Creative minds put to the use of good design can make a big difference in the world! Look at the simple act of washing clothes. Clean clothes can be important for health and dignity. But what do you do if you don’t have a washing machine (through choice or economic circumstance) and don’t want to flash back to pioneer days and wash your clothes with large metal tubs and washing boards?

Enter the Swirl — used for clothes-washing AND fun! Calfinder points out that this product probably has the best use in developing countries. Nonetheless, its principles could make it work anywhere.

It’s simple and ingenious. According to its maker, designaffairs STUDIO, it works this way:

Swirl is a human focused design that simplifies washing in developing countries. The overall design resembles a ball containing a swirled sphere shaped basket and lid, connected to a steel tube handle. Washing is accomplished through the rotation of the “washing ball” – using long distance travelling to and from water supply to wash the clothes. The user can also wash by just rolling it back and forth in slow rotation cycles. At home, after the basket is filled with clothes, the lid should be screwed and the handle locked in. Transportation can easily be done by pulling or pushing the handle. At the water source, the basket should be filled with water and the product is ready to wash.

Simple, useful and fun! Swirl’s use of good, creative, flexible design does a world of good.

Photos courtesy of designaffairs STUDIO.

The bathroom is a great place to add some whimsy. Most of what goes on in there takes place behind closed doors, so design elements that might not fly in a public space just work in the confines of the bathroom.

If you want add the right touch to a child’s bathroom, remodel your bathroom with nautical theme, or simply make the bathtub a conversation piece, we recommend this tub from The Water Monopoly (via Shelterrific). It’s light, fun and happy, perfect for bathing during the gray winter days.

Continuing his reporting from the International Builders Show, Lou Manfredini uncovers some of the more innovative products on the show floor.

He meets with a representative from Bosch Appliances to learn about their new dishwasher, which operates with a focus on efficient use of energy and water. Lou also gets an introduction to a home automation system by Leviton.

Kevin Morrow, senior program manager for NAHB, talks with Lou about the National Green Building Standard.

Lou Manfredini reports from the show floor at IBS on Wednesday, “Green Day.” Sponsored by Marvin Windows, the day is focused on a number of sustainability and efficiency-related topics.

Lou shows us a residential wind turbine from Windtronics as well as GAF’s reflective shingles and ventilation systems for cooling your roof — thereby reducing cooling costs and energy use on warm days.

Lou spoke with Kevin Morrow, senior program manager for NAHB, about products builders can use to improve a home’s energy efficiency and Michael Still of Marvin Windows and Doors about SFI and FSC certification. These “green” certification programs ensure that products add value to your home and are healthy for the environment.

Marvin Windows and Doors brought home improvement expert and Today Show contributor Lou Manfredini to the International Builders Show in Las Vegas this week to roam the show floor and find the most interesting and most innovative new products on display.

In today’s first video report, Lou shows us:

• DuPont’s new roof liner, a replacement for tar paper
• Corian countertops, available in several new styles
• Leviton’s new dimmer that actually works for dimming compact fluorescent light bulbs
• Marvin’s gorgeous wall of glass, the new Ultimate Lift and Slide Door

Stay tuned this week for more video reports from Lou and other updates from Marvin’s team at the show.

If you think of felt as a material for grade-school art projects, think again! It can be used for a variety of things, including accessories like purses and briefcases, book covers and home uses.

FELT studio has a wide variety of products. We especially love their felt wall covers. Whether used for panels, moldings or hangings, felt is an unusual way to add warmth and interest to your walls.

Check it out and see what felt can do for you!

If Santa is coming to your house this Christmas, you might want to make sure he has the traditional mode of entry — a fireplace. To make sure Kris Kringle is impressed enough to leave some real goodies, you will want to make sure the fireplace is safe, clean and, of course, stylish.

To go beyond the traditional hearth, Charles and Hudson profiled these fireplaces. This floating fireplace from Focus-Creation has a Space Age elegance and would be a great option for when you don’t want to take up wall space to install a fireplace.

If you really can’t decide what angle you want to sit at to face the fire, the TURN fireplace by Schweiger & Viererbl might be your answer! It rotates 360 degrees and has a neat place to store kindling.

Via Freshome, we discovered the work of artist Elena Colombo. Her firescapes are awe-inspiring and truly imaginative. We especially like these riffs on classic fireplaces.

Enjoy the beauty and warmth of the winter months, and don’t be afraid to expand your design horizons!

Furniture made out of paper…yes, paper. Molo’s softseating is available in kraft paper or textiles. We love this product because of its innovation for making something beautiful out of something so ordinary.

Softseating has magnets on the ends, so it can be constantly be re-arranged. Unlike traditional pieces of furniture that are statically placed, Molo’s softseating can be joined together in countless configurations.

The kraft paper softseating is made from a durable, unbleached paper. It is 100% recyclable. And never fear if you don’t want the normally tan color of kraft paper: it’s available in black as well.

A more “traditional” option would be textile softseating. This is made from Tyvek, a non-woven polyethelyne material. This version comes in black and white.

If you’re looking for a different sort of furniture, Molo’s softseating is flexible and a real conversation starter!

Photos courtesy of Molo

Our friends at MoCo Loco recently featured a new product design from Karim Rashid. Obviously, we’re big fans of his work, but we also appreciate his cool modern aesthetic.

His recent work for Gorenje resulted in some fun space-age appliances that manage to appear warm and welcoming. Rashid managed to incorporate his signature curvy lines into these appliances…no easy task. This stovetop may look like it has a pencil sketch on it, but it’s really burners.

The hood and wall oven have gently flowing angles and fun splashes of color.

These appliances would be a great way to make a kitchen truly unique! To learn more about Karim Rashid, please visit his Web site.

Cleaning: some of us like to do it more than others. It’s not just the time and labor spent that can make a person eager to put it off until tomorrow, but also the harsh chemicals and fumes used in most cleaning products.

There has been a recent interest in environmentally-friendly cleaning products, and the “green” section of the drugstore cleaning aisle continues to grow.  Brands such as Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day and Seventh Generation have many loyal fans and many traditional cleaning product brands are dipping their toes into the world of green cleaning.

Along with the interest in finding cleaning products that are gentle on the earth, many consumers are now faced with tighter budgets.  So what’s the best way to combine effective cleaning, green dreams and newfound frugality? Make your own cleaning products, of course!

Mary Hunt, who has a well-known syndicated column called “Everyday Cheapskate” and a website called Debt-Proof Living, is a proponent of making your own cleaning products.  Not only will you save lots of money (her main concern), but you’ll also be helping the planet.  Most homemade cleaning solutions use products found around your house like: soap or detergent, baking soda, vinegar or lemon juice.

Here are some tips to make your own cleaning agents. For more tips, visit the Debt-Proof Living website and learn more about making your own cleaners.

To clean pretty much everything, combine ½ cup ammonia, ½ cup vinegar and ¼ cup baking soda in a gallon of warm water.  This would work especially well for cleaning countertops since the baking soda helps get rid of any food odors that might be lingering.

Need to remove some tough stains from glass? In a spray bottle, mix together ammonia and rubbing alcohol in equal parts.

Mary offers a couple recipes for bathroom cleaning. For bathtubs and shower tiles, mix together 1 2/3 cups baking soda, ½ cup liquid soap (no detergent!), ½ cup water and two tablespoons white vinegar.  For cleaning toilets, a green way is to brush baking soda and vinegar around the bowl.

It is worth pointing out that none of these recipes contain bleach. Remember that it can be deadly to mix bleach with ammonia, vinegar or another acid-producing substance.

Be safe, be green, be cheap and be clean!

Photo Courtesy of The Healthy Shoppers on Flickr