October 8, 2004

Philadephia Inquirer

Need to get organized? Maybe this time… this guidebook…

By Alan J. Heavens

I’ve concluded that there would be less need to add on to our houses if we knew how to arrange the stuff we own. My basement has become the model of organization. No matter what I am searching for, I can find it, and quickly. The same can be said of my workshop. Need a screwdriver? Got to the drawer that holds every screwdriver I own and find what I need. Sometimes I mess up, though. I needed a nail set a couple of weeks ago, and it took me 20 minutes to find where I keep them. And we won’t even talk about the light that attaches to the barbecue so you can see to cook after sunset. I’ve been looking for a week. Still, I’m successful about 95 percent of the time.

This brings me to Real Simple: The Organized Home, published by the people who produce the magazine of the same name. What the book offers are artistic ways to organize your stuff without making it look as if you’ve simply put it in a pile. There are tips for organizing every part of your home, including the hall closet, your bathroom and bedroom, and the pantry. I just wish there were a way of organizing all these home-related books without having to build more bookcases to hold them. If you put too many of them in a pile, they tend to topple. No matter how pretty they look.

Price: $27.95. Published by Time Inc. Information: realisimple.com

Odor out of chaos

Why is it that dogs can drink out of the toilet but can’t seem to find it when they get sick? Our beagle, Emmy, limits her drinking to her water bowl, but I sure wish she could be taught to head for the bathroom when she’s sick to her stomach. As with all beagles, she certainly can find things that might make her sick. I spend more time pulling trash out of her mouth when I walk her than just about any other activity.

Her favorite spot is the rug under the dining room table. To keep things under control there, we bought a spray at the pet store designed to clean the spot, hide the odor, and discourage her from using the area again. It doesn’t work. I finally had to buy a box of baking soda, dump it on the rug, and leave it there overnight before vacuuming. That worked.

Stains on the cotton throw rug in my younger son’s room were removed by taking it outside, scrubbing it with soap and a brush, rinsing it with the hose, and drying it on the line in the basement. Actually, that carpet now looks as new as it did when we bought it two years ago. (Maybe I should also do the other red cotton throw rug in the library, where Emmy never ventures.)

If you’d like to try it, there’s a new odor-fighting product on the market called SeaYu Petrotech, which is available at PetsMart. The manufacturer says the product encapsulates and biodegrades odors on contact. It is also billed as nontoxic and made entirely from organic ingredients. It is recommended not only for pet odors, but for hampers that hold sweat socks and teenagers’ clothing.

A 16-ounce can costs $12.95. There is a complete money back guarantee. Information: www.sea-yu.com

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