How to clean your house properly?

To make a house charming and comfortable for use, it should be well-groomed. A well-groomed house is basically clean. A house may be beautifully constructed and furnished or of a low cost. It must be kept clean, well-arranged, decorated, well lighted and well ventilated.

In a house, there are so many types of work being carried out round-the-clock. All the parts of the house, each nook and corner have to be well arranged and kept clean. This can be achieved by the co-operative effort of all family members or by employing a servant. Today technical and industrial development has made the job of the home maker, much easier, saving plenty of time and energy.

The upkeep of a house involves activities such as dusting, sweeping, mopping, cleaning of different surfaces, storing of a variety of goods and materials, arranging of furniture’s and fittings, cleaning of metallic objects or decoration, household utensils, bath rooms and many others.

List of Cleaning Equipments

1. A Good step ladder is useful in reaching to places that cannot be reached whirl standing. It is safer and firm to be used than stool.

2. Brushes of various shapes and sizes made of different materials like plastic, nylon metal, coconut fiber or animal bristles. These can be used on clothes, furniture’s carpets, floors and walls.

3. Dusters made of strong, soft cotton fabric, which can be used for wiping cleaning various surfaces.

4. Mops are made up of thick and loosely woven, absorbent fabric used for well cleaning.

5. Polish cloths-usually a soft flannel cloth is used for cleaning surfaces and to I shinning of highly polished surfaces without fear of scratching them.

6. Buckets are essential for carrying water for scrubbing and mopping.

7. A dust pan should be used for collecting dust from different places in the house.

8. A carpet beater made of cane.

Reagents for cleaning Rooms:

The reagents commonly used for cleaning are categorised as detergents or the cleaners, disinfectants and polishes.

1. Detergents are non-soapy, synthetic materials commercially produced in cake, powder, liquid and flake forms.

2. Soaps are alkaline salts of fatty acids, washing with soaps remove grease by emulsifying it.

3. Disinfectants help in the perfect cleaning of the house by getting rid of micro organisms that causes illness. They are available in solids, powder, liquid and gaseous form. The most common disinfectant used in homes is phenyl.

4. Cleaning abrasives like saw dust, powdered brick, sieved ash, nylon mesh and steel wool are used as abrasives to remove the settled dirt from various surfaces.

5. Grease absorbents like bran, saw dust, warm bread crumbs and talc are used to absorb unwanted grease from containers as well as clothes and furnishing materials.

6. Grease solvents like petrol, kerosene, spirit, carbon-tetrachloride and benzene are used to remove grease.

7. Lime, vinegar and salt are commonly used in the home for cleaning dirty and tarnished metals.

8. Polishes: Various commercially prepared metal and wood polishes are available in the market under brand names of silvo, ‘Brasso’ and Jewelers rouge’. Also, whitening power for glass and mirrors and ‘Min polish’ for Refrigerators, steel cupboard etc. Even, linseed oil, varnish and wax polishes are used for wooden furniture’s and floors.

Types of Cleaning

It is essential for every housewife to plan a routine for house cleaning, suitable for her, as well as her household’s convenience. Without proper plan, house cleaning becomes a gruel some work for her.

Usually, cleaning can be divided into three types, depending upon the availability of time and attention of the home maker. They are:

1. Daily Cleaning

2. Weekly cleaning

3. Periodical or seasonal cleaning

1. Daily Cleaning:

Daily cleaning includes, sweeping and mopping of floors, dusting furniture’s, window panes and window sills, cleaning of ash trays, emptying all waste paper baskets and kitchen garbage. Adjustment of curtains and cushions, making of beds, adding fresh flowers and water in the flower arrangement, cleaning of the bathrooms and its fixtures, cleaning of the kitchen, verandah and the courtyard and watering the plants of the house garden.

2. Weekly cleaning:

Cleaning of tops of almirahs and bookcases, kitchen selves, kitchen utensils which are not used daily, airing of mattresses and pillows, changing pillow covers and bed sheets, cleaning of the medicine cabinet, brushing of walls, ceilings and light fittings of various rooms, brushing of furniture’s, curtains, pictures and wall hangings, glass and metal articles, and cleaning of the store room. Even cleaning of rugs, carpets and places under and behind heavy furniture’s.

3. Seasonal or Periodical Cleaning:

India being a tropical country consists of four different seasons during the year. Each season demands a particular type of work to be done separately. For example, in winter, warm clothing’s and warm bed clothes are taken out of store and used, where as in summer, these are to be put away in the boxes. So also in India, house cleaning is very much connected to different festivals like Dasahara and Diwali. During these festive occasions, thorough cleaning of the house from room to room takes place. Usually, walls are white or coloured washed, doors and windows are painted, furniture polished, bedding aired and changed. Necessary repairing and polishing of furniture take place, buying a new or disposing old furniture is done. The whole house is turned out, room by room and cleaned from ceiling to floor.

General Principles to be followed in cleaning rooms and floors

1. Prevent dirt from entering the house by keeping your outdoor footwear outside. Use special indoor footwear.

2. Place door-mats, to wipe the dirt and dust from the foot.

3. Fine, wire mesh screen should be used in doors and windows to prevent the entry of dirt, dusts in insects.

4. All cracks in windows, doors and shelves should be well sealed.

5. Store all cleaning supplies and equipments at a centrally located place, in a well ventilated cupboard.

6. In daily cleaning, work should start from the inner most part of the house and towards outward areas. Before, sweeping the floor, beds should be dusted made, furniture dusted and straightened.

7. Ceramic tiles used in kitchen, bathroom and toilets can be cleaned safely by, vim or detergent.

8. Stone and cement finished floors can be safely washed with soap or soda scrubbed to remove grease and dirt.

9. Marble floors can be washed with soap and scrubbed with soft, nylon bristled

10. Mosaic flooring can be cleaned by using mild soap to remove grease. Strong, alkalis should be avoided as they destroy the polish.

Cleaning and Polishing of Wooden Furniture’s

The cleaning treatment given to various wooden surfaces, should suit the particular type of surface. Wood surfaces may be painted, polished or tinted. However, they sir be protected from staining, scratching and drying out. Furniture should be rubbed dusted quiet often. Dirty and stickle furniture can be cleaned by washing it with a soft cloth or leather wash cloth. If the surface of the furniture is patchy, stained or scratched, the whole coat on the surface has to be removed before polishing it again.

In case, the surface of the furniture is not badly spoiled, then light rubbing fine grained sand paper will be enough. The sand paper should be rubbed in to and movements, and in the direction of the grains of the wood being cleaned. After each paper rubbing, the wood should be dusted before repeating the process. After this, cleat wax should be applied on the surface with a clean rag. Then, the surface should be lit rubbed with the sand paper again to deepen the penetration of wax. It is then, given a” coast of wax. After this, the waxed surface should be rubbed briskly with a screwed ball of brown paper Mansion polish can be used for waxing. Even a mixture of linseed oil and turpentine oil in equal amount can also be applied on the prepared furniture surf after each coat of oil; the surface should be dried completely. Besides, there is other furniture finished available which can also be applied.

Furniture polish or mansion polish can be used for walnut and mahogany furniture’s. Wood with fine grains looks best with light finish and must not be painted. Wood of sir quality should be enamel painted, to give a smooth surface. Upholstered furniture should be cleaned by sweeping with a soft brush.