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Daily Household Chores

Busy lifestyles can leave little timefor all the essential household chores.

Fortunately, however, there are plentyof shortcuts that still give good results.

The kitchen

Do nor waste time scrubbing out theburned-on mess in saucepans. Fill non-stick and enamelled pans with water,add a handful of washing soda and leaveit to soak overnight. Use a biologicaldetergent and water in aluminium pans,as washing soda reacts with thealuminium to create toxic fumes.

Clean a very dirty kitchen floor byswishing it first with a solution of hotwater and detergent. Leave for 10minutes before washing and rinsing.

If you do not own a self-cleaningoven, wipe a fairly strong solution ofbicarbonate of soda (baking soda) andwater over the walls, door and shelves.Set the oven to a low heat for 30minutes, then leave it to cool. Cleanwith hot water and detergent, and risengive the oven a final wipe over with aweak solution of bicarbonate of sodaand water - this will make it mucheasier to clean the next time.

EVERYDAY CHORES

Wash plates and cutlery (flatware)quickly after using them to prevent foodfrom drying on and becoming difficulttoshift. Rinse off suds with hot water sothat the heat will dry the cutlery andplates as they drain.

Rinse the sink with a little liquidfabric detergent after washing up toremove stains and grease.

Strips of paper placed on the tops ofcupboards (closets) will absorb thegrease and dust that inevitablyaccumulate in the kitchen. Simplythrow the paper away when it becomesdirty and replace with more paper tosave time on cleaning.

The Bathroom

The following tips rake no rime at all tocarry out every day, and will cut downthe time and effort needed for an 'all-over' bathroom clean.

At night, squirt a little toilet cleaneraround the bowl so that a quick brushin the morning keeps it sparkling. Asthe bath water is emptying, add a few drops of liquid detergent to the water - this will remove any scum from thewater as it drains away.

Use hot water to rinse suds from plates.glasses and cutlery (flatware) to help them to dryquickly by themselves.

A quick rub with a clean cloth will keeptaps (faucets) gleaming and mirrors bright. andmake the bathroom look fresh.

Keep a clean cloth under thewashbasin to wipe over the taps(fitucets) and mirror as they becomedirty. Wipe the washbasin, too, afterthe morning rush ready for the evening.

Add a little liquid detergent to the bathwater as it drains away to remove any srilm. Adash of disinfectant down the plughole every nowand then will keep it fresh.

The Living Room

Wipe it little white spirit (paint thinner) mixed with water over furniture to give it an instant gleans.Open windows to freshen the room,and shake cushions or rugs out of thewindows its order to minimize the amount of dust in the house. A quick vacuum will pick tip stray crumbs, ashfrom ashtrays and dust from every nookand cranny. Just 5 minutes a day shouldkeep the cleaning well in hand.

Try sprinkling the carpet with herbsor lavender and leaving for an hourbefore vacuuming if the room smellsstale. A vacuum cleaner can he used toremove dust from a multitude ofsurfaces, but empty the bag straight intothe dustbin (trash can) ro prevent dustfrom blowing hack into the house.

The Bedrooms

When you fret up, roll hack the beddingand allow the beds to air while you havebreakfast. Air pillows, too, and checkthem regularly to pull out anyprotruding feathers or to even out lumps and bumps. If a pillow is limpa nd saggy and flops when placed over your arm, you need to replace it. After getting up in the morning, turndown the bedding for a while to allow the bed to air before remaking it. Once beds have aired, you can make them.

1. Start with the bottom sheet. Tuck in thesheet along the edges and just at the base ofthe mattress, starting at the head end andworking towards the base.

2. Pull the bottom of the sheet taut and foldit in an 'envelope' over the tucked-incorners ro make a neat fold.

3. Centre the top sheet on the bed with thewide or embroidered hem at the top so thatit almost touches the headboard. 1.ay theblankets on top of the sheer, and tuck bothblankets and sheet under I he mattress inone go. Make an 'envelope at the cornersas with the bottom sheer, ensuring that thecornets tut: pulled taut.

4. Place the bedcover over the bed, turn the top sheetand blanket over itand replace thepillows.

There is nothing quite like the feel ofa bed newly made up in the traditionalway with sheets and blankets, and thetechnique actually becomes very quickand easy with practice. Many peoplenow prefer duvets, however.

Getting a duvet into its cover can bed done simply by pushing a corner of theduvet into place. Use I or 2 clothespegs (pins) to hold it in position. Dothe same with the other corner, thenjust shake the duvet down into theclean cover before removing the pegs.

Finally, having made the bed,quickly flick a duster over the furniture,curtains or drapes and shelves, then leave for the dust to settle before vacuuming it all up.

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