Its 2017! While the celebrations and the parties are dying down, people all over the world are chasing new beginnings and dreams, so overall, it is a happy time! This is one of the first few articles that we’re going to dole out this year and so we thought, why not make it about something that worries every homeowner on the surface of the earth. Well, no points for guessing. The title practically screams home cleaning. So without much ado, let’s begin discussing home cleaning tips!
Table of Contents
Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness
Well like Godliness, cleanliness is a full-time job. Let’s face it, cleaning is not a one time task. It needs to be done repeatedly and frequently. Human habitation by default produces chaos. So while cleaning is needed frequently, there are some habits that you can incorporate into your daily life to prevent things from becoming messy. The art of keeping things clean can only be achieved by a combination of regular cleaning and healthy habits, so here are some things you could do –
1. Regular dusting, sweeping & mopping
Floors accumulate maximum dirt and dust. Hence, cleaning it on a daily basis, or multiple times daily could become necessary. If you have a maid, you’re saved some of the backbreaking task, if not, you’ll have to do it yourself. That said, you could do some things to avoid letting the floors get that dirty.
- Make it a point to not take footwear worn outside beyond a certain point in the house and ensure that you have mats just outside the front door.
- Pick up any bits and pieces that fall to the ground immediately.
- Spillage should never be left uncleaned. Don’t leave everything for the maid.
Also, everything in the house gets a monthly/weekly thorough cleaning. Fans, refrigerators, appliances, windows and other places that gather dust. Kids toys too.
2. Places, Places, Places
Assign a place and function for everything in the house. This near next to military discipline helps a lot, trust us. Not just that, this helps find things faster as and when you need them. Make your family members follow this rule. It might be inconvenient at first, but pretty soon, everyone will fall into that pattern. Newspapers, shoes, stationery, cleaning products and every other thing that you can think of should go to a specific spot. This rule is even more vital in the kitchen, so even if you are apprehensive about applying it elsewhere, make sure the kitchen follows this rule.
3. Division Of Labor
While everyone is capable in their own right, it hardly seems fair to make one person in the family do all the tidying. It makes more sense to share the load and assign tasks to everyone. This is also a family thing that you could have going on. Even the toddlers in the house can participate by ensuring that all their toys are put away after play time. You can also rotate the jobs so that you don’t get bored of one task all through eternity. This rule is best made mandatory for youngsters who share an apartment. You may be ok with the place being messy but your roommate could have an OCD, do your part and help keep things clean.
4. Do Not Overbuy
Do not underestimate this step. Compulsive shopping is not just hard on the finances it is also something that turns you home into a literal warehouse. Unless you want shopping bags and things you realise are absolutely useless in hindsight to occupy your home, always give good thought to what you buy. Have a list ready before you step out to shop and come what may, stick to this list. Less stuff means less chaos and thereby, fewer things that would accumulate dust.
5. Golden Rule Of Dirt
The rule is that dirt gets cleaned as soon as it is spotted. Unless you have a full time maid, ingrain this habit into the very being of your existence. If you squirted ketchup on the floor accidentally or if you spilled some milk inside the refrigerator, do not leave it for the maid to come and clean up the next day. Do it immediately. It will soon become part of your nature. Same applies to dishes too. They won’t clean themselves. However, if you plan to leave them for the domestic helper, at least discard the garbage rinse it lightly with water before leaving it beside the sink.
6. De-clutter Your Way To Tidy-hood
Never let things accumulate in one spot. It could be papers, clothes or even bills that you put away. Most homes have that one spot where everyone dumps their things. Make everyone in the home get rid of that habit. Refer rule no.2 and assign places for everything. Place a bowl for keys right by the main entrance, set up hooks to hang your coats and bags, get a shelf to keep your clothes and a laundry bag for soiled apparels. Tiny things often make the biggest impacts to prevent clutter. Also, once a month, go through your things and discard things that no longer have a use. Expired cosmetics, medicines, torn clothes kept aside for making pocha ka kapda all of it needs to be chucked out.
7. Change Of Habits
Make it a point to set aside 10 mins a day to cleaning and tidying. Seems simple enough, right? Use that 10 minutes to arrange or clean the messiest things. Walk around the house for a few mins and we’re sure, your eyes will fall on something that could be cleaner or better arranged. This habit could ensure that you are on the pursuit of “tidyness”. Also, invest in good cleaning supplies. People often buy the cheapest cleaning products thinking that they don’t matter much. This habit is often what causes incomplete cleaning. Change that habit, buy good cleaning products. Also, every time you’ve freshly deep cleaned your home, strive, really strive to keep it that way. Don’t let your messy habits make your home return to its former unclean state. All in all, practice, preach and pray cleanliness.
8. Storage Is Vital
If you have the money, invest in good storage. Believe us when we say this, houses getting messy because there isn’t enough storage space is no new thing. Having shelves and boxes to put things away will help immensely, at least you can hide your clutter behind closed doors. If you cannot buy any more things, at least make sure that everything goes to the place that has been assigned for it.
This New Year, Let Swachata be Your Motto
With Govt. doing everything within their capabilities to achieve a cleaner India, it would seem unfair that we, as citizens do not take an effort to keep things clean. Many of you would’ve taken personal and professional resolutions, let’s add to the mix and resolve to keep our surroundings cleaner and healthier. If every home and every citizen strive to achieve cleanliness, it would be reflected at large in our beloved country.
If you find the above tips useful then do not forget to share with your neighbors.
We hope the new year brings you nothing but joy and prosperity. From all of us at ADDA here’s wishing you a very happy 2017!
