Real Living Space

I know everyone’s doing the eco-friendly bit, right down to makeup and dishwashing liquid, but are the eco-friendly household cleaners any good? Somehow, all the chemically dangerous stuff that’s in the cleaners contribute to their dirt-busting, germ-killing efficiency. So for one month, I set aside all my Chemical Brothers-laden commercial cleaners and tried out one of the more famous eco lines, Messy Bessy products. Here’s my review of some of them:

Eucalyptus All-purpose Scrub, P250/P400: I think its basic ingredient here is baking soda, which we all know is a n effective household cleaning agent that can be found in any kitchen. The best part about it is its minty-fresh scent, and the coarseness of the baking soda makes it a good scrub, tho it sometimes leaves residue on ceramic surfaces.

Dishwashing Liquid, P130/P440: Not my favorite product, because you need a lot just to remove grease; so you actually spend more than you would if you buy _ _ _ dishwashing liquid. It smells amazing, though. Best used if you like washing dishes in the batis, so as not to poison the fishies.

Minty Orange Surface Cleaner, P240/P440:  This is my favorite—it’s actually effective. Disinfects and cleans grotty kitchen countertops, and most bathroom surfaces, plus it leaves a lovely orange-rind scent.

The Little Warrior, P70/500: Another good multi-tasking product. A favorite of the RL girls, and they use it as a hand sanitizer. Best part is it doesn’t dry out the skin.

There you go. Try out some of their products, to give your standard cleaners a break (and help out on the eco-bit, too). And maybe have your househelp give it a try, too.  Available at the Echostore at Serendra, The Podium, and Katipunan, or click here.  (photo by Jun Pinzon)

Watch our tour of this month’s Ultimate Makeover of the Baldevarona’s home on Urban Zone! Get to see up close the amazing “after” results of designers Jean Paul dela Rosa and Kristine Neri’s work.

Catch it on September 5, on ABS-CBN Channel 2, right after “Sunday’s Best.”

A few weeks back, me and my friends Carlo, Jenny, and Coni attended RL creative director Gwyn Guanzon’s play for the College of St. Benilde’s Technical Theater class (yes, Gwyn can act too), and we got an additional treat right after the show—an up-close look at St. Benilde’s beautiful building…

I wish all design schools looked like this! (And not that I’m complaining about UP—still love my school) It was designed by modernist architect Ed Calma, right at the height of his PRC licensure controversy (FYI it’s over, Calma is now a licensed Filipino architect). The deconstructivist/modernist building is an amazing example of how good design can make the most out of a tight, crowded area—in this case, right smack in the middle of downtown Manila. Upon approach, its facade’s sharp creases and folds open to reveal a dramatically airy space. And I like the fact that it’s peppered with amazing artwork in the lobby…

And the students’ exhibit of miniature chairs just took me right back to my college days!

To date, the college is beefing up its design programs, offering more intense courses on industrial and interior design, architecture, multimedia, filmmaking, even production design. Students are encouraged to take a more hands-on, experiential approach to learning, which is definitely good. For more information on the college, click here.

While we’re on the topic of design education, SOFA (School of Fashion and the Arts) recently opened its School of Interior Design, offering courses on Visual Editing, entertaining, and renovating on a budget among other things.  Interesting—but do take the basic design classes first! For more info, call the academic and marketing officer at (02) 892-8807.