droolicious : cleaning

Stain, Stain, Go Away

Heather Kuldell — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:23:00 GMT

Once upon a time, Friday meant it was time to kick back. These days, it means trying to get to all that stuff that didn’t get finished during the week. For me, the biggest, most pressing task is usually laundry.

On the weekend, I re-live each meal displayed on kid clothes, coupled with a few what-on-earth-is-that moments. And yet, I’ve never really found a great stain remover I like, mainly because some of us have some very sensitive skin. Fields Organics pre-laundry stain remover recently caught my eye. The treatment uses plant-based surfactants — a combo of coconut, palm and jojoba oils — to clean away the nasties. No chemicals, biodegradable and available in a scent-free option? Nice. Anyone out there try it yet?

Available at Everybodygreen.com for $7.99.

Die Toothbrush Bacteria!

Lisa Mulcahy — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:30:00 GMT

Here’s a gross fact: A single toothbrush can harbor millions of microorganisms. Coupled with kid’s use I bet that number creeps closer to a billion. So how do you keep the family’s brushes clean? (Aside from tossing them and getting new ones)

The VIOlight VS100 Toothbrush Sanitizer, $43.50, is able to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria living on your toothbrush with its powerful UV germicidal light bulb. Just plug it in and press the button. The light turns on and 10 minutes later voila, sanitized toothbrushes. By the way, it’s pretty cool looking when the light’s on, think mood lamp.

CES 2008: iRobot Looj - Gutter Cleaning Robot

Chris Ford — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:07:00 GMT

Cleaning out the gutters isn't really something we have to worry about here in the desert southwest, but in a lot of places it's a job no one wants to do. The people over at iRobot (the same company that makes the robotic vacuum cleaner) figured this out, and invented a way to get the job done easily and without a lot of work. Please put away that garden hose and make way for the (oddly named) Looj.

The way it works is you put it in one end of the gutter of your house, detach the handle (which becomes a remote control), press a button and let it do its job. The flippers on the front spin around, kicking up all kinds of debris (even wet, sludgy debris) out of your gutter onto the ground below. It's one of those rare products you see and genuinely think, why hasn't someone thought of this before? And it seems to me the best part is the price. It's only $99 for the basic model which, if you're paying a guy $100 twice a year to clean out your gutters (like I overheard some guy say to his buddy while watching the demonstration), it may pay for itself rather quickly.

Check out the Looj at iRobot.com.

Halo UV Vacuum Kills Allergens Dead

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:02:00 GMT

It's fitting that the Halo 3290 UV-ST Ultraviolet Vacuum ($500) shares a name with everyone's favorite space-age shoot-'em-up videogame: Employing UV-C technology -- the source of that hypnotizing blue glow at its business end -- the Halo kills dust mites, flea eggs, bacteria, viruses and other creepy-crawlies as it sucks the dirt out of your carpet. It also packs a HEPA filter to trap pollen and dust mites, as well as a 13-foot hose with tools for cleaning even the most neglected corners of your kids' rooms.

Kurv Handheld Vacuum Sucks Crumbs from Corners, Looks Anything But Sucky

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:02:00 GMT

I can think of at least three different objects that look like Dirt Devil's Kurv ($49.99 from Amazon), and none of them has anything to do with sucking up spent Cheerios -- which, of course, is just the task this Karim Rashid-designed handheld vacuum is built to handle. Bagless (just twist off the dirt cup to empty it), it features a replaceable filter as well as a soft business end to keep surfaces from getting scratched while you're racing about the room chasing breadcrumbs. Plus, it looks cool enough that you can leave it charging out in the open. (Pictured in "Choco-Latte" color.)

Big Deal: Haba Coat Rack Fit For Royalty

Karen — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:34:00 GMT

Check out this fun coat rack from Haba. Frames for pics, pockets, hooks ~ everything you need to... get them to pick up their room. Too bad it doesn't dish out allowance! On sale now for $79.99 at Moolka, regularly $95.00.

Hey Buster, Suck Up Your Own Cheerios

Karen — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 19:03:00 GMT

I'm a huge fan of child labour in my own home. My thought is, the sooner they learn to take care of themselves, the sooner Empty Nest will be a realization. Enter the Buster Vacuum Cleaner: a ride on toy for tots, and when they get older, they can vacuum up for you.

Much like my Empty Nest, this idea is simply that at this point. It was developed by a Grad Student at Lunds University School of Design for Phillips. I sure hope it comes to life!

Hat tip Red House Design.