Here are
some tips that help make keeping a clean and orderly house less work and more pleasant.
Bear in mind that cleanliness and orderliness are two different things. A place
can be clean but disorderly, orderly yet really dirty. The ideal is to have one’s
home both reasonably clean and orderly. If you can’t accomplish both without blood,
sweat and tears, concentrate on accomplishing the one that is more important to
your peace of mind.
1. Get help.
It comes two ways – free and paid. There should be a source of some free help
on the premises unless you live alone. Husbands, children and any other
physically able residents can and should help. They often have to be sold on
the fact that it is their responsibility to share in the work that makes a
home. It is common for kids to be paid for doing chores, but it is far better
that they get an allowance as a share of the income for their needs do their
share of work without pay as their contribution toward running their home.
It’s up to
the home manager (that’s you) to spell it out. They have to be told what is expected
and how to do it efficiently and properly. It’s nonsense to say, “I’d rather do
it myself, it’s easier than making him (or her) do it.” Most children will
purposely do a job poorly so they won’t be asked to do it again. A few
grown-ups will try this, too. Don’t fall for it.
Even very
young children can regularly, proudly and responsibly do many helpful things:
empty wastebaskets, vacuum sweep, dust, polish metals and furniture, fold some
laundry, put away things, make beds, pick up. Youngsters a bit older can be taught
to do just about any house cleaning and
housekeeping job you can do. So can husbands and any “regular boarder,”
including all relatives, exchange students, etc. Of course everyone washes the
tub and basin after use, and the one who uses the last sheet of paper toweling,
toilet tissue, facial tissue, etc. is honor bound to install a new supply (you
have to be sure you keep them in stock).
So much for
free help.
Pain help
can still be and a little can go a long way toward making your most hated
chores less of a problem. To get your money’s worth from trained cleaning help
don’t leave clutter for them to plow through. It’s better that the paid help do
heavier or unpleasant (to you) tasks perhaps floor care, window and glassdoor
washing, silver and furniture polishing, bathroom cleaning or above floor
vacuuming, wood work and venetian blind and wall washing or cleaning.
Where and
how does one find house cleaning help for hire? Word is a good way. Ask
neighbors, relatives and acquaintances. Sometimes a church pastor know of a
likely candidate. Read newspaper situation, wanted ads check bulletin board in
super markets. Or contact an employment agency found in newspapers and Yellow
Pages. Ask for and check all references. IN some areas there are organized
activities set up to find part-time employment for young people, who are more
anxious to work than you think. Local Papers publicize such groups and also
often carry ads for students and other young people who are willing to do
housework. Some may need your training, but hey have brains, brawn and enthusiasm.
Usually house-workers ask for so much an hour. Some work by the day.
If you
prefer, consider the cleaning services found almost everywhere. These companies
give you an estimate of exactly the jobs you wish to be done. It may sound
expensive, but remember, they send a team of several men and/or women who are
bonded and insured and who come in and do as much or as little as you bargain
for. These workers bring their own equipment by truck. You do not provide lunch
or pay social security (on individuals you hire, the law requires you to pay
one half the social security tax and deduct the other half if you pay $50/PHP2,250
or more quarterly). They may be hired weekly, monthly or as often as desired.
See the Yellow Pages for listings. These professionals clean only. They do not
make beds, babysit, do laundry or dishes or tidy up disorder. You can sometimes
find an individual who will do some or all of these things in combination with
cleaning.
2. If the
budget rules out any paid help and you have no source of free help, have a quiet,
sit down, moment of truth session with yourself. Make a schedule of when you
feel you best like to do the real cleaning and keep if flexible until you find
the truly happiest time. Analyze the job, divide up the work and schedule it. If
you don’t know how, go to the library and get a book on the subject or buy one
to use as a handbook.
List those
chores you hate most. If you dislike getting down on hands and knees, buy and
use equipment that lets you do the job working upright. If you don’t like
getting your hands in things, wear protective gloves and choose self-wringing
mops and long handed brushes. Try a squeegee on windows and mirrors. There Are
wall brushes with long handles and flexible dry mops that go under beds, etc.
3. There are
splendid special cleaning products on the market; choose one and stick to it.
If you mess around with various types of polishes, waxes and cleaning products,
you can build up very undesirable
surfaces on the furniture. They are ugly and difficult to remove. Always read
and follow product directions and warnings.
4. Try to
prevent collecting dust, grease, fingerprints, smears. Try cleaning or
polishing products that leave a protective coating on light switches, glass
etc.
5. Spay new
or freshly cleaned lampshades, table covers, draperies, rugs and upholstered
furniture with a product that renders them soil and stain resistant. When buying
new furnishing, choose ones given this protection at the factory.
6. Line
drawers or shelves with a plasticized or rubber material that need never be
replaced, just wiped clean and dried. These liners are pretty, too.
7. Use
window-cleaner sprays on lamp globes, glass light fixtures, lamp Chimneys or
hurricane lamps instead of washing them. They remain bright longer.
8. Try
cleaning as you go along rather than an all-out clean-all at once. The house is
presentable, liveable, never really dirty and it takes less out of you in the
long run.
9. If you
live in two stories, have separate upstairs and downstairs equipment. It costs
no more except for initial investment and means less work and toting for you.
10. Have
beds and heavy pieces of furniture on casters or rollers. There are some with
brakes and some designed to move easily on carpeting. This makes cleaning so
much simpler.
11. It cost
no more to have scouring powder, spray glass cleaner and other cleaners in the kitchen,
laundry area and baths. This is also true of sponges, brushes and other
cleaning aids.
☺☺☺
Special Credit to: Julio F. Silverio
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