Right? I had a client call a color "dirty dishwater" once and I still check every beige against my sink now.

Yeah, that line about the reporting system change is key. I read an article a while back that made the same point as robert_bennett29, how the new rules basically made it a closed loop inside the military. So pilots might still see things, but the reports just don't hit the public databases anymore. The drop in the public numbers feels less like a drop in activity and more like a drop in transparency.

My old Fluke thermal camera found a failing terminal block on a motor starter that was just slightly warmer than the others. Like @taylorknight said, that shift from hunting to knowing is huge for your peace of mind. It sat unused for months before that, but spotting that one hot spot before it caused a shutdown justified the whole purchase. The visual proof lets you fix the real problem fast, not just swap parts hoping. For those occasional mystery faults, it really does pay for itself in saved frustration.

Yeah, benw87 has a point about vinegar and paper, but I feel like @the_henry is talking about a different kind of risk. With old cloth, especially on a book spine, the vinegar mix is usually okay for a quick dab because the cloth is tougher. The real danger is using it on the paper pages or leather. I saw someone once try to clean foxing off a page with straight vinegar and it left a permanent dark stain that looked worse than the spots. It's all about knowing what material you're actually touching.

Sounds like the product just isn't worth the hassle.