Consumer columnist and West Hartford resident Harlan Levy has more than 20 years of experience writing stories about everyday experiences that anyone could encounter.

Harlan Levy. Courtesy photo

By Harlan Levy

I want to start out with this clever way to cook corn – without removing the husk and stripping the cob of all the annoying corn silks: First you chop off a few inches of the end. Next you microwave the corn in its husk for 6 minutes. Last, you slide out the corn, which is perfectly cooked without any corn silks. I tried it and it worked.

After microwaving for 6 minutes shake out corn from the husk. It will slip out with no corn silk to weed out. Photo credit: Harlan Levy

Sunscreen

Tuesday was summer-like hot, so it’s important to use a good sunscreen. Wirecutter, the online product evaluator just published a list of its top five sunscreens after evaluating over 100: “For most people, we recommend a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher that you will apply liberally and often,” the report said.

Here’s the list:

• Thrive Bodyshield SPF 50, a reef-safe mineral sunscreen formulated with non-nano zinc oxide, easier to apply and has a closer-to-sheer finish compared to most other mineral sunscreens.
• Banana Boat Light As Air SPF 50+
• Supergoop Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50. $58 on Amazon. This sunscreen rubs in nicely and looks nearly transparent after it’s applied. It has a light, pleasant scent, and it comes in four sizes, including this 18-ounce jug. It contains added fragrance.
• Trader Joe’s Invisible Gel Body Sunscreen SPF 40 (much cheaper than Supergoop), a clear-gel chemical sunscreen that practically disappears into the skin – an elegant choice for people who prefer a colorless, gel-like sunscreen, so you’ll avoid any white cast whatsoever. It spreads on skin and absorbs much much like a makeup primer and shares a key ingredient – dimethicone crosspolymer – found in some dedicated primers and layers especially well with makeup.
• Vacation Classic Lotion Sun Jug SPF 50, which testers praised for its superior absorption, dry down, skin feel, and tropical scent.
• LaRoche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk Sunscreen SPF 100 ($27 on Amazon): In brand-concealed testing, it was a crowd favorite, including among people with facial hair. It rubs in easily and blends well on a range of skin tones, It also works well under makeup and for people with beards. Scent-sensitive people, or anyone with a known or suspected fragrance allergy, will likely appreciate this near-odorless formula.

Remodeling warning

Now that it’s home improvement season the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) is advising consumers to research project requirements before demolition starts.

Home improvement is one of DCP’s most common complaint areas. Last year, the Investigations Division received 1,266 complaints related to home improvement, DCP said. The department’s investigations resulted in $4.19 million in restitution for consumers paid by offenders. The agency’s Home Improvement Guaranty Fund returned an additional $3 million to eligible consumers in 2025.

Advice:

• Hire local: Ask friends, family, and community members for a reliable home improvement contractor in the area. Be wary of fraudulent contractors who offer services through door-to-door solicitations, accept deposits, and leave without completing the project.
• Verify registration: Verify the contractor’s name or business on eLicense,which tells you if credentials are active. It is illegal for an individual to conduct home improvement projects with an inactive or no Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration.
• Determine who obtains the building permit: Both parties must agree on who is pulling the building permit. If the contractor is responsible, the consumer should call the local building official to verify that the accurate permit was pulled.
• Ask for proof of insurance: Ask the contractor for proof of general liability insurance coverage of at least $20,000. For verification, call the insurance company to confirm that the policy is valid.
• Both parties must sign the contract: Home improvement projects are required by law to have a written contract before the project starts. The contract must include the contractor’s registration number, the project summary, timeline, cost, and your three-day right to cancel.

Now you know.

NOTE: If you have a consumer problem, contact me at [email protected] (“Consumer” in subject line), and, with the power of the press, maybe I can help.

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