Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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Do It Yourself & ReadyMade

You may recall that back in April when Sherry’s belly was still full of baby we had some visitors stop by Clara’s nursery, including one wielding a big camera.

Erik Tripod Chair

Well the pics from that double-duty photo shoot for Do It Yourself magazine and Kitchen + Bath Makeovers have finally seen the light of day. At least the ones for Do It Yourself have (the others will be popping up later this year). In fact, a bunch of you have already mentioned seeing them in the Fall 2010 issue that’s out now.

DIY Fall 2010

Our usual “He Said, She Said” advice column took a one-issue hiatus in order to share those photos of Clara’s DIY-riddled nursery. There’s even a never-before-seen angle that necessitated a ladder outside of Clara’s window to capture the shot. To check it out and read all the fine print, just click the image below for an enlarged version (and click it again to zoom):

Of course there’s plenty else to see in the issue. We love that they’re calling it their “second chances” issue since it’s all about breathing new life into old salvaged items. Feel free to check it out at Barnes & Noble or even Home Depot.

In other magazine news, I’m pleased to share that my little lady – well, not my littlest lady – was featured in the latest ReadyMade magazine. See that mention of “Speed Clean Your House” at the very bottom of the cover? That’s where Sherry comes in…

ReadyMade Cover

Just flip to page 30 for Sherry’s interview (or click the image below to see it larger). You can also read it over on ReadyMade’s website if that’s your preferred method of mag absorption. We hope cleaning up is even easier thanks to the roundup of quickie ideas. Oh and the tip about chlorine bleach was added by the writer, just in case anyone who knows about our bleach aversion was wondering.

As usual, the issue has a bunch of other cool projects and why-didn’t-I-think-of-that ideas in there (like the green-roofed doggie digs on page 38). It reminded us how much we enjoy reading ReadyMade. So feel free to check the rest of the mag out whenever you get a moment!

But enough about us, what are your cleaning shortcuts and secrets? We’re always looking to get ‘er done even faster/easier, so spill it.

Comments

  2. liz @ bon temps beinget says

    i LOVE me some cleaning tips from Sherry! I’ve been following her cleaning guide for months now and I have to say that life is SO much easier. Short bursts of cleaning throughout the day help to eliminate that long drawn out one day per week cleaning fest that we all dread so much.

    Reply

  3. Ericka says

    Great articles with very useful tips!

    Just thought I’d point out that the article about cleaning gives the tip to use NON chlorine bleach in the toilet brush holder. I’ve never heard of using non chlorine bleach in cleaning. Hmmm.

    Do you guys use the Mrs. Meyers’ to clean the bathroom as well? Do you have any concerns about disinfecting?
    (especially when there’s sickness in the house

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      We use Mrs. Meyer’s or Dr. Bronners in our toilets, but if you’re worried about disinfecting there’s an all natural disinfecting spray (and wipes) by Seventh Generation that’s worth checking out. They should have it at Target. Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  4. Elizabeth says

    I’ve yet to truly solve the dirt making its way inside the house dilemma because my dog loves his dog door soooo much…and so do I when I am late or have to go somewhere right after work. I would hate to deprive my dog of his mid-morning routine of retiring to the back porch chaise lounge to sun nap. Sigh…I dream of a shoe free and dirt and dog hair free home…but I love my dog more than continually pristine surroundings apparently.

    Reply

  6. Allison says

    Norwex products make my cleaning so much easier…and they’re great for the environment since you just use their cloths plus plain old water! The cloths seem expensive at first, but they’re supposed to last like 10 years and you never have to buy cleaning stuff again (even the good eco cleaning stuff gets used up eventually, and that’s another bottle to send off to be recycled).

    Oh yeah, and the microfiber cloths are antibacterial, so no worries about reusing them again and again between launderings–they clean themselves!

    You can read more about the company on my blog. I’m in the process of switching over to Norwex for all my cleaning (as my old stuff gets used up). Their products are right up the Petersiks alley, for sure!

    Reply

  8. Monique says

    You two are a powerhouse. Keep up all the amazing work and congrats on the sweet features. Can’t wait to pick up a copy of each :)

    As for cleaning shortcuts.. I have a check list of daily/weekly/monthly/yearly cleaning and maintenence tasks. I know i know. Anal. BUT it works for me and keeps the house tidy :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Ooh now that would be fun to see. We love checking out people’s lists because we’re list people too! You don’t happen to have it typed up to share do you?

      xo,
      s

  10. Elizabeth says

    That “never seen before angle” of the nursery truly makes it seem like a entire room we’ve never seen before…too funny.

    Reply

  11. Michelle H says

    My husband I do the “10 minute tidy” on a daily basis. I’ve explained it in more detail on my blog here: http://dohdums.wordpress.com/2010/08/17/4-simple-goals/

    Essentially we each have to do 10 minutes of tidying every day. It can be anything we want to do – clean a few toilet bowls, vacuum 2 rooms, tidy the tupperwear drawer.

    It helps keep the house looking tidy. We save the big cleans – mopping the floor, cleaning the windows etc. for the weekends when we have more time to spend on housework.

    By each doing the 10 minute tidy neither of us feel that the other isn’t pulling their weight with housework a problem that we used to have… :)

    Reply

  12. Christy says

    My mother-in-law and her husband are friends with the owners of Mrs. Meyers Clean Day, so she keeps me supplied. I really love the fresh scent. I had never heard of it until after we had our son, and she gave me some because it’s so safe for babies. I assumed it was only sold in Iowa since she knew them and said that they live in Iowa too. I’m supried to see how popular it is EVERYWHERE! Yay for mother-in-law’s contacts!

    Reply

  13. Danielle says

    great articles – how exciting!!

    One question – love the wallpaper in the drawers…how did you seal it?

    Reply

  14. Laura in LA says

    I picked up the Do It Yourself magazine a couple of weeks ago just so I could show my husband my “friends”. The magazine was great, will definitely grab it again.

    Reply

  15. Miranda says

    I don’t know if you’ve ever checked out Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook, but she has very detailed lists of chores organized by year/season/month/week. It’s very helpful. I just put it on the calendar and do it when it comes up.

    Reply

  16. Karen J says

    Great articles. Now YOU guys need to take more “through the window” shots of the rest of your house!!! We’d all love to see them.

    Reply

  17. Amy P says

    Hi everyone! I worked on the RM story and put in the nonchlorine bleach in the toilet bowl tip since it’s something that I’ve researched in the past and has been really useful to me (and to a handful of other green-minded experts I know and trust) in toilet cleaning. A non- chlorine bleach like the one from Seventh Generation is made with ingredients that degrade into oxygen and water- it’s non toxic and free of phosphates and brighteners. It’s definitely a different product than regular old bleach, which I entirely understand your aversion to. Just wanted to add that little note.
    We’re so happy that you were able to do the story and we loved the nursery story in DIY (a sister publication of ours!). -Amy

    Reply

  18. Allison says

    LOVE the pictures of the nursery, and Sherry’s cleaning tips!! You guys need to do more video’s too!! I’ve watched them all and NEED more!! Are you planning on decorating for Fall/Halloween again??

    Reply

  19. Jen says

    One of my new-school-year resolutions for this year is to keep the house more tidy and clean, and these tips will certainly help! When I put it off, I end up wasting my whole Saturday doing a major clean! Thanks, too, for introducing me to Mrs. Meyers — I bought their countertop spray in the lemon verbena scent and it makes me want to clean the countertop every day just for the burst of freshness!

    Reply

  20. Emily says

    I’ve gotta get me some Mrs. Meyers! I love the idea about keeping the cleaning solution in the toilet brush holder. It’s amazing how such a small step can save you so much time and motivate you to get cleaning!

    Reply

  21. andrea p says

    Hey J & S & B & baby C!
    Congrats on the magazine coverage…I love the articles & I really love the “through the window” shot of the nursery!
    I have a quick question…I am heading to the book store after work & I get to choose 2 books as a gift from the hubby.
    I would love a gorgeous home decor book that displays nicely as a coffee table book.
    I would also love a “be all end all” book to green, eco-friendly, organic living…sort of like the bible of being green & healthy.
    Any YHL recommendations??
    Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s really a personal thing, but we love The Home Idea Book (search the title in our search bar for more info) and Gorgeously Green (which you can also search on our blog for more info). Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  22. Kate says

    Both stories look good!

    I really wish I was able to keep up on cleaning like you do, but after a long day at work even dusting seems like a huge chore. And my husband’s habit of leaving his shoes on (which he refuses to give up) doesn’t help. Hopefully your tips will help to inspire me to put more effort into it! Our apartment is fairly clean right now since my in-laws were visiting last weekend, and it really is nice to have things be clean.

    Reply

  23. Darlene W. says

    You guys are great! I’m new to your website and am just thrilled to read your articles! I’m going to order your suggested cleaning solution.

    Thanks Alot! (I’m hoping your decorating ability will rub off on me if I keep reading! Hasn’t happened yet but I can keep hoping! ha ha)

    Reply

  24. Jenny says

    Hey guys…love your blog and congrats on all the success! With a new baby, I thought I would give you some clean-green advice. I have used Babyganics Products for cleaning bottles, sippy cups and even toys for our children. It makes me feel good that I clean things that touch their mouth with something non-toxic. I purchase mine from diapers.com (which is so totally convenient, btw).
    Have a good one!
    ~Jenny

    Reply

  25. Funnelcloud Rachel says

    Congrats on the mag mentions – looks great as always!

    Also, I just noticed another comment about videos and I wanted to second that suggestion – I love you videos (and it would be fun to see Clara make an appearance in some, too!).

    Reply

  26. andrea p says

    Thank you so much for the recommendations – i’ve been meaning to check out “gorgeously green”.
    However, I searched for the “home idea book” on amazon & could not find it…any advice?
    Thank you!

    Reply

  28. Jean says

    Congratulations on the magazine coverage. How fun!

    I have few time-saving cleaning tips as I’m a horrible cleaner. But one thing I do with my wet laundry is hang shirts to dry on coat hangers. I hang them on a clothesline outside or even use the bathroom shower curtain rod. That way when the shirts are dry they’re ready to be hung in the closet.

    Reply

  30. Kim at Yellow Brick Home says

    My husband, Scott, actually saw Sherry’s interview in ReadyMade before me. He said, “Your favorite blog is in our favorite magazine.”

    Ha! Congrats, great tips. We were very pleased to know that we pretty much already follow all those same guidelines. Maintenance cleaning is SO key.

    Reply

  31. Emily Rae says

    I read both those articles and felt so proud of you — is that weird? Sorry. I use Dr Bronner’s lavender soap all over the place — it’s all I carried in Spain last year. Washed clothes, hair, everything w/ it. Someone once showed me a trick to clean a butcher block counter w/ it: Pour some boiling water w/ a little Dr Bronner’s onto a section of the counter. Use a pastry scraper to scrape up all the nasty scum that’s accumulated. Wipe up. Repeat all over.

    Reply

  32. Mallory @ R. Simple Life says

    Hey guys! Thanks for all the cleaning tips. I’ve got a question for you though. I hate when people wear their shoes all over my(rented) white carpet, and we have people over a lot (my husband is in the Air Force so there is always a social event). I have no problem asking my friends to take their shoes off, but how do you make people aware of the fact that you don’t want them to leave their shoes on when more than a few people are going to be over??

    Thanks! Mallory

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Mallory,

      Our guests usually enter through the sunroom which has a huge basket of shoes next to the door. This not so subtle hint is all it seems to take (we rarely ask people to take off their shoes so most people see the pile and slip them off upon entering). Maybe a little shoe basket will do the trick for you?

      xo,
      s

  33. brooke @ claremont road says

    My favorite tip for cleaning (or any household chore that I don’t look forward to, for that matter) is setting a timer to stay on task. If I’m cleaning my bedroom, I’m very likely to get distracted by that box of old photos under the bed that I all of a sudden feel like sorting through, or leave the room to answer the phone and forget to finish cleaning. Setting a timer is a great way to tell yourself, “I have 20 minutes to get all of the vacuuming/dusting/organizing finished,” and not get sidetracked.

    Reply

  35. Alexis says

    OK, I’m going to have to try this Meyer’s Cleaner. I feel like I’ve been seeing it everywhere lately. By the way, I just discovered your blog a few months ago, and I’ve been reading every little detail about your DIY projects. You’re both so creative and you have a beautiful home. Congrats!

    Reply

  38. ~michelle~ says

    Just discovered your blog….your home makeover before and afters are amazing!! One of the best I’ve seen. I LOVE what you did with your den and sun room! So inspiring! ;-) Will have to check out the DIY article!!
    I’ll be back to visit again!

    Reply

  39. Tatiana says

    My girlfriend got me hooked on Meyer’s Cleaner and the rest of their products. I don’t buy anything else now. I have started following the clean a little every day rule. Works wonders! Thanks for always having the best tips and diy projects.

    Reply

  41. Amanda says

    For those who need serious help with cleaning/organizing or who just want to help in learning to how maintain their clean home without spending all their time cleaning, a great website is flylady.net
    The site echoes the advice in the ReadyMade article but also has a lot more help and it’s all free.

    Reply

  43. Jen K says

    Congrats guys! You rock!! You have inspired me to switch out my many cleaning products for Meyer’s. With an almost one year old in the house, it is overdue. Do you have any suggestions for disposal of the typical chemical filled cleaning products? Thanks!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Jen,

      There’s actually a drop off site for them at our local dump (there’s a sign that says something to the effect of “toxic/bleach-based cleaning chemicals” and you can leave all the cleaning products on that labeled platform). Here’s hoping your town has the same thing!

      xo,
      s

  45. Beth says

    I saw the ReadyMade feature earlier this month and did a double take — it was like, don’t I know them?!?! Anyway, my first thought was that the bleach/toilet bowl cleaner ideas was AWESOME. Even after everything else is clean, you still have that gross toilet brush… yuck… But then my second thought was — yikes — CRAWLING BABY! Have you figured out what you’re going to do with the brush/bleach once Clara is crawling? (I have purely shelfish reasons for asking, as we’re just starting to babyproof and that was one tip I desperately wanted to copy!)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Beth,

      We actually mentioned in this write up that the bleach/brush idea is the only thing in the article that the ReadyMade peeps added (we don’t use bleach around these parts so we pointed that out just for those who know what cleaning products we prefer). We just use a bit of Mrs. Meyer’s or Dr. Bronners in the toilet, let it sit, and scrub it about 30 mins later. That way nothing’s on the floor where a soon-to-be-mobile Clara can get into it! But it’s definitely a genius idea to keep it in the brush if you don’t have mobile dogs & kiddos- especially for anyone with non-chlorine bleach like Seventh Generation around the house! Hope it helps!

      xo,
      s

  46. Sarah says

    I mean this as a complement to you guys —

    The photos you have taken and posted of your nursery look a LOT better than the ones that show up in the magazine spread. Maybe they should hire you?

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Hey Chelsea,

      Thanks for the tip! We definitely plan to babyproof our plants (and the rest of our house) when Clara’s a bit more mobile (we love learning as we go, so we didn’t want to break out all the babyproofing stuff now since she won’t be on the move for at least a few more months). Stay tuned!

      xo,
      s

  48. Melissa S. says

    Read your post that pointed out the toilet brush in bleach + water was added by the mag writer. I have seen this suggestion before, but upon doing a bit of research at the time, I found bleach breaks down in water, so it won’t be a disinfectant for long. I haven’t taken chemistry since the 10th grade, so I have no science to back this–only what I’ve read.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      That’s interesting! We haven’t heard the beach-and-water-brush tip before so it sounded neat but bleach certainly could break down over time. Anyone else heard this?

      xo,
      s

  49. Kathleen says

    Hi YHL –
    I went and picked up both magazines you were featured in! Can’t get enough of you guys! Anyways the feature about your nursery in Do It Yourself magazine did not do you guys justice! The picture of you two was very blurry and the pics of the nursery on your blog are so much better! Oh well! I agree with a PP that they should hire you two!

    Reply

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