Decorate or clean better with this year's gadget picks
Perhaps just the gadget you need will break through today at the International Home + Housewares Show. Keeping an eye on the trade show at McCormick Place, which is not open to the public, is a great early spring sport.
Here are some products we like and hope to see soon in our favorite stores.
Frockz
Slipcovers for lampshades. There has to be a reason no one thought of this before. I can't count the number of lamps I have exiled to the back porch or basement just because the shade was grungy.
Frockz are polyester, similar to the fabric that goes into women's swimming suits. They come in two shapes and three sizes and stretch over the shade in question. The stylish prints range from zebra to mod art to floral and oriental, and plain ones are planned. The prices are $26 to $34. Visit frockz.com.
Eclipse
Casabella's Eclipse line of cleaning products fits well in the trend toward green or environmentally friendly products. You will find a bucket made from recycled soda bottles, an ergonomic pole of recycled aluminum and different cleaning heads like mops, brooms and dusters. The sponge parts are 30 percent soy products. The bucket costs $13, each tool with a pole $30, and the heads alone are $17 each. They are made in the United States and are available at Container Store and Whole Foods. Visit casabella.com.
Penguins
Sometimes I buy too many salt and pepper sets. Here are some little tempters: two penguins that glide and roll across the table on spring-loaded wheels. They could liven our next dinner party. Kito Design recommends a retail price of $20 a pair, and you should find them in specialty shops and via mail order.
Canteen
You can tell we're a nation that stops a lot at coffee shops. Bodum presents Canteen handleless, double-wall white porcelain cups wrapped in a silicone nonslip grip. The cups come in three sizes, the grips in eight colors. They are priced from $25 to $40 for two and will be available in late spring or early summer. Visit bodum.com.
Get it open
We're not sure the world needs another can opener, but I am aware that reaching for a knife whenever I am confronted with a plastic clamshell package can be a bit scary.
Starfrit presents the SecuriMax Auto can opener that promises to grip the can automatically and cut it in such a way to leave no sharp edges on the can or lid. It is $20 from Starfrit.com.
Zip-it Opener is a battery-powered tool for opening plastic clamshells and blister packs. It works with sharp roller blades protected by a plastic guard. Zipitopener.com sells it for $25.
Pro Tongs
Each set of Pro Tongs from iSi North America has three different edges. You use different ones for delicate tasks, those requiring precision or a firm grip. They also come in three different sizes with prices from $20 to $30 and should be available this week. Visit isinorthamerica.com.
Artwork
Aladdin presents the work of six artists on travel mugs and the lids of 20-ounce plastic bowls in its Artist Series. It's a chance to enjoy art every day, even when you're on the road. Each is $20, and they will be available this spring at retailers and Aladdin-pmi.com.
Steam
Perhaps it's time to try steam cleaning. One of the available products is the Haan Steam Cleaning Floor Sanitizer. It costs $90 for a machine that cleans sealed hard surfaces, and for $10 more you get an adapter that works on carpets, bedding and upholstered furniture. The sanitizer with machine-washable microfiber pads is designed to replace a mop and bucket and work without detergents. It is available at QVC.com. Visit haanusa.com.
Vipp
We certainly wouldn't urge you to spend $250 to $470 on a limited edition garbage can. But it is kind of cool to see Vipp's tribute to Yellow Cab and the city of New York.
The city that never sleeps and where folks spend a lot of time hailing these distinctive yellow taxis is home to Vipp's first showroom outside of Denmark.
However, the bins and other products for the kitchen, bath and laundry are available in other colors, too. A few Chicago stores sell these products. Visit vipp.com.