Keeping the House Clean and In Order

Household members should devote time and effort to the task of keeping the house clean and in order. A clean and orderly house provides a safe, pleasant and healthy environment for family members.

Cleaning. Daily chores include sweeping the yard, polishing the floor dusting furniture, keeping family items in their proper places and cleaning the toilet and bathroom. Weekly household chores include defrosting the refrigerator, and cleaning appliances. Check and clean the gutters twice a year.

Washing. Do the laundry once or twice a week, depending on the volume of clothes to be washed and availability of water. Wash clothes according to color, texture and size. Separate white clothes from colored ones. Likewise, wash soft cottons first, then heavy linens and denims last.

Water conservation should always be a main consideration when one is doing the laundry. Letting the water flowing freely while one is rinsing clothes wastes so much precious water. After rinsing, collect laundry water and use this later to clean garages, porches or the bathroom.

Dining and kitchen items like pots, pans, plates and utensils should be washed all at the same time to conserve water. It is best to rinse these items in a small basin with water.

Ironing. This is best done once or twice a week depending on the volume of clothes to be ironed. Ironing should be scheduled to conserve electricity. Ironing one piece at a time will unnecessarily increase the household’s electrical consumption.