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Letter to the editor

Home front: Curb clutter by tossing these organizers

By Times Staff, Wires
Published February 9, 2008

These "organizing tools" just add to the clutter, so get rid of them, says ShopSmart magazine, the spinoff magazine from Consumer Reports aimed at young female readers: accordion files (catchalls for clutter); space bags (puffy items like comforters can pop open the bags); plastic containers with rims that stick out at the ends (space wasters); cardboard boxes (they can weaken or be damaged, especially if you store things in humid areas).

Give your sink a colorful glow

This is so cool, and it's environmentally respectable too. The LED faucet light attaches to the end of your faucet. When the water flows through it, the lights turn on. Choose from the blue LED (all blue, all the time) or the blue/red: blue when the water's cool, red when the temperature hits 89 degrees. Order from www.thinkgeek.com for $12.99 to $14.99 and make midnight trips to the bathroom all the more exciting.

Everything leaves a mark on marble

What was he thinking? Lindsay Bierman, executive editor of Cottage Living magazine, installed marble countertops in his kitchen. Now he's shocked to discover that "everything seems to leave a mark. Even a glass of water." No kidding, Lindsay. That's why most designers strongly discourage using marble as a counter surface. Wine, tomato sauce, grape juice and acids will leave long-lasting souvenirs. "Once I got over that, I began to love the patina," he says. Uh-huh. Live and learn.

Go green: Give an old TV a new life

As millions of consumers buy the next new thing in TVs, what can be done with all those older models that still work fine? At www.mygreenelectronics.org, the Consumer Electronics Association lists charities, schools and community programs that accept donated televisions. These include Goodwill Industries (which resells them) and Throwplace.com, which matches old TVs with nonprofit organizations. Other takers: Habitat for Humanity, which sells sets to support building programs at its Habitat ReStores (www.habitat.org; search "restores"). Online, there's Freecycle (www.freecycle.org), a cyber bulletin board.

[Last modified February 8, 2008, 12:08:01]