No longer having any maids to clean up after me, I've been trying to devise more efficient ways of keeping my place clean. Cleaning as you do things breaks down tasks and keeps junk and dirt from building up.For my place, A small cordless stick vacuum was more than enough. The Electrolux Ergorapido was a great find for me since it's nice enough to display (so I don't lose closet space), strong enough for everyday work, and 2-in-1 handheld mode allows me to remove the lower section to work as a handheld vacuum for my car and smaller places.
I've found that vacuuming for about 5 min everyday is much easier than just doing it once a week. This keeps my place relatively clean most of the time, while allowing me to just have a small vacuum, and no need to set aside one full day for cleaning.
That whole practice of "putting your toys back after you play with them" started to make sense. But more so than just that, is finding an efficient way of storing them to begin with. Cramming everything into a box makes it tiring to put things away... and thus isn't such a sustainable system for me. If I have to take stuff out to put something back, forget it... I'll be too lazy to do that and end up leaving things lying around.
Arranging my gadgets and supplies makes it easier for me to use them, and put them back in a systematic way. This works for me in two ways... one, my things are always ready for use, and two, they have to be arranged nice enough to be displayed so they function on a decorative level as well. This makes it more convenient to put my things back into their place.How do most of you keep your place clean? Maid? Yourselves everyday or once a week? Or do you hire a cleaning service/person to come in every now and then?
i used to go insane cleaning the first few years. once i started, i couldn't stop! talagang hands and knees cleaning. but you're right about having things in its own place, and cleaning as you go. :-) so much simpler that way since you can tell when something is amiss. i do a zamboni every night to keep clear of clutter. sweep every other night. major cleaning once a week by a manang, but i clean BEFORE she comes to hide the evidence. :-)
ReplyDeleteHey Riya,
ReplyDeleteYa, I used to hire someone to come in once a week to do general cleaning as well... but I ended up having to clean up first since I have a lot of breakables. It became redundant for me... I no longer have anyone come in to clean.
I always hated the idea of anyone cleaning up after me. Moreover, I grew up with an equitable mom and grandparents who would never entertain the thought of anyone slaving for us just so we could conveniently pursue personal leisure. In other words, I grew up fetching my own glass of water from the fridge, finding my own slippers, washing and ironing my own clothes and cleaning my own room. We had hired helpers at home who were considered as part of the family. They were indeed just helpers. For the same amount of pay that most helpers received from other households, my mom would not hear of them working more than 5 hours a day and they had weekends off to give them the same opportunities as we do, to chase after their dreams: either going to school or being with their families. : D Because of that I devised a system of efficient cleaning. I also lived alone for some years in Chicago and Manila while I was studying. Daily cleaning is a must and I would make schedules for things to be done and section the work in 7 days, since not everything needs to be dusted or cleaned on a daily basis. No cleaning Sabbath. My lolo said that the energy I would use to do household chores would save me expensive trips to the gym. I also had a home for everything I owned. When I found something I absolutely love, it also meant that it was time to say goodbye to something else, since the newcomer would occupy space. Hence the flea market or donations, which is awesome actually knowing that someone else could take advantage of something I don’t need any more. The best part is, cleaning is a guarantee that I would never be utterly destitute since I can apply as a cleaning lady if I ever lose my job, with years of experience backing my resume :D
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