16 housekeeping tips

 Here are some shortcuts in getting and keeping your home clean - and they involve the family too.

Gone are the days when lining the kitchen cupboards, sorting the washing and working up a shine on the kitchen floor, could take the better part of two working days. So what now?

You don’t have to make peace with living in squalor. There are many things you can do to keep the house clean and tidy easily.

Listen to this. Wipe the telephone receiver with disinfectant every few days. Because many different people hold it close to their mouths, it can be instrumental in the spreading of germs.

Dishwasher delight. Invest in one of these. It not only keeps unwashed dishes out of sight, but also saves you much time in washing up. It also saves water. If you have a family, one of these is a real lifesaver.

Use it, don’t use it. Get into a habit of putting things back where they belong once you have finished with them. It is just as much trouble to put something where it belongs than leaving it lying on the kitchen table.

A blitz before bedtime. Spend just ten minutes tidying up before bedtime and you will be surprised how much tidier your house will be. If your children are older, one can always play a game by setting a timer and seeing how much all of you can do in ten minutes. Many hands do make light work. And it also gets toys off the floor - many nasty falls have been caused by toy trucks left on stairs overnight.

Kitchen sponge crisis. Wash your kitchen sponge in soap and hot water regularly. Tests have shown that it is the greatest source of bacteria in any normal household. After all, it is constantly wet and used to wipe dirty surfaces. You can also put it into the microwave on high for a minute or two.

Flawed floors? Tile or wooden floors gather less dust than carpets and can be kept clean by being swept and mopped properly once a week. Carpets also tend to gather dust, which could be problematic for any family members suffering from asthma.

Go and clean your room. Make it easier for children to clean up by giving them boxes for their toys and enough packing space for their clothes. Things are just easier to find in tidy cupboards. get them to check under the bed - a week-old tuna sandwich discarded there could be a breeding ground for bacteria. It also explains the awful smell coming from the room.

Bathroom basics. Get everyone to pick up their own clothes from the bathroom floor. Get them also to wash the bath when they have finished using it. Build in some reward system to make this worthwhile. A dirty bath or shower, a dirty toilet and wet towels used over and over by different family members could be spreading germs around.

Deflea Fido. It is much easier to spray the dog or cat regularly than it is to get rid of fleas once they have settled into your home.

Daily duvet drill. A made bed just makes everything look so much tidier. And let’s face it, how much trouble can it be to give the duvet a pluck? A child of five can manage this on his/her own.

Washbasket blues. Many kids throw clothes into the wash, because it is less trouble than hanging them back in the cupboard. Make a two-day-rule for everything except undies and white things. A pair of jeans does not get dirty in a day, unless your child has had a mud bath.

Don’t ditch the domestic worker. A reliable extra pair of hands around the house once a week does absolute wonders. Every cent it costs you is worth it. If you are both working full-time, you simply don’t have time for thorough regular cleaning. And you are creating work for someone.

None so blind. Replace heavy dust-gathering drapes with Roman blinds. This is also better for any children who might suffer from allergies.

Toilet terror. Use disinfectant regularly in the toilet. The toilet can be a great source of bacteria. Get into the habit of flushing it with the lid down.

Refrigerator risk. Ageing foodstuffs in the fridge pose a real health risk. Check the fridge every day or two and throw out things that have gone past their sell-by-date. Plan your shopping more efficiently, as throwing food out is a costly exercise.

Chuck the clutter. Throw out old clothes (anything you haven’t worn for six months you are unlikely to wear again), magazines, newspapers, medicines (speak to your doctor about where to do this), junk mail, books and kitchen utensils. All of these clutter up the house, gather dust and make your life more difficult. -

(Susan Erasmus, Health24, updated June 2011)

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