"Leave it to Beaver" made its television debut on this day in 1957.
It featured the boys, Wally and Beaver, who were always trying to
sidestep sticky problems that cropped up in the Cleaver family
household. While it's entertaining to watch such shenanigans, in real
life, rectifying little disasters is no fun at all. Today the boys'
lives would be made far easier with product recall listings. Got
something that isn't working at your house? Think you broke it? Perhaps
you didn't. Hundreds of products are recalled every year. Everything
from pasta machines to power cords, and washing machines to wheelbarrows. So, how do you find out if what you have has been recalled? The Consumer Product Safety Commission lists news of recalls on its Web site, CPSC.gov. You'll find still more at consumerreports.org, under "product safety recalls." Your toaster has been blown to bits? Your air conditioner is on the fritz? If it's one that's been recalled, it'll be replaced or fixed for free. And that's the On The House tip for today.