Photo by Kelly Dawson
August is usually an interesting month, as far as freelancing goes.
Editors are often on vacation, and so are sources, making it especially tough to get a deadline let alone meet one. In the past, I’ve planned around this by taking on a few extra assignments in the spring and early summer. But this year, I didn’t have to be so strategic. Instead, I was asked to be Architectural Digest’s resident “how-to” girl — kind of like Andie Anderson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, but with actual work. I had to write a bunch of cleaning stories for the publication, which appealed to me for two reasons: One, it’s a slight departure from my regular interior design beat, and two, I’m routinely excited to learn about the many unsuspecting ways I’m living in filth.
Case in point: I had no idea washing machines had to be cleaned. Like, on the inside. I also didn’t know that there was a setting for this necessity on the very washing machine I’ve used for years until I was working on a story about it. I squealed when I spotted it on the dial, as if I had found $20 in a dirty jean pocket (I did not). Then I told as many people as I could about this feature, and how to use it. Please, invite me to your parties.
The funny thing about freelancing is that it’s easy to amass a heap of knowledge just by accepting an assignment. I did copywriting at a bank for years, and learned how to save and invest from corner-office experts in the process (I also learned a lot about franchising, so hopefully one day I can realize my dream of owning a Taco Bell). Countless interviews with designers and DIYers have made the paint section of a box store much less intimidating, so much so that it took me 10 minutes to pick out the “right” white for a living room based on the amount of light it gets — and the proper finish, too. And now, because of this how-to beat, I know that white vinegar is pretty much the saving grace of any cleaning routine. Seriously, never run out of it.
So, this month was uncharacteristically busy, but as always, I found details in the work that made it fun. Perhaps it’s a personality trait of mine, but if I’m destined to sit at a desk for most of the week, then I hope to find all the silver linings I can that’ll make me smile.
Here’s what I published in August:
Architectural Digest: How to Clean a Microwave: Quick and Easy Hacks You Can Try Right Now
Architectural Digest: How to Clean a Keurig—All You Need Is 30 Minutes and White Vinegar
Architectural Digest: How to Clean a Shower Head and Get Rid of Mineral Buildup
Architectural Digest: How to Clean Your Coffee Maker in Just 30 Minutes
Architectural Digest: How to Clean a Cast-Iron Skillet Without Ruining Your Cookware
Architectural Digest: A Family’s Prewar Apartment Reno Gets Its Inspo From Colorful European Style
Apartment Therapy: I Helped My Parents Give Their Decades-Old Bedroom a Modern New Look
Dwell: Budget Breakdown: A Couple Roll Up Their Sleeves to Revamp a Colorado A-Frame for $164K
Dwell: A Santiago Couple Build Four Cabins—and a New Life—in Chile’s Lakes District
Real Simple: A Living Room Embraces the 'Mountain Living' Look—Without Leaning Too Far Into a Theme
Real Simple: An Annapolis Home's Laundry Room Is Repurposed into a Clever Office With Storage
