We spotted this spiffy new Ecopod Recycling System in the latest Williams-Sonoma catalog and it has us looking at the bags full of plastic bottles in our kitchens with disgust. This thing doesn’t just hold your recyclables, it also crushes them… making room for up to 50 plastic bottles or aluminum cans. There’s also a place for for holding newspapers (and magazines, which in our homes always pile up faster than anything else), glass bottles, plastic bags and more. The hitch of course is the price, $328 which seems like a lot to spend on any kind of trash can. For now, our assorted bins and bags will have to do… unless one of you have some clever suggestions? Let us know how you organize your recycing!

A few months ago, we sparked a lively discussion by asking Do You Still Use a Broom? Yes, said most of you, though the topic soon turned towards Swiffers. Many loved them while others thought they were wasteful. Well, it seems this topic has legs, because over at inhabitat.com yesterday, we spotted this fascinating post that is an interview with the Swiffer designer, Gianfranco Zaccai, on their sustainability. He points out that Swiffers save energy by pre-cleaning the floor before mopping, after studies showed that housekeepers used more hot water cleaning the mops themselves than the floors. Still, they are disposable, it seems like the company could have a created something more long-lasting if they wished. But then they wouldn’t sell as many products, right? Click here to see the full story at inhabitat.com.

I had a colleague at Budget Living who swore by Kaboom Bowl Blaster toilet cleaner. It’s inexpensive and supposedly does the trick without scrubbing. And, it comes in this cheery purple and green packaging! So I was excited to test out these cleaners for myself. Kaboom has two different types of TB cleaners. One’s the bowl blaster. You pour it in, and leave it for like ten, fifteen minutes. It suds up, you flush, and then it’s supposedly clean. The other one is called Never Scrub, which you put in your tank and it is supposed to prevent rust stains. After trying them a couple of times, I have to say I am not a fan. The Bowl Blaster is a superfine powder, and each time I used it, a plume of it would fill the air, and my nose. I don’t see how you could use this product and not enhale it. Yuck! As far as how well it cleaned, well, you still have to scrub with a brush a bit. However, the smell, a sort of lemony citrus, is nice — especially if you don’t like bleach. The other bathroom products were pretty standard — a scrub and a spray — and for those I’d rather stick with my natural, yummy smelling organic stuff (like Method and Seventh Generation.) What about you? What do you use to clean your toilet? Found anything you love? — Angela M.

My Stainless Steel flatware and cookware seems to have developed a rainbow colored spotting. I have tried a number of cleaners including steel wool which seems to have worked the best. I know this will in time scratch my flatware and cookware. Can you please recommend a cleaning solution that will remove the old spotting and stop it from happening again? — Kathleen

Thanks for the question, Kathleen. We’ve written about our all-time-favorite, can’t-live-without stainless steel cleanser before: Bar Keeper’s Friend. It does an amazing job on removing stains from supposedly “stainless” steel, and also works on tile, china, chrome, grout, you name it! At only $2.50 a can it can’t be beat. Click here to buy four for $10. Another trick that may work is baking soda mixed with dishwashing liquid. Mix it up into a good paste, and rub gently. Be sure to rinse thoroughly and dry right away. To make sure those pesky stains don’t return, always dry your stainless steel right away. In all likelihood, it’s your water that’s causing the rainbow effect. Does anyone else have advice for Kathleen? Feel free to weigh in!

Got a question you need help with? Let us know and we’ll do our best to post it here with an answer.

In the photo: Williams-Sonoma All Clad 7-Piece Tool set.

It’s that time of the year again; time for every magazine on the newsstands (yes, we mean you, Ms.-I-Love-Housekeeping-Stewart) to remind us that we should be spending a weekend or two spring cleaning our homes. Looking around, yes, we admit there a few extra cleaning tasks that we should do (wash the curtains, beat the rugs, polish the floor) — but will we? It’d be much more motivating to hear about your spring cleaning plans than to read a long list of tasks in a magazine. After taking a look at Alicia’s super clean fridge at Rosey Little Things, we’re just about ready to grab those rubber gloves. What about you? Will you spring clean your house? If so, what special tasks do you do now, that you don’t do normally?

Our Daily Candy email this morning was about Pure Nomade’s Hotel Boxes. We’ve spotted them in British mags, but didn’t know how to buy — ’til now! These stackable boxes come in eight different groovy patterns (our favorite is White Blonde — white lace on black print) and are the perfect thing to stash your ever-growing shoe collection. They arrive flat, and stay that way until you snap ‘em into shape. A dust-lid in front seals the deal and ensures your goodies are easy to find. They can support up to 11 pounds of weight and be stacked up to 10 feet high. Available at Yoyashop.com for $25 each. Pricey, yes. But think of it as a multi-functioning art-installation for your room.

Yesterday we were tipped off to a fun video contest from IKEA called Break the Rules of Bedmaking which is running until March 12. Anyone with a video camera and a nifty way of making the bed can enter. They’re looking for something weird and quirky, and pets, kids, and bizarre pillow collections are welcome. We’d love to find the bed-making equivalent of the Japanese t-shirt folding trick, though our current favorite up now is Jane’s Best Darn Bedmaker East of the Mississippi (above) whose tidyness is inspiring (she could use a bit of color on that bed, however). The winner will receive a $5000 shopping spree (oh boy!) or one of five $500 Ikea Gift Cards. Click here to see the videos and read the entry rules.

It’s time to discover the wonders of baking soda beyond de-smelling your refrigerator! Baking Soda wins the award for the most useful product ever. As a general rule, anything that smells can be made to stop smelling with the proper application of baking soda. Read through Baking Soda Babe Arianne Cohen’s list of her favorite uses and tell us about your own!

AROUND THE HOUSE
Smelly Fabrics: That cute shirt that you think you’ve finally smelled out the pits of is not necessarily DOA. Soak those smelly sponges, clothes or cloth diapers in a mix of water and baking soda overnight.

Smelly Fabrics still in laundry bin: Not planning to tackle that overflowing hamper this week? Sprinkle some baking soda to get you through the week.

Shoe Desmelling: Sprinkle some in those sneakers regularly to keep smelly foot bacteria at bay.

Carpet Cleaning: Sprinkle over your rug, and let it sit for an hour. Then vacuum.

KITCHEN
Fruit Washing: A bit of baking soda and a sponge helps really clean those fruits and vegetables which have touched lord-knows-what on their route from field to truck to supermarket to you.

Microwave Cleaning: This is my favorite. Put water, lemon juice and baking soda in a microwave safe bowl and turn on high for 90 seconds. Smells disappear.

Photo by Chad Hunt

Click through to the next page to read the rest of Arianne’s List! (more…)

Last week, the top shelf of our bedroom closet unceremoniously crashed down in the wee hours of the morning. You could say we were startled into action! After merely talking about re-organizing our closet for over a year, we finally kicked into gear this weekend. We went to the Container Store which is having a sale on all Elfa shelving — 30% off! Our “closet organizer” Paul was amazingly helpful and patient, helping us work out the dimensions on his computer. Ultimately, it’s not that different from our old closet, but after weeding out six hefty bags full of donation clothes, it feels so much bigger and more airy. We added some bins and shelves that have room to spare. Yesterday, I wore a skirt I hadn’t seen in a year. It’s like shopping in my own home! — Angela M.

Even though there seems to be a big debate about whether or not it’s okay to use cotton swabs to clean your ears (Did you see the movie Prime? Meryl Streep’s therapist/mom character was firmly against them), they are an essential in any household. Ears aside, they’re wonderful for applying makeup, manicures, crafts, and all kinds of little tasks. That’s why these little guys from Friend are such a great find. Designed by Stefano Giovannoni, Piselinno Cotton Swab Holders will keep ‘em handy, but hidden. $26 each, available in three colors. How Q-ute.