 minute limit is inconvenient. Also, it's a hassle to brew up a bottle for a quick clean up. I have used it at times to clean up after raw meat or poulty and it's nice to spray water - not chemicals - around food, on cutting boards, etc.

Now that the price has dropped by about $50 from what I paid, I think it is a better value, too.

Lastly, I haven't replaced the cartridge (primarily because I can't find them in a store and S&H makes buying online rather expensive) and it still works. So, in my mind, that is pretty much useless and I don't plan to buy one unless my Lotus stops working.

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Original review:
I was undecided about purchasing this due to the cost and after reading the mixed reviews... but finally gave in. The unit seems to work fine and appears well made. I've only had to re-process one batch to date due to the F1 error (I guess my oranges were extra dirty!).

The biggest question mark to me is, does this thing really work? I have to assume so, but honestly, I have no idea. Food looks the same before/after sanitizing. If you're expecting stains or mildew to instantly disappear, it's not going to happen. You still have to wipe or scrub. Things might be "sanitized" but they're not necessarily "clean" to your eyes unless you wipe, spray again, wipe some more, etc. At least with bleach, you can see the cleaning before your eyes.

Assuming it really works, I think this is a fabulous product. But I only give it 3 stars because 1) you can't "see" it clean; 2) the high price and 3) some general disappointments. For example, most fruits float in water, so the top part doesn't get sanitized. The bowl should've been designed with something to press the fruit under the surface of the water. Also, you have to replace the booster cartridge ($6) every 3 months, which adds up -- this was unclear when I bought the product.

It works, it's real. Ozone isn't a well-known disinfectant/sanitizer, but go ahead and do a Google search on ozone and sanitation and you'll find academic articles on the subject. Apparently the technology is used for water sanitation on the municipal level and also to kill bacteria in aquariums and spas, not to mention its accepted use in food processing. There are also a lot of "holistic/alternative medicine" sites regarding ozonated water, but the manufacturer of this product isn't making any sort of health claims in that vein of things, which is perfectly fine.

It's not easy to tell if something is killing bacteria or not, but two small "tests" I've done bear out the effectiveness of the product (at least in my mind). This might sound funny, but I have smelly feet. Foot odor is due to bacterial overgrowth on the feet, and I used to use Betadine (povidone-iodine) to eradicate the odor (which works). With the Tersano unit, I took some of the ozonated water, poured it into a large container and soaked my feet in the water. And after about 2 minutes of soaking, it takes away the odor, which means it kills off the bacteria.

Another thing I've tried is using the ozonated water as mouthwash. (It's not what the instructions recommend, but I thought what the heck...) After gargling with the stuff for about 20 seconds, I find that the bad breath goes away. Again, which implies it's killing off bacteria. Works just like (if not better than) Listerine to knock out morning breath. Obviously, it doesn't impart "minty breath". But the bad odors go away.

Anyway, it seems there are a lot of ozonators out there (do a Google search). But this one seems to be one of the easier ones to use in terms of consumer applications.

If you really want to assess the bactericidal activity of this thing, the thing to do would be to get an ORP meter (oxidation-reduction potential meter), or get some petri dishes with bacteria and subject them to the ozonated water and do colony counts after treatment. In a sense, it's a leap of faith to use the product, because you can't see microorganisms to begin with. But silly as it might sound, the small tests I've done confirm in my mind that the unit works, and if you're the scientific type who wants confirmation via ORP readings or bacterial colony counts, then go ahead--I think you'll come to the same conclusion.

I purchased this unit from Sharper Image after having checked into the validity of oxygenized ("ozone-activated") water on the web; the validity seemed real. And the two batches of fruit I washed didn't become moldy sitting out in a bowl (now for 2nd week) as unwashed citrus can; so that little 'anecdotal' home test may lend some credibility.
The problem was that after doing 2 batches of produce, the unit failed (Tersano coached me that the unit was acting normally, I think it failed; and, I want to be clear - I didn't overload the unit - the two batches consisted of 7 small tangerines and then 8 more small tangerines; the third batch where the trouble started was 7 baby summer squash, same size as the tangerines; I also used cold water from the tap as instructed, and filled to the fill line exactly - and I would add that I made especially sure of these things with great exactitude after the problems started; I even tried it with only 4 small/baby squash).
Upon the third batch and forever thereafter I got the F1 error message. I called the help # (Tersano) and they said that the F1 message means that the sensor ("[a finetuned microchip computer]"brackets for paraphrasing) was indicating that contamination wasn't brought down to the 100% pure level (the readout on the unit gives you a % number that increases until it gets to 100% whereupon it stops and then runs a timer for the produce to sit in the oxygenated water for 2 minutes; my unit consistently got stuck at values between 97 and 99% and after being stuck there for a couple of minutes gives the alarm beep, flashing red light F1 mssg whereupon your only option is to reset the unit). I was asked if the produce I was cleaning was stuff that grows close to the ground or berries as these will consistently cause this behavior in the unit - a very serious flaw in my opinion - because to have to respond to an alarm beep and F1 error message for all batches of berries, lettuces, herbs, cabbages, celery, etc, etc, etc is irritating.
I was also told that for such produce, you just have to run it through the system several times (they said, "you shouldn't have to do more than 5 or 6 times"). I was still getting F1 after the eighth run-through. At this point I began to suspect that they were full of $h**, so I ran a bowl of plain, cold tap water and still got the F1 error business. That's when I decided to dry it, repack it, and return it for a full refund - which I did.
Some final thoughts/details:
1. I am practically addicted to gadgets that are technically oriented to make life easier/cleaner/safer - and so the day I was due to take it back - I hooked it up and tried it again. It started it's cycle and shut down after several seconds and would never do more than this with several attempts. I never dropped or harmed the unit in any way; perhaps I just had a faulty unit, although after reading the other review about F3 and F1 errors, I have deep suspicions about the resilience of these units.
2. The 'ozone smell'. The unit comes with a 'filter' that you must use; it looks like a small Brita filter. From what I understand ozone will only last for about 15 minutes. I noticed that the 'ozone smell' lasted for hours. I am wondering if the 'filter' imparts an ozone-like smell?
3. Finally - there is some data available that suggests strongly that ozone is toxic to the human organism (either to ingest or to breathe). This shouldn't be a problem with this unit as the 'ozone' in the water dissipates after about 15 minutes - but if that lasting smell isn't fake - but actually ozone, then I'm breathing it for a couple of hours after using the unit. Makes me wonder. I wish the unit worked and held up. I love the idea of this device - but based on my experience, the unit's resilience is doubtful and its integrity are in question.

This is one of the seven wonders of our modern world.

I am using this device for cleaning almost everything around the home and office. There is no need to use cleaning chemicals (which are costly, messy and space consuming). This device prepares ordinary tap water to act as a cleaning and disinfecting agent.

The system temporarily creates water that is super-saturated with ozone (three oxygen atoms combined in one molecule). It takes some scientific background to understand, but, it is simple to use.

Here is how it works:

You fill the spray bottle with ordinary tap water. You place it on the unit and push it down onto the base of the unit. You tell the unit that it is a bottle (instead of the bowl) and turn it on. A minute or two later, the unit notifies you with an LED display that the water is ready. You can then spray the water in a fine mist on ANYTHING. It is non-toxic and non-caustic (except to germs and poisons) which can be "reduced" (Chemistry term) by the extra oxygen atom in the water.

After playing with the Labrador Retriever in a nearby river, her coat often smells from the bacteria in the river multiplying on her fur and skin. She was itching terribly. After she gets out of the water, I prepare a spray bottle of the "Lotus" water and cover her in a fine mist. There is no smell from her coat anymore after playing in the river. She has stopped itching. The super-saturated ozone water is completely safe for large living organisms like dogs and humans.

I sprayed Lotus water on the Labrador's bedding. Just a fine mist of three or four sprays. No more dog smell.

I like to keep fresh herbs and veggies at home. On getting home from the Natural Food store, I prepare a bowl of the Lotus water and immerse the herbs and vegetables in it for two minutes (the unit tells you when all of the microrganisms have succumbed to the ozone in the water). I immediately place them in a plastic bag. They keep almost indefinitely in the vegetable crisper because when I place them in the refrigerator there are no micro-organisms on them to cause browning or decay.

This process also works well with bananas. It keeps bananas from browning almost twice as long as refrigeration alone.

I have used the cleaning cloths and the Lotus water to clean the stove. It was a breeze. The Lotus water cuts through grease as if it had soap in it. It took less than a minute to wipe down the entire stove top after frying in several pans.

The Lotus water makes a fair to good deodorizer under the arms. Bacteria is what causes us to offend others when hygiene deficient. The Lotus water dispatches underarm bacteria for about six to eight hours. (Gross! I know, but, think about it in the context of global warming and the destructive potential of spray deodarants).

This is a device for thinking Americans. It is a device that has uses in the home every minute. It is a device that enhances the lifestyle of every person conerned about their personal environment.

If the device only talked to me in a seductive feminine voice . . . .

Being a person that likes to eat "the dirty dozen"...strawberries, apples, etc, I have learned that even store bought organic isn't as safe as we are led to believe. This product is simple to use. I just put in a batch of grapes and the indicator told me (F1) that I had to run it through 2 more times to make them safe to eat. Tersano, the Lotus manufacturer, states that if you get (F1) and rinse 3 times, the product will be safe to eat. (Even if you get the f1 after the 3rd time.) How do I know? The customer service people really take the time to explain the machine and you can ask a lot of questions.

Also, with the food incidents that we keep hearing about with lettuce, spinach etc. why risk it?

I use the sanitizer water to clean the kitchen, bathroom, door handles and light switches.

Additionally, I found the company representatives very helpful at providing guidance and product information. They were quick (at not cost) to replace a faulty unit and sent it to me with a shipping label. All I had to do was pop my other one in the box and UPS picked it up.

If this was "junk" of a "scam" I doubt that TIME MAGAZINE would have listed it as a "best investions 2006." That is for the reader to decide.

I broke out the Lotus. I LOVE it! First of all, it works perfectly. No functioning problems whatsoever.

I used it on stains on the carpet and it got up stains that many different stain removers have failed to do. So its worth it for that alone. I went through 6 bottles just on the carpets.

At night I got out my black light research box and found my handy little UVA. Turned out the lights in my guest bathroom. My father-in-law (87) has been over a lot and he starts peeing when he opens the door. It was disgusting. My wife started screaming. The floor. The walls. All over the toilet. Almost all of the illuminations was bacteria. There are bathroom products that illuminate under UVA but they are speckles and look different - obviously not smeary baterial infestations. So we left the lights out and got the UVA and hit the slime with the LOTUS and zap!!!! almost all were gone in a nano. It was amazing. My wife sighed "Thank God" like we were going to have to move or something.

From there I went over the kitchen (not as gross but bad) and the other bathrooms. I went through (I know you will think I am lying by I'm not) 15 more bottles. Door handles, cabinents. Windowes. Walls! It is really disturbing what is alive in your house!

You should all go out and buy a UVA lamp and a lotus. You can go into your bathroom and you won't believe it. You'll totally freak out. As you use the LOTUS you will see the bateria dying and how fast and easy it is too clean a toilet in 10 seconds. With the UVA you can see your target! I called my compulsive mother and sister in law and both want one. We spent 2 hours cleaning just our bathrooms and the kitchen. Its fun cleaning with the lights out. And the LOTUS is so great because you just blast it and you don't care about getting the spray all over.

I absolutely love it!!! I think it is a real winner! If you do a TV thing this would sell it big time.

A spray bottle version only for $100 would be awesome. The bowl is great, but its the bottle that sells the thing and for $100 it would pay for itself in 2 to 3 months.

Congratulations! A total winner!

Way to go!

Bruce