Secrets to keeping your house squeaky clean
We might not be able to do a lot on a regular basis to clean our houses inside out but there are little things you can do when you find some pockets of time here and there that will ensure your house looks well maintained.
We all want clean, sparkling houses where everything has a place and is in its place. But not all of us can boast of such living spaces. With many things to deal with on a daily basis, we often find ourselves just giving the table and countertops a quick dust and calling it cleaning. Over time, especially given the conditions of our roads these days, a lot of dust accumulates in our homes making it look unclean and unorganized. Though we might not be able to do a lot on a regular basis to clean our houses inside out, there are little things you can do when you find some pockets of time here and there that will ensure your house looks well maintained. The Week spoke to some proud homeowners to find out how they tackle their cleaning duties.
Weekly mission
Ritika Adhikari, who has been married for a year, finds that going on a cleaning mission once a week is the best thing you can do. “Dust (go left to right, top to bottom) with microfiber cloths. This will lower allergens and improve the air quality in your house,” she says. She says that dampened cloths tied to the ends of mops and brooms work great for removing cobwebs. And during the cleaning spree, don’t forget to hit the tops of doors, fans, light fixtures, picture frames and yes, each of your knick-knacks (keep them in display cases to reduce dusting work). For the face of framed photos, TV screens, and computer, use a glass cleaner to avoid streaking.
Over 100,000 members likely to take oath in Naya Shakti Party a...
A little everyday
Following a weekly thorough clean up session on the weekends, a 10-minute a day cleaning session can help you maintain your house so that you don’t have to fear the weekends. “As soon as you wake up, grab a cup of tea and then give your house a little dusting. It shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes,” says Binita KC adding that she finishes cleaning her house by the time her tea has become lukewarm and thus drinkable for her. Then she puts on some peppy music and enjoys her morning cup of orange flavored tea in a house where tabletops shine and mirrors gleam. There’s a lot you can do in 10 minutes: Straighten up the cushions, fold any throws and place them over the sofa back, de-clutter by popping any papers, letters or random bits and bobs into a laundry basket. Stack magazines and books into neat piles and pop any gadgets next to the TV or a cupboard.
Glasses and mirrors
Housewife Manisha Tandukar cleans the mirrors and glass panes in her house using old newspapers. “Simply sprinkle some glass cleaner onto the surfaces and rub in circular motions to get shiny mirrors,” she explains. To remove tough streaks from glass panes, Tandukar suggests you make a cleaner at home with just vinegar and water. Try mixing two cups water with one fourth cup vinegar and half-teaspoon liquid soap. “This mixture will clean even the toughest stains,” she says. Tandukar cleans the glass items and mirrors in her house a day a week and that’s good enough for the entire week. “You don’t have to worry about it the rest of the times,” she adds.
Hard to reach places
Tandukar’s once-a-week-one-thing cleaning trick can also be applied for hard to reach places like door tops, window frames and grills, under the sofa and bed and other such not easily accessible places. “Simply clean these areas out extensively once a week and you don’t have to worry about it the rest of the times as well,” says Tandukar who confesses to tying a scarf around her face and hair and tackling these areas for 30 minutes every week. If you have blinds in the house, one way to clean blinds is to use elastic bands to wrap a damp cloth around a pair of tongs. A great way to clean your window frame is to use a toilet paper tube on the end of your vacuum cleaner’s suction tube. Made of soft cardboard, you can shape it to fit almost any nook or cranny. “I sprinkle baking soda on top of our mattresses until it forms a thin layer and then vacuum it all up after 10 minutes. This keeps it clean and odor free,” says Adhikari. A mixture of lemon juice and baking soda can clean almost any dirty area. Let it sit for five minutes, and then rub with a stiff brush.
Pro tip
To protect books from dust, crisp lengths of linen can be hung from shelves. The technique, used in old Swedish libraries, also gives a neat appearance to uneven volumes. To make, measure the length of the shelf, and the distance from the shelf above to the top of the shortest book. Add one inch to all sides; cut prewashed linen to this size. Hem bottom and sides by 1 inch. Sew one-inch-wide twill tape to top edge. Fasten to underside of shelf every six inches with a strip of Velcro.
