Forget making the bed, let's start with washing it!

I must confess, I've been a little preoccupied with the bedroom lately. Whether it's decorating choices, inspirational photos and products or the simple question of whether you should make your bed daily (and, it turns out, more than half of Yourhomers - 58 per cent - do), the boudoir has certainly been on my mind.

Despite all these thoughts of bedroom decor, I never stopped to consider just how clean it is when you're slipping between the sheets.

A recent survey conducted for Sunlight laundry detergent, as part of the launch of their new Deep Clean line, found out that more than a third - 36 per cent - of Canadian women admit to going a month without changing their sheets! As a once a week (and, when I can swing it, changing out the pillowcases midweek!) washer, I can't help but cringe at the thought.

Worse yet is the thought of what's lingering in those sheets. Ninety-five per cent of the survey's respondents said they were confident their laundry was free of sweat and body oils after washing (something I'd certainly always taken for granted as fact!) but Sunlight's lab, using fluorescing agents, found sweat and body oils glowing under UV lights even after they'd been washed with other detergents. Ew. (Of course, the company's new product line is designed to target that gunge that you can't see.) 

If you watch out their commercial (embedded below) you can see the UV test - which looks pretty nasty.

Other fun (if gross) laundry facts:

- Almost half - 46 per cent - of Canadian women have fished clothes out of the dirty laundry basket to wear again

- Over a quarter - 26 per cent - only wash pants, skirts or dresses when they become visibly dirty

- 14 per cent admit to wearing the same socks for several days in a row

- 31 per cent wait to wash their jeans until they're visibly dirty

- One per cent wait until underwear are visibly dirty before they are washed

I suspect that even the queen of half-assed housekeeping would not approve!

Wordless Wednesday: When can I move in?

OK, not quite "wordless" - but this space hits all the right notes for me! Consider it added to the inspiration folder.

(Photo from House and Home gallery of Arren Williams' favourite rooms.)

Shop like a pro: Perfect planters

Shop like a pro's Angela Koszuta (shoplikeapro@hotmail.com) rounds up the perfect planters to add structure, charm and sophistication to container flowers on your front deck or in your back garden.

Galvanized metal Huson planter, $26.99, available at Ikea.

Madison planter in six sizes and various colours, $55 and up. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Freda urn, $215. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Fleur de Lis planter box in two sizes, $35 (17") and $50 (24"). Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Eye planter in blackberry, $275. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Etruscan urn, $140. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.
 

Estate square planter, $380. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Ellis weathered terra cotta box, $340. Available at Barracuda Home & Garden, 527 Parliament St., 416-923-7789.

Stratford Planter in polyresin with mounting brackets, $49.50, from Lee Valley Tools, 1-800-267-8767.

Bronze tapered planters, shown in two sizes, $59.95 and $79.95. Available at Crate & Barrel.

Weekend roundup

There may be a few aspiring (or accomplished) home reality television stars among Yourhomers, as according to last week's poll roughly a third of our readers have applied to casting calls. The remaining 70 per cent are more comfortable handling their moves and renovations without the cameras running. And be sure to check out our tips for getting cast.

This week, once again inspired by an article I was working on, I'm wondering whether readers would be willing to live in a haunted house? Read the story, share your thoughts in the comments and let me know in the front page poll.

Personally, I started off thinking I would be cool with any inherited spirits, so long as they were friendly. Then, after researching Paranormal Home Inspection, I spent a few nights hearing all manner of strange noises. While they are all easily explained away as roving raccoons, cranky neighbourhood cats and the regular creaks of an older home, it has showed me that maybe I'm not as tough as I thought!

For some more, less spooky, weekend reading, be sure to check out:

- Colin and Justin create a masculine pad for a media exec

- Natural swimming pools

- Garden tips so you can spend more time on the greens

- Curly versus flat parsley

- Small developer makes an impact on the downtown east side

- What they got: A look at recent real estate transactions in the GTA

A stylish way to keep cool

After several hot, sticky nights of tossing and turning thanks to the recent heat wave (read all about it in the Star's new Weather360 blog), I have a new appreciation for fans. Well, at least their function. Air circulation is so key to remaining sane when the temperatures soar, but the method of delivery is rarely stylish.

That's where the new Dyson (yep, like the vacuum cleaner) "bladeless" fan - the Dyson Air Multiplier comes in.

The sleek (and, dare I say, sexy?) fan, first unveiled last year and now popping up at major retailers, works by drawing air into its base, using a hidden fan, and forcing it out through a small gap in the ring. No blades involved.

Dyson claims the Air Multiplier is 15 times more efficient than a normal desk fan, plus it's easy to clean (no getting between gaps in grates) and it's kid and pet-friendly, with no need to fear little fingers or noses getting caught in whirring blades.

While I have yet to shell out for one, the product has certainly caught on. There are reports the company has increased production in an effort to keep store shelves stocked and the Telegraph has said it's set to be the gadget of the summer in the U.K.

Of course, all that technology comes at a price - the Air Multiplier starts around $300. For more details, check out the Dyson website.

Keep your house cool, and your cooling costs down, with these tips

My summer wardrobe, and collection of fans, have been put to the test this week as the temperatures have crept up over 30 degrees (check out our Weather360 blog for all the latest on the heat wave).

While protesting that I just wasn't built for this sweltering heat, I've also been very thankful for any air conditioning I can get! But, of course, all those constantly running cooling units also strain our electrical system, and Monday's blackout, while not actually caused by the heat, was a good reminder that we need to cut back on our consumption to keep the city running smoothly.

To help limit the stress on the grid - and our bank accounts - Direct Energy suggests:

- Raise the thermostat. By using a programmable thermostat, you can raise the temperature a few degrees during the day when you're not at home and at night when the temperatures are cooler - basically, when you won't notice the change. Raising the thermostat by five degrees Celsius could save 10 per cent on your energy bill.

- Cool efficiently. Keep blinds, carpets and furniture free of the vents, so your cooling system can distribute air evenly and efficiently. And be sure to close vents in less used rooms, so you're not wasting money cooling those spaces.

- Block the sun. Close blinds and curtains on the eastern facing side of the house in the morning and western in the afternoon to help keep the sun from making your space even hotter.

- Use fans. Ceiling fans are more energy efficient than turning on the air conditioner to maximize air circulation and move the cooled or fresh air throughout the home. Ceiling fan blades should move the air downwards in the summer and upwards in the winter.

- Use energy efficient appliances. Check the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating on your A/C unit. A 13 SEER rating can deliver as much as 28 per cent more efficiency than that of an older 10 SEER model. 

- Check your windows and weather stripping. You can lose up to 30 per cent of the cooling in your home through poorly fitted windows and doors - and these days, you most certainly want to keep that cold air in! Seal up leaks with caulking and weather stripping. Sealing up just one older window can save five to 10 per cent in cooling costs. 

- Stop the vampire power drain. Electronics - such as TVs, computers and appliances - suck power when they're in standby mode or not in use. Turn them off and pull the plug, or hook them up to a power bar to make it even easier to turn them all off.

And be sure to check out our tips for getting the most out of your portable air conditioner.

Restroom style: Canada's best restroom contest

When it comes to handing out restaurant recommendations, the quality of the food and service, as well as the ambience and location, often rank high on my list of proffered details. Now I might need to add the washroom decor and cleanliness to my rankings, after learning about Canada's Best Restroom Contest.

“We like to think of this contest as a fun, light-hearted way of drawing the public’s attention to the very important issue of restroom hygiene,” says Cintas Canadian Marketing Manager Leslie Molin in a release. “People don’t think about such things until they walk into a poorly kept restroom, and then it matters. After that, the odds are they won’t be back.”

The five finalists, three in Toronto and two in Vancouver, were chosen for being "immaculate, inviting and, most of all, memorable." The winner will be chosen based on a public, online vote.

Toronto's finalists are:

Mildred's Temple Kitchen, shown above, for its "hand-painted murals, designer fixtures, slate floor and slate walls."

Spice Route Asian Bistro & Bar, shown above, for its "eclectic Asian decor, exposed stone walls and rich coloured tiles overlooking a private garden oasis."

And the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, which features "designer fixtures, mosaic tile" and is "100% hands-free."

The Shangri-La Hotel and the Cactus Club Cafe, both in Vancouver, also make the top five.

Weekend roundup

More than a third of Yourhomers were showing off their patriotic pride this week!

Whether it's through a liberal sprinkling of red and white, a collection of maple leafs or showcasing the work of Canuck designers about 40 per cent of readers, according to the latest poll, decorate their home for Canada Day. The remaining 60 per cent skip the July 1 decor. And, because it's never to early to start planning for next year, be sure to check out some of our chic Canadiana finds.

This week, with an inbox full of casting calls, I'm wondering how many of you have applied to be on a home reality television show? Read about one family's experience and check out our tips for getting cast, then let me know in the front page poll.

And, for a little more weekend reading, check out:

- Colin and Justin's tips for maxing out your hallway decor

- Four $100 projects to spruce up your home over the long weekend

- Gardening tips to help you spend more time in the hammock

- Our knife-buying guide

- Home tour with comic/actor/screenwriter/producer Monica Parker

A pretty typewriter for my walls

I've been daydreaming about possible places to hang this beautiful photo by Philip Ficks ever since it popped up on the Lushlee (formerly Jars of Cute) blog.

The typography, the cheery teal typewriter and the sentiment - "I'm most happy when I type" - I love it all. It's like this photo was taken just for me!

And, on an inspiration level, this shot has strengthened my resolve to pick up a retro typewriter to enhance my relatively modern decor as soon as I spy a good candidate online or at a neighbourhood yard sale!

See more of Ficks' work here.