Archive for February, 2009
This Vacuum Sucks
When it comes to our cleaning routine, we get a surprising amount of inquiries about how we keep house. Well, allow me to introduce my bff when it comes to tidying up. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Dirt Devil Kurv:
No this is not a paid endorsement. Nor did Dirt Devil send me one for free. I paid for one just like the rest of the world, and let me tell you that it was the best money I ever spent.
See, before the Kurv came into my life I spent about an hour a week feebly cleaning up crumbs in the kitchen and dust bunnies on the hardwood/tile floors of each of our nine rooms. My three failing methods were these: a dustpan (crumbs and dust flew everywhere but were never all collected), a vaccuum cleaner (far to bulky to maneuver easily and plugging it in everywhere I went was a drag so it took forever and scared the bejeesus out of the dog), and a swiffer duster pad (great for grabbing dust at first but they so frequently need to be replaced once they’ve maxed out in the dust-grabbing department that I easily went through ten to clean the whole house- what a waste!).
And then this baby came to live with us. Now I can un-crumb and de-dust our entire home in less than five minutes. I am not exaggerating. It’s probably closer to three minutes actually. Say someone’s on their way over but there’s hair on the bathroom floor. No problemo. In the time that it takes your forthcoming friend to arrive you can clean the whole house instead of spending five minutes trying to pick up those aforementioned bathroom floor hairs with your fingers.
The power suckage, cordless design, and long skinny nose get into every corner and cranny- I can even slide it along the base of the kitchen cabinets in a second (where all those crumbs hide under the cabinet lip). I simply walk through the house aiming the nose at each corner, along the baseboards, under the table, etc. And with one pass dust is hasta la vista, baby. It’s even great for sucking up little fern leaves that my plants decide to drop when they’re done with ‘em. And things like heavy duty kitchen crumbs are no match for this stronger-than-most-real-vacuum-cleaners contraption. And this is coming from someone who always had a dustbuster laying around and hated the thing more than the vacuum. The Kurv is not a dustbuster, it is a godsend.
So for anyone with hardwood and tile floors looking for something a bit less cumbersome than a vacuum and a bit more thorough than a swiffer duster pad or a dustpan, feel free to court the Kurv. If you don’t wanna marry him I’ll be seriously surprised. Of course we still rely on our vacuum for the area rugs throughout the house, and give the wood floors a good scrub every few months. But for maintenance there’s really nothing like the Kurv.
Oh and although it’s hardly ugly, it isn’t really pretty either. So we don’t buy into the whole “it’s like sculpture, have it on display” suggestion. Ours charges behind our white armchair in the den, so no one’s the wiser but it’s always on hand. The only thing we’d change would be the capacity (it does need to be emptied with each use- but that’s not the biggest deal considering I could empty it about a hundred times in the time it saves me when it comes to cleaning).
And while we’re on the subject, I thought I’d ask you guys for your favorite cleaning tips and tricks. Has any product or technique improved your routine so majorly that you want to shout it from the rooftops? I’m definitely looking for more shortcuts in this whole housekeeping game, so by all means feel free to come clean.
Images courtesy of Amazon.com.
I Like To Move It Move It
Most guys don’t log time with their sister’s boyfriends by helping them rearrange their bedrooms. But then again, most guys don’t list “furniture placement” among their interests.
So when my little sister Carrie recruited us to give her boyfriend Robert a hand with his clunky bedroom layout (after we spruced up her living room last fall) we were totally up for the challenge. And the budget? Zero dollars and zero cents.
For a guy just out of college, Robert has a pretty sweet townhome and a surprisingly grown-up bedroom set. He was just struggling with a way to functionally cram all that serious furniture into such a modestly sized space. Here’s what his room looked like when we arrived (we didn’t really give him fair warning to clean up - but at his age I wasn’t exactly obsessively organized either).
Robert had two main complaints about his room: (1) not enough space to move around and (2) an unused corner that collected junk by default. We noticed that it also felt crowded when you walked in – the biggest piece of furniture (the bed) stared you straight in the face while the tallest object (the dresser) practically bumped right into you as you entered. So in about 45 minutes we cleaned, rearranged and spent absolutely no money to give Robert a more spacious feeling furniture arrangement. Here’s the rearranged result (from the same view):
Not bad for a no budget switcheroo, eh? Cleaning certainly helped a lot, but here’s a rough floor plan to show you where furniture arrangement really made the difference (note: Robert’s bedding is in fact a blue and brown combo, but it somehow looks purple in the pictures):
The biggest difference was moving the hulking headboard out of your initial line of sight and exposing more of that big back wall to let your eyes “breathe” a bit when you first enter the room. A few other helpful changes were swapping out the large office chair with a lighter-looking one (borrowed from elsewhere in the house) and positioning the matching table lamps on either side of the space for a more balanced look (and consistent lighting throughout the space). Robert also loved that we centered his desk under the window so he was no longer staring at the wall while he worked.
And now, instead of the practically walking into the side of the dresser upon entry, the bedroom door opens to this much lower-profile nightstand. It still gives Robert a place to toss his keys without risking a lamp in the eye.
You can still appreciate the classic, masculine look of the headboard from the other side of the room. Heck, from this view you almost forget that this modestly sized space does double duty as a bedroom and office.
Best of all, Robert’s two pet peeves are no more – he has more walking room and no more wasted corners. He plans to add art, hang that mirror and possibly add a round circle rug from Ikea and some slate blue corduroy curtain panels. But for now we think he should be pretty proud of his “new” room which called for absolutely no money, and just a little moving.
And I have to hand it to Robert for being a good sport about the whole thing. Not many guys would take well to their girlfriend’s older brother dismantling their bedroom. And if the worst thing we uncovered during our rearrangement was a few too many issues of Popular Mechanics (engineering porn?) then I think I’ll let him keep dating my baby sister.
Floor plans created using Floorplanner.com
Steal Of The Week: Our Favorite Bar
We’ve always admired the cool, graphic designs on Old Navy’s line of candles, soaps and lotions but had not yet gone as far as to actually purchase any of ‘em. That is until we saw that the entire line was on clearance this weekend…
We decided to snag 2 for $5 (marked down from $7) because, call us crazy, but we actually like to have a nicely wrapped bar soap on display in our master bathroom. We’re liquid soap people (as are all of our guests so far) but we gotta do something with the built-in soap dish, right? Plus, the black & white designs work oh-so-well against our black & white tile.
The one above is the Vanilla Bean scent, and we also got a Lavender Mint for when our mood changes. Do you have a favorite design of the bunch (we tried to get all of them in the first picture, so we think that’s a complete set above).
Oh, and it looks like Old Navy’s trying to move them out fast to make room for new stuff, so head over there soon if you wanna grab a few for yourself. We’ve been all about soap lately, haven’t we? Our next steal of the week will not be about soap. Promise.
How To Paint Furniture
Whether you’re interested in painting a chair, a table, or any other wooden piece of furniture, the steps are pretty much the same. For example, take this table that we built and subsequently painted along with the accompanying white chairs (which used to be a golden blond wood tone):
Sprucing things up with a fresh coat of white paint took them from thrift store (where we got the table base) to Pottery Barn (which sells a similar version of it for 500 beans) in just a few hours.
But enough jibber-jabber. On with the how-to deets:
Step 1- Evaluate the surface of the piece that you’d like to paint. If it’s a sleek glossy surface (like varnished or sealed wood) you’ll want to gently sand the entire piece with 100 grit sandpaper). If it’s more of a dry chalky texture (like unfinished wood or flat paint) you can forgo the sandpaper and skip right to step two.
Step 2- Break out the oil-based primer to ensure that the paint sticks and no stains come through and ruin your finish. Give the entire piece a good once over with a small foam roller or a paint brush. This coat of primer doesn’t have to be perfectly even in tone (it’ll probably look thinner in some areas since that’s how primer rolls) but as long as the entire piece is well covered – and it’s not too gloppy and thick – it’s ready for step three once it dries.
Step 3- Use a fresh small foam roller or paint brush to apply two thin and even coats of latex paint (a semi-gloss finish is usually best since it’s nice a wipe-able and durable choice). Many people mistakenly think that latex paint isn’t supposed to be applied over oil-based primer, but the result is always great. The real painting no-no is applying latex paint over oil-based paint, which is a guaranteed bubble-fest and should be avoided at all costs. And a word about small foam rollers vs. brushes: according to experts, all rollers – especially if used too quickly- may rile up the paint and lead to bubbles while paint brushes are the most bubble free application method known to man (although you might have brush stroke issues if the paint isn’t applied thinly enough or given ample drying time between coats).
We painted the table above with a paint brush, not a roller. But we have also used small foam rollers with great success, so those are actually our recommended choice for beginners since they cut down on brush strokes or drippy finishes and seem to be the most error proof. No matter what you use, be sure to wait until the first coat of paint is thoroughly dry before applying a second coat (each coat should be applied super lightly and evenly – aim for the thickness of an eggshell or a piece of paper). This thin application is the key to avoiding brush strokes or roller marks for a smooth, gorgeous finish. Repeat after me: three or even four super thin coats are far better than one or two thick and drippy ones!
Step 4- This step is optional, so think of it as extra credit. Brushing on two thin and even coats of water-based poly for wipe-able protection that really goes the extra mile (and provides a glossy oh-so-luxe sheen) can’t hurt if you pick the right stuff. The only two brands that we’ve ever used with unmatched success are these two, so they’re our strong recommendation (other types can yellow or crack over time):
- Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Protective Finish in “Clear Gloss” (found at any home improvement center)
- Safecoat Acrylacq (which is a low-VOC, non-toxic and super green alternative sold at eco boutiques or online)
We went the extra mile and applied poly to our white table above for a bit of added protection, and we even thinly poly’d the chairs since they need to be just as easy to wipe down due to their proximity to food whenever we dine in the sunroom. Thin is definitely the operative word, and again you’ll want to be sure to let the first coat thoroughly dry before going in for the second. Any time you go over semi-wet paint or poly to smooth things out you’ll get terrible drag marks, so work from one side to the other and never go back over things until they’re completely dry.
Step 5- Wait at least a full 72 hours to place objects on your newly painted piece to avoid dents or divots in your finish. If you really want to be on the safe side, we’d recommend waiting five full days. Sometimes factors like humidity and primer/paint/poly thickness can keep things from fully curing up, and you don’t want to get indents from using your newly painted piece too quickly. Waiting this long might take some willpower because you’re dying to sit on/eat on/enjoy your brand new piece, but it’s worth the wait. Promise.
Easy, right? Ok, those were a lot of words, so it might sound complicated. But just take things one step at a time. And remember to breathe. You can totally do it. There’s really no reason to live with wood furniture that’s not exactly the tone or the shade that you’d like. So from painting an old side table a handsome glossy black to giving a scratched up wooden chair a cheerful red tone, it’s definitely a project that you can confidently take on in an afternoon. Go forth and paint something!
*Oh and it bears noting that if your furniture item is anything other than solid wood or veneered wood (like laminate, melamine, etc) you should definitely visit your local hardware store and ask the paint pro there what they recommend for that surface. There are some great oil-based primers and enamel paints out there, so it might be possible to get a semi-durable finish (although none as long-lasting as solid wood and veneered wood paint jobs). The key is really roughing up the surface so it’s less glossy and then priming and painting with the best stuff they have (usually oil or enamel based). Oh and don’t forget to let everything dry for a while so things can cure up and get super durable for the long haul. Good luck!
Psst- In the market for a quick cabinet painting tutorial? Look no further.
Psssst- Wondering how to paint a brick fireplace? Wonder no more.
Pssssssst- Itching to paint wood paneling? Try this.
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Fab Freebie: From Africa With Love
***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries***
This week’s giveaway comes courtesy of a new online gift boutique for women called Yellow Threads. They set out to create a place where women could find meaningful gifts for their female friends and family members- and what better way to start than with items that hold a special place in their hearts… and some that even hold a special place on their walls.
While honeymooning in South Africa, one of the founders of Yellow Threads came across a bunch of rustic, wooden frames made right there in Cape Town. She learned the company actually hires homeless locals to collect discarded wood that is then hand-crafted into these one-of-a-kind frames. Pretty cool, eh? The newlyweds just had to bring a bunch of them back home to display their wedding and honeymoon photos and- upon receiving a slew of compliments- they knew they’d be a big hit on Yellow Threads.
Now Yellow Threads wants to share a little bit of Africa with us, so we’re giving away this White Pane South African Rustic Frame to one lucky reader. The frame holds a 5″ x 7″ photo, retails for $115 and is truly the only one of its kind. Not to mention that Yellow Threads is the only retailer in the US to carry these rustic South African frames (check out some other styles here).
To enter, just comment on this post with the words “FRAME ME” by this Wednesday, February 11th at 8pm EST. And while you’re at it, tell us about an extra special item in your home that you picked up while traveling (one our favs is the big iron bull head in our den that we snagged at a North Carolina flea market). As usual, only one entry per e-mail address is allowed and we’ll announce the lucky winner (selected by random.org) later in the week. Oh, and this giveaway is limited to US residents only (but stay tuned for an international prize next week).
We can’t wait to hear about all of your worldly treasures and, more importantly, find out who’s going to get one more to add to their collection very soon.
Got a question about our giveaways? Find out more here. Images courtesy of Yellow Threads.
