The Weekend Cleanse: DIY Air, Lights, & Elbow Grease

 The week's tasks entailed

Clean oxygen is like I'm an aerospace engineering 

💨 Clean Air on a Budget: Meet the Corsi-Rosenthal Box

After an epic cleaning session indoors and out, I'm taking the pursuit of a healthy home to the next level! I just finished building my very own Corsi-Rosenthal Box (CR Box), a DIY air purifier designed to significantly improve indoor air quality for a fraction of the cost of commercial units. I'm hoping this will be a game-changer, especially for controlling pet dander, those pesky dust and dog mites, and general pet odor.

The construction took about half an hour of focused effort (after waiting a week for all the parts to arrive), and I'm really proud of how it turned out. The best part? The total cost of the fan and high-efficiency filters is roughly one-third the price of my existing, single-filter Rabbit Air unit. It delivers similar powerful air cleaning capacity or I figure it's way better at doing the job without breaking the bank. If you're looking for a cost-effective way to get cleaner air and tackle indoor allergens, definitely look into building one of these yourself!

✨ Adding Ambiance: Installing Feature Lighting

After building the air purifier, I also had a chance to work on another project that's been on my mind: installing some feature lighting in my office, which came from my late uncle's collection of things. I'm really happy with how it turned out!

The goal was to create some warm, atmospheric lighting around the black curtains. I took the strip lights I had from his collection and carefully ran them along the ceiling line, right above where the curtain rod is mounted. This placement ensures that the light washes down subtly over the curtains and the wall, creating a nice backdrop without being too harsh.

As you can see in the video, I got them all set up, and they're now cycling through different colors and fading. It’s amazing how a simple light strip can completely change the mood of the room. It adds a vibrant glow and some character to the space. It's a nice way to bring some of my uncle's things into my daily life and definitely enhances the overall look of the office.

🥳 Mission Accomplished: A Day of Deep Cleaning!

What a day it has been! I started my mission outside, tackling the neighborhood with some serious elbow grease. The snow from the driveway and both my neighbors' sidewalks didn't stand a chance against my shovel—it's incredibly satisfying to look out and see clear, safe paths. Then, I turned my attention to the less glamorous task of tidying the exterior by doing a full sweep and collecting every stray piece of garbage around the house. Moving indoors, the cleaning momentum continued: I ran the vacuum through the kitchen, living room, hall, and bedroom, giving the floors a much-needed refresh. The kitchen received extra attention with a thorough mopping, and after emptying and reloading the dishwasher, I finished the domestic marathon by making sure the toilet was sparkling clean.

It’s easy to put off these bigger cleaning tasks, but the feeling afterward is truly unmatched. There’s a quiet satisfaction in transforming a messy space into a pristine one, especially when you can tackle both the indoor and outdoor to-do lists in one go. Whether it was the rhythmic action of the shovel, the whir of the vacuum, or the final swipe of the toilet brush, every effort today contributed to a more comfortable, tidy, and welcoming home environment. Now, it's time to put my feet up and simply enjoy the fruits of this labor—a clean house is definitely the best reward for a hard day's work!

Kim mentioned I might need to return some of the fans I bought, but I was thinking instead of selling one or two at cost. I kept one for the house—it’s actually quite powerful 😁

Since some of you have pets, I thought you might be interested in a Corsi-Rosenthal Box. It’s a DIY air purifier that works with one fan, four filters, and a roll of duct tape. Altogether it comes to about $175–$180. Honestly, it’s way better than my Rabbit Air MinusA2—I get more suction, and I managed to buy three for the same cost as one of those machines.

Here’s the Rabbit Air link for comparison:
👉 https://www.rabbitair.com/products/minusa2-air-purifier

And a couple of short videos showing how the Corsi-Rosenthal Box works:
📦 https://youtube.com/shorts/04bst9_bhrM?si=oXHLlDItMN02xyOz
📦 https://youtube.com/shorts/-0MENaHgLvQ?si=l7MgJ8kgDuBCIjU6

Changing the air in my house has made a huge difference—I feel better during the day and even when I leave the house cause how much better I feel in the house. If you’re interested, I’d be happy to build one for my Lethbridge friends or family.

No pressure at all—if it’s not something you’d like, I can just return the extra fan. I just thought I'd mention it here to you, especially with people spending more time indoors during these cold months.

Take care,
Nigel