The very IN drying Dish Rack

[Rant n Raven]

I am forced into fixing up my kitchen. If the mold and leaking wasn't enough there is also the lead paint!!

Anyway, I have been trying to do everything cheap and green.

After taking bunches of books out of the library I have seen this wooden dish drying rack which hangs on the wall. The deal is why bother drying your dishes and then putting them away in a cabinet. Just store them where you dry them. I like the idea because it is simple and makes sense.

However, I can not find anything like this on the web or in stores. I wish I was skilled enough to make one but I don't even have the tools.

So...do any of the Mamas know of where I can get this OR can someone make one for me. I will pay or barter.

Sustainable wood, low toxic stain like OS Hardwax would be great. Supporting a stay at home Mom or Dad is definate bonus in my book.

It needs to be really sturdy and hangable. Usually it is made of dowels or rows of rectangular pieces.

Sorry if this is such off the beaten track but I always go to MOTHERING to figure out stuff!

[Beck]

What a great idea! I always air dry my dishes. I hope you're able to find someone to help you with this. Maybe a local handy person can custom fit it for your kitchen?

[Peppamint]

I would ask around for a local craftman. We actually have an old fellow around the corner who will make anything out of wood. Show him an example or picture. It's expensive, but he uses only the best wood and of course, there's nothing better than supporting a working man or woman in the US knowing the product wasn't made with slave labor.

Let us know if you find one!

PS- what book was it in if I may ask?

[srain]

If you change your mind, the only tools you'd need to build one with would be a hand saw and a handheld drill, tools which most homeowners own and are willing to lend out. If you want any tips, PM me.

[SimplyaMama]

I found some at an unfinished furniture website, but these seem to be painted...maybe for display?

plate racks


I like the selection of dining tables, bookcases, etc...they seem very nice. Have not ordered from them yet, however.

[madrone]

DH is a woodworker and we used to live near Portland. We know many woodworkers there. PM me if you want to hire someone.

[becca29]

I'm not sure about the dish rack, but I'm curious about how you're handling the lead paint. All of our cabinetswere painted a couple of years ago before we bought our house, but they're also scraping off where they close up against one another. I did an at home lead test last summer and it came up negative for lead paint, but now I just read that those aren't always that accurate. Now our baby's due in two months and I'm freaking out that maybe there is some lead paint underneath the regular paint. Problem is, even if we hire a professional to check it, I'm not sure what we would do if it was lead. I don't think we can afford to hire someone to srip and remove it, but I don't want there to be a hazzard for the baby. Sorry for rambling, I was jsut wondering what you've decided to do...

becca

[Rant n Raven]

I am still researching the rack thing so I haven't been posting. Thank you to everyone who posted information. You are all so awesome...but you knew that.

About the Lead thing Becca,

-Don't freak out. Being calm and knowing that balance is key in everything. Especially when you are preggers and have so much other stuff to think about.

-Painting was a good thing to do. Removal, scraping or in any way disturbing it is a very bad idea. Especially with a baby on the way.

-Get someone besides you to do a wet dusting to the area including below the cabinets twice a week and even if there is lead you have lowered your risk by ALOT.

-Make sure you are getting enough calcium and iron. You should be anyway, New Mama! The reason that lead gets into your system is that your body thinks that it is iron or calcium. If you are getting enough of these minerals then your body will flush out the lead.

-If you are still worried get a blood test.

-If you wish to settle yourself on this issue get a risk assesor (make sure they do the xray type testing), water tester and soil tester. They will tell you the easiest ways to lower your risk.

-Many counties have free workshops, info and even testing. Call your local government.

-You can 'Brita' your water if you wish.

-Have folks remove their shoes at the door.

-Have a good vacuum (HEPA) and damp dust.

-And lastly remember that generations (including our own) have been living with lead and they are not doing THAT badly! Take care, good luck and don't worry too much.

-Rant

[becca29]

Thanks for all the tips! I always feel better knowing that I'm not the only one dealing with all of this stuff. I've actually been doing a lot of this stuff already (lots of iron/calcium foods and vitamins, brita filter, shoes off at the door, etc.)
I think the next big thing is to get hubby doing the wet dusting in the kitchen, even if it turns out to not be lead paint, at least it will be really clean!

I wish I better knew the history of our house. All of the woodwork is painted white in the entire house, with only one other coat of a cream colored paint underneath it. My thought is that either everything was stripped and repainted, or just had been varnished and then someone decided to paint all the woodwork. I can't imagine that in 78 years only two coats of paint were put on if it had been painted since the start, and if that's the case it seems that the lead paint would be gone. Guess I'll never really know, but it will be nice when we get it all tested and know for sure!