love of packaging: compagnie de provence limited edition liquid soap
Like many of us here at Shelterrific, I am a complete pushover when it comes to chic packaging. My latest packaging crush comes in the form of La Compagnie de Provence’s Extra Pure line of liquid Marseille soap — if it were a man, I’d marry it. I’ve had my eye on the collection for a while, what with its contemporary, clean graphic design, all-natural composition, and intoxicating array of fragrance options, but folks, this romance just got serious. For its 20th anniversary, the company commissioned Marseille artist Stephan Muntaner to create three limited edition soap dispensers, and it’s official: I’m in love. Inspired by the art of sailor tattoos and the port city of Marseille, each vibrant design adorns La Compagnie de Provence’s signature glass bottle. The liquid soap therein is made in the traditional fashion with vegetable oils and is scented to give a salty whiff of the sea with each wash. It appears that my bathroom will now be home to Swoonfest 2010. Snag the design of your choice for $28 at Vickerey.com. And for more packaging to love, check out their Savon de Marseille Origami Bar Soap, $10. Each French-milled bar comes with instructions to turn the bright paper wrapper into an origami sea creature. — Sarah C.
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make your own green cleaners — they work!
A few months back, I finally learned how to mix up my own green cleaners. I did have a little help — I attended an event hosted by CoolMom, an organization focused on combating global warming by making small changes in our everyday lives. And one of those changes is to stop using harsh chemicals and instead mix up our own cleaning supplies out of water, vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils. We brought our own jars and spray bottles, and for a $5 fee, CoolMom supplied the rest. Within a half-hour, I was ready to go with surface spray for countertops and windows, a soft scrub for tubs and sinks, and even some disinfectant.
Four months later, I can report that the cleaning supplies are a revelation! I’m serious! My toilet is just as clean using the disinfectant I made as it ever was using Comet. My glass surfaces and stovetop are even cleaner — Mom, I’m sorry I ever forgot that you used to use vinegar on everything; it cuts through grease like nothing else! The only slight issue was with the soft scrub. It works great on my tub and sinks, but I’ve noticed that my tub seems to get dirty faster. (Not to be gross, but it doesn’t look dirty, it just kind of feels dirty under my feet — but this is after about a week, at which time I should probably be cleaning my tub again anyway.) I’m going to experiment with some vinegar and see if that makes a difference. Click for the best part of all this — and get all the super-easy recipes for making your own green cleaners! — Mary T. (more…)
reduce pet hair and lint with lint balls
When was the last time you even looked at a Lillian Vernon catalog? I know — it’s been years! But my mom has been absolutely raving about these black and yellow lint balls that reduce the amount of lint and pet hair on your clothes. You just toss them in your washing machine, and the nylon micro-brushes catch and hold the fuzz, rather than having it redeposit on your clothes. Since I’m constantly plagued by cat hair (two white cats will do that) I decided to take the plunge and get some, testing them first on my dark brown flannel sheets (which are a cat hair magnet). Lo and behold, they seemed to help — and I even noticed my towels produced less lint in the dryer. I’ll admit, I was pleasantly surprised! — Megan B.
sweet on soaps from seattle sundries
I stumbled across these handcrafted soaps at Seattle Sundries and am desperate to try one. My fave? Gender Neutral. The ingredients — cocoa powder, vanilla and sweet birch essentials oils — add up to a scent described as “slightly reminiscent of root beer.†Just $9.50 for a tin, although, on second thought, I better order two. The tins are definitely fight-worthy! — Sarah L.
post off: have you tried a robotic vacuum?
Okay, so it’s robot vacuum day on Shelterrific! The table-top robot butler got us thinking about the Roomba. Even though they’ve made a splash (or vroom, if you will) on the domestic landscape, I don’t actually know of anyone who uses one. iRobot not only has the Roomba to vacuum your floors but they also make a Scooba to wash them, a Dirt Dog to sweep your garage, a Verro to clean your pool, and a Looj to clean your gutters. Do you have your own household cleaning robot? How well does it work? And, more importantly, how long before they become sentient and try to take over the world from their human masters? — Katie D.
