the dirt tax is what tidy new yorkers pay for living in the city.  Read the new york times article here.

This past week Clean+istry was in Los Angeles, visiting the home of a very smart, stylish and clean friend, where we were introduced to the Tibet Almond Stick.

Furniture gets scratched, even highly valued mid-century modern pieces in the hands of responsible stewards.  Our friend demonstrated the Tibet Almond Stick in treating such an infraction.  Here’s how it works.  Rub the stick (either end) directly onto the scratch and then continue the job with your fingers.  The scratch may not disappear completely, but it becomes almost invisible to the casual glance.

What is the Tibet Almond Stick?  According to the Zenith Chemical Works website, the stick is a tightly rolled cotton stick soaked in a secret family formula.  If your family owns a chemical company then it may be a little more complex than tomato sauce.  So don’t ask too many questions or you may unwittingly find yourself in violation of the Kyoto Protocol intended to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases.

$4.95 at Don Aslett’s Cleaning Center.

Today’s q&a…

Question:  What do you call friends that spill red wine on your B&B Charles Sofa?

Answer:  Ex-Friends

Not so fast…  Simply Spray Fabric Paint is paint that can be sprayed onto soiled furniture transforming the disfigured into something, well, “different”.  According to the The New York Times, it is specially formulated not to rub off on your white bell bottoms or fade in the sun.

Perfect for college students who decorate a la Salvation Army or for families with naughty kids.

We counted 13 colors at spraypaint4fabric.com

The iconic rubber ducky is the universal symbol of ‘clean’ for children everywhere.

Learn the sobering truth about the little fowl here…

related posts:

1. radon lurking within granite countertops
2. definitions:  volatile organic compounds
3. water testing
4. black magic
5. under the sink

The Tate Otama, most simply translated as “stand-up ladle”, is just that. The bottom has been flattened, allowing for it to be easily stored, as well as accessible while in use. And yes, the inside remains rounded.

Reports are that it is currently in production and will be available “sometime”.  For the maintenance of countertops everywhere, we pray soon.

Tate Otama, by Mikiya Kobayashi

via: Spoon & Tamago and Daily Icon

related posts:

1. red dot tenugui
2. give it a rest utensils
3. keru keru
4. utensil pot clips
5. clipper mill pop-up sponges

Is it just us, or is the Arthur Coat Rack one of the best coat rack/landing strip combos we’ve seen in some time?  And the box mounted on the white wall feels very Donald Judd.

$400 up @ wintercheckfactory.com, via bltd

related posts:

1. coat racks
2. coat rack art
3. MUJI landing strip
4. landing strip and key rack
5. NaoLoop

Is the multi-layer toilet seat clever or not?

The only thing we can offer is that with the need arisin’ shuffling through tabs to get to your seat could be a critical time waster.  via freshome.com.

related posts:

1. over-the-top toilets
2. Vipp bath accessories at design within reach
3. New York Times: Flush with Excitement
4. toto washlet
5. Alice Supply Co.

Diplomatic design is a useful skill when one member of a couple is a minimalist and the other has a lot of stuff.

Read the entire article at The New York Times

related posts:

1. furniture that doubles as storage
2. baskets add style to your organizing projects
3. products with a twist
4. spring-cleaning closets
5. coat racks

“my what a beautiful water hose you have!”

Besides being the best garden tool pick-up line EVER, it’s also the Alice Supply Co. water hose.  Alice Supply Co.’s website is up and running and open for business.  You should want to go to there…soon.

$38 @ Alice Supply Co.

related posts:

1. lawn and garden tool storage
2. alice supply co.
3. more tubtrug love
4. cleaning gutter downspouts
5. best of 2008: pressure washer

Lawn and garden tool storage should be more than an afterthought.

vintage tools and hand-forged trowels on an adjustable metal clip at baileyshomeandgarden

elpha at thecontainerstore

trowel in a pot (@ gardens, austin)

a bucket bolted to a wall and a water hose from Martha Stewart, via remodelista.

galvanized metal stacking storage containters and cubbies from Smith & Hawkin