Daiso Puff & Sponge Detergent

Update Saturday, September 12, 2015.

Daiso has repackaged their popular Puff & Sponge Detergent. And it seems this stuff's even more popular now as I had to go to several different Daisos to find it. I grabbed 5 bottles ^.^

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Original post Tuesday, February 19, 2013.

A reader pointed out to me that the Daiso "stain remover detergent" I saw in Taipei and this Puff & Sponge Detergent are 2 different things. I might have very well mistaken them for one another since I did not buy this "stain remover detergent" sold in Taipei. That said, I did not see a "stain remover detergent" at my local Daiso when I was in Japan either. 

Point is - if you see a Puff and Sponge Detergent, grab it, and grab a few of it. If you see something else, proceed at your own risk ^.^

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Also read about this Daiso Puff & Sponge Detergent from Yumeko. Since I was seeing them aplenty at my local Daiso, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try.

This is a clear liquid detergent for puffs, sponges, brushes, even stains on your clothes. It is unscented, and it's pretty amazing, truly! You don't need much for it to work magic. I just soak my loose powder puffs (from DHC Q10 Face Powders and Lavshuca Face Powders), drop several drops concentrating on wherever most stained, rub and wring to wash, rinse thoroughly, let sit for a few days to dry, and -poof- brand new sparkling puffs again! 

I stocked up on 3 bottles prior to leaving Japan and even then, I haven't even used up a fourth of my first bottle! These are also available at the Daiso's in Taipei. I saw plenty of them at the few Daiso's I visited while I was there. That said, they were marketed as "stain remover detergent" there for some reason, complete with a pair of panties! If you're there in Taipei, just resist your urge to grin and say ick and pick up a couple of bottles. You won't regret it. In the mean time, I've been looking at the one Daiso I know of here in SF but have not seen any.

I love za Daiso! Part II

When hubby and I moved away from SF, I was very sad. Because that meant I wouldn't be able to just spend my afternoon browsing through the shelves at the Japantown Daiso anymore. Being in Japan makes me very happy, because I'm back in the land of the za Daiso ^.^

No no, I don't go crazy hoarding dollar-store crap. Anyone who knows anything will tell you that there are gems to be found at the dollar store (or the consignment store, etc.), but I digress. I mean, we only hoard good stuff, right? :P

Like these adorable printed masking tapes and fabric tapes from the SF Japantown Daiso, which I use to label gifts, decorating envelops, etc.

Japantown, San Francisco (Picture heavy!)

Long post ahead!

After spending two memorable years in Japan, are you surprised that my most favorite part of San Francisco is Japantown? It speaks to my fondness of Japan, and how much I miss the place, that I roam Japantown and its surrounding areas at least once a week! Of course it's nothing reminiscent of the sprawling underground shopping mazes mall at the major Japanese train/subway stations, nor is it anything particularly special or nice or even culturally authentic. It's really just your average mall with shops selling overpriced let's-pretend-Asian things. And don't even get me started on the pathetic "Japanese" food they try to pass off there. Just thinking about it makes me mad. But I like the place anyway :P When my cousin J. visited from out of town, we spent a day and a half there exploring all the shops ^.^

Let's start at the intersection of Buchanan and Sutter Streets, where Buchanan Street turns into a pedestrian walk with mostly restaurants lining both sides. This Buchanan pedestrian walk goes one block south towards Post Street, crossing which you will arrive at the Peace Plaza with the concrete Peace Pagoda. The Peace Plaza joins the Kintetsu East and West Malls, pretty much the center of all the attention in Japantown ^.^ And by the way, it was a Monday afternoon in mid March when J. and I were there, which is the reason the whole place looks like a ghost town in these pictures.

Looking back at Sutter from Post on the Buchanan pedestrian walk, with Post Street directly behind me.

Dishes from the 100yen Stores! Part II

These are the latest additions to my 100yen dishes stack ^.^ These aren't all of them, but the few other ones I sent home with my brother before I had the chance to snap a picture.

Anyway, can you tell spring is coming and the sakuras are well anticipated? xD The colorful plate with the white bunnies is a nod to the lunar new year, and the pink maple leaves sauce bowl is nostalgic for last fall, but otherwise, they're all flowers!

By the way, the white rectangular plate can double for a soap dish :) All are made in Japan.

See my previous Dishes from the 100yen Stores! post.

Dishes from the 100yen Stores!

Remember I said I love za Daiso (and the likes of Japanese $1 stores)? Well, this is why! Each of these adorable bowls and small plates costs me a mere 100yen (about $1.20 now given the terrible exchange rates) and is made in Japan, no less!

Yep, you can definitely expect me to haul these home with each of my trip ^.^ I have to have something to remember Japan fondly with. Plus I will have an excuse to make even more trips to the local 100yen store. What? Of course I need new bowls and dishes...after bringing these home, that is :P

I love za Daiso!

If you are furnishing your Japanese apartment from scratch, I would really recommend visiting a local Daiso, a popular 100-yen chain ($1 store, although with the current exchange rate, it's more like $1.20 store).

Of course, there are items with quality reflecting their low prices, but for the most part, you can get almost all household items (with exception to larger furniture, electronics and appliances) with very decent quality there. Hell, I would even say same quality as any other Walmart/Target item as they are all made in China anyway! I have read that their eye shadows are super nice, but I didn't look. Serious restraint there, mind you. We ended up with 2 bags full of ceramic plates, bowls, chopsticks, forks, spoons, bamboo cooking utensils, laundry baskets, plastic trays and organizers, etc.

Our apartment is slooooooooowly taking shape :D