apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

sarahc- what do you know about Duravit toilets? Do they fit standard american plumbing or do you have to do extra steps to make them fit? I really like the look, I would splurge, but not if I have to add extra for plumbing

Last cure this was my worst week! I had 2 small ugly bathrooms, both needed to be painted and fixed. This year all I have to do is do is work on my linen closet!

Does anyone have a surefire way to get rid of soap scum in bathrooms? I have a shower insert (so it's like plastic-NOT tiled) and my Mr. shaves in the shower- that stuff is impossible to get off. It needs to be as non chemical as possible- my 3 yr old loves to "help" me clean.
Thanks !

I know it's not terribly green because it contains melamine and would be bad for you pets (or children) if consumed, but the Mr. Clean Magic Erasers have taken stuff off unlike any other product I've used. Nice that it's not chemical as far as spraying something, having fumes, or hurting your skin. You might try something with vinegar...

My bathroom is just dandy, so I'll be working more on the living room this week. This weekend, I got most of the hard work done on refinishing a couple of tables. I'd like to get walls painted this weekend if possible.

I have a question for you guys. I got a new white iron 40's bed that's nice and modern on Craigslist last weekend. Now there's too much white going on in my bedroom. It's a rental, so I don't want to do any really colorful painting. I'm thinking of hanging the KVARTAL curtain track system (from Ikea) on the ceiling behind the bed. That way I can have a swath of intense color where I need it. They also have some pretty transparent patterned panels that would make up for not being able to hang art there. Has anyone used the system or have some dire warning about it?

Lorijo- the solution I use is pretty strong: 1 cup bleach, 1 cup tide laundry soap (no perfumes) 1 cup water. Use ventilation: open windows and a fan. Sponge on walls, let it sit 20 minutes and rinse. It works well but I would not use it if a toddler is helping.
A friend of mine suggested magic sponge: she says it does require elbow grease, but works very well.

Francesca - I don't have any personal experience with Duravit toilet systems, but there's a good thread on AT: Green Home here that mentions installation issues with dual-flush toilets. The Philippe Starck models are very cool looking. Good luck in your search!

Thanks everyone. I actually use those erasers almost everyday (not green I know) with a 3 yr old, crayons magically appear on every surface. I am going to try it in the shower and report back.

I've totally dropped the ball with uploading new pictures and comments, but I actually haven't dropped the ball at home (thankfully!) My bathroom is too small to make any real changes, so I'll just be cleaning things out, changing out the glass on my light fixture, and hanging a few things. Should be a relatively light week in there and allow me to focus on other things - light painting the top floor of the house and hanging all the artwork that I framed last weekend.

rascoagogo - I have the KVARTAL curtain system cluttering one corner of my living room right now, just waiting to be hung. Just from looking at the pieces, it really looks like a two person job. I live alone.. so its just kind of in limbo right now. I did some googling around and came across a blog of a lady who installed it. While the final results were impressive, she made it seem like the process was pretty complicated.

If I get mine hung soon, I'll be sure to update with pics and details of the process.

Yep, like imavunderbrah I've been busy round the house but haven't been participating much online. Hopefully I'll get to post some new pics in the next week or so - and we're having a big fat Halloween party at the end of next week. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to be Columbia from Rocky Horror or Amy Winehouse.

Thanks for the heads up on requiring extra hands for my KVARTAL installation.

Hey LauraII--the current issue of Bust has a great article about how to give yourself grand Winehouse-esque hair. I'm tempted to try it out with my Vampy Vampire costume, since it's very retro naughty secretary.

(Note to those who read my blog -- this is a direct copy/paste)...

The tub is scrubbed. The tub is clean. It doesn't gleam, because it's structurally incapable of gleaming, but it's clean. The tiles, on the other hand, do gleam. The grout does not. I think the dirt from the tiles just went and hid in the grout lines. However, if the grout wants to be scrubbed with a little brush during this Cure, it's going to have to do it by itself, because I'm just not up to it. If I ever get rid of this cold, I will consider it.

The shower curtains are washed, and re-hung to dry. While they were in the washer, I actually thought to take down the rings and wash them, and wash the rod as well. When you're short, you don't think about the things above your head getting dusty, but they do. While I was up on the ladder, I dusted on top of the little cabinet.

So one side of the bathroom is done, and I've decided that sufficient unto the evening is the work thereof. If the grocery-jaunt tomorrow evening doesn't take too long, I'll do the other side of the bathroom (the sink and counter) tomorrow. Otherwise, it'll get done on Thursday while I'm washing towels (Thursday is towel-washing day nearly every week in my abode. I do a load of towels for my parents and then a load for myself. Fun and merriment abound in the home of smallcitybeth.)

I was thinking as I put the shower curtains back up that most people would not expect anyone to be even slightly interested that they'd dusted their shower curtain rod, and washed their shower curtains... ... ...

I used the magic eraser on my plastic tub enclosure. Magic is right. Cleaned up the nasty better than anything else I have tried (and I have tried them all) Still takes some elbow grease, but with better results! Yea!

Smallcitybeth, I just finished scrubbing my bathroom too (started out strong with the tub and ended up with a semi-decent floor mopping, and inhaled all too many bleach fumes in between). I can totally relate to the whole tub-not-gonna-gleam situation. I think scrubbing it clean just takes off even more of the finish! But clean is clean and I know I will be glad I did it tomorrow morning in the shower.

Lorijo, I have been a Magic Eraser junkie for a while now, and they are amazing (though I ONLY use them for things that other more environmentally friendly products have failed at). This cure I have learned the amazing powers of BonAmi. This is my new magic product. It dissolves rust, scum, and general grossness and is amazingly cheap and free of random chemicals. I can't speak more highly of it.

Ah well now to recover from my bleach-high (I had to use it, I waited FAR too long to attack those tiles!) and get to bed while it's still somewhat early. And read first, of course! ;)

I love bon ami too! I learned about it last cure, and between that and baking soda and lemon juice, it's about all I use- except for crayons and markers. Then, the eraser has no equal!

We had an unfortunate experience with a bat last night. We were taking out the a/c unit and there was a bat living underneath- which is better than last year when we had 3 bats. I thought we had one because the last week the cat was going crazy over by the unit. Well, this bat didn't want to give up it's home. My Mr. needed to convince him. It didn't go well for the bat.

holy cow, a BAT? that's pretty nuts.

lorijo, i was going to suggest the method shower spray. it smells nice and is (supposedly) non toxic. daily after shower and everything is sparkling.

STL Colleen -- eww, bleach! my nose is twitching just thinking about it... actually, my bathtub is made of some sort of material that just doesn't have a shine to it. Never did. It's sort of a light pebbly finish. So it's not that the finish is worn off, never to shine again, it's just that there isn't the possibility of a shine, because the finish never was shiny. Because of the pebbly finish, it's hard to get it to look clean, even when you know it *is* clean. Sigh.

lorijo -- ewwwwwww, bats! I know they eat mosquitoes and so they're "good" things, but in the a/c?? shudder...

Haha, I know, it was BAD. My nose was twitching and eyes were watering but it is SO clean now and I've promised myself to keep up with it.

And now you guys have me worried about what I may find after taking my A/C unit out tonight...apparently it has been dripping water in between the window and the wall and has led to some ugly water stains. Luckily the maintenance guy is cool about it, and is even gonna repaint the trim and prime the wall (I decided to FINALLY paint the room a color other than "off-white").

But it's probably gonna be bug-a-riffic under there. Scary!

Well, yesterday was an unintended media fast because we lost power and phones all day due to the storms. My 3 yr old and I finished cleaning the bathrooms (he's in the "helping" stage). I think I will try a bathroom cleaner daily to try to avoid this mess again- thanks Olya for the Method heads up- I do love their products.
I made some new pillow covers for the living room and it went so well, I am going to make more. I have prepped the walls in the kitchen for painting this weekend and for the installation of the new shade. Then, it's on to the laundry room- new paint all around!

I think I am over the bat thing- but I read that bats like leaf piles and I'm going to rake this weekend- ICK! I forgot to say one of the reasons I am totally creeped out by bats is that I used to live and work in Austin, Tx. My building was right next to the bat bridge- Congress ave. The (supposed) largest urban bat colony in the world. IF some bats were late getting home, they would get confused and run into my windows in the morning. Some mornings there would be hundreds out there.