DATE: Sunday, October 26, 1997              TAG: 9710250033

SECTION: HOME                    PAGE: G1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MARY FLACHSENHAAR, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   89 lines

WHEN IT COMES TO CLUTTER, JUST HANG IT UP BEHIND THE DOOR

DON'T CURSE IT, kick it, hide it. When you come upon a wet towel or clump of clothes abandoned in a corner, simply ``Hinge-It.''

An Indiana company by that name sells 75 different behind-the-door hanging products designed to help folks gain control over clutter. Most of these devices, which range in price from $4.95 to $39.95, provide free-swinging hooks and bars for towels and clothing. They can be installed in minutes, by popping the hinge pin on a door and then replacing the pin through the bracket.

The Invisible Valet ($29.95) consists of four steel tube bars for hanging towels in the bathroom. The Clothes Tree ($29.95), three easy-to-reach hooks in red, yellow and blue, is an ideal accessory for a child's room. And for men who lack closet space, the Slackrack ($31.95) keeps 10 pairs of slacks wrinkle-free.

Hinge-It products are available in Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target stores. They can also be ordered by calling the company toll-free at (800) 599-6328. TUNE UP YOUR KITCHEN

If your kitchen is shrouded with grease and grime, you may want to tune in to this new concept: the kitchen tune-up. This one-day scrub attack that restores the original luster to wood surfaces in the kitchen is offered locally by Scott and Jennifer Hellman of Norfolk.

Husband and wife have done about two dozen tune-ups since they hung out their shingle in August. Their business is part of the company KTU Worldwide, which is based in South Dakota and operates about 300 kitchen tune-up franchises in more than 40 states.

Here's how it works: Kitchen cabinetry is scrubbed with an all-purpose cleaner and then gets a wax wash. Then comes an application of conditioning oil, which refurbishes the wood and brings back its shine.

The average kitchen is tuned up in six to eight hours, usually at a cost of between $300 and $400. For an additional charge, Jennifer and Scott, who is a master carpenter, also offer cabinet refacing, replacement hardware, custom cabinets and counter tops, custom vinyl core shelf and drawer lining and closet organizer systems.

For information or for a free demonstration, call 625-5154. RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE

The event is ``Home for the Holidays,'' and its purpose is to raise at least $1 million for the 150 Ronald McDonald houses in the United States and Canada.

Nationwide, more than 4,000 retailers will participate, 28 of them in the Hampton Roads/northeastern North Carolina area. Money raised locally will benefit the Norfolk Ronald McDonald House, which, like the other 181 houses worldwide, provides a home-away-from-home to the families of seriously ill, hospitalized children.

The local retailers, which include Hecht's department stores, will host decorating seminars, demonstrations and holiday activities during the event, which runs from Saturday through Nov. 9.

Retailers will also donate $1 from the sale of each limited-edition, Ronald McDonald House ornament to their local house. The hand-painted ceramic replica of a house will sell for $7.50.

The event is sponsored by Department 56, a Minnesota-based designer, importer and distributor of collectibles.

For the list of local stores that will participate in the fund-raiser, call toll-free 1-888-D56-HOMES. MORE ROOM, MAGICALLY

Do you have a small room you'd like to appear bigger?

Here are some abracadabra-style tricks from New York designer Michael Foster. They appear in the October issue of Ladies' Home Journal.

Instead of a sofa, use a less-massive bench or day bed. For bulky upholstered furniture substitute wooden pieces with open arms to let light and air pass through. Find ways to trick the eye: A landscape painting encased in a window frame with shutters creates the feeling of dimension outside the room. Mirrors give a room depth too. THE DIRT ON DUSTING

We happened across a fun bit of trivia in a press packet from the folks who make Pledge. In a survey of 1,000 men and women, 27 percent of men said they dust most often. Not so, said the women, who claim maybe only 3 percent of men do the dusting.

Perhaps fingerprints could settle this conflict, but alas, they've probably been dusted away. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

HINGE-IT

Hinge-it offers 75 products...

Photo

Sales of this ornament will benefit Ronald McDonald houses.

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