Easy tips to manage house without a house-help

With the outbreak of COVID-19 affecting citizens across the world, one of the easiest ways to break the chain is by social distancing. As a part of their contribution to breaking the chain, many people have given paid leave to their domestic help for the period. It becomes imperative that we take on the chores and muscle-up to keep the house clean and ensure the family’s safety inside the home. Most of us find that our dependency on external help does pose the challenge in such times where we need to balance life work – managing cooking, cleaning and responsibilities at work. 

Here are a few tips that will help you to manage your homes without the help of a maid: 

• Being disciplined will reap rewards: One of the easiest tips yet the hardest is being disciplined. The tasks become manageable by waking up early each day and planning the day. Next, maintain a list of all the errands you plan to accomplish, this will help you gauge your day ahead. 

Make sure high priority jobs such as sweeping, mopping, cleaning the bathrooms, are on top of the list. While you are at it, finish the jobs at a stretch, and avoid distractions – using mobile phones, watching entertaining videos, etc. as one might lose track of time

• Clean the floors: Enlist the help of kids in the house to put away any toys, books or gadgets in their place. Pick up all mats and dry them in the sun. Clear the tables for any large dust particles. This helps in sweeping the floor faster and more efficiently. If you have a vacuum handy, now is the time to use it to pick dust from the floor

• Dusting: Follow the sweeping with dusting surfaces of any dust. It is advisable to use a mild disinfectant to clean all surfaces while dusting. Rinku Naren uses 1 part of Nimyle to 10 parts of water in a spray bottle for her dusting. Make the chores a family affair by getting the family to help in dusting. Adults can dust fragile and delicate objects, children can take care of large surfaces and furniture. Don’t forget to wipe TV remotes, Sofa handles, mobile phones, doorknobs, and handles, etc with disinfectant 

• Mopping: Mop the floors daily to keep germs at bay. If there are pets in the house, it is all the more important that the floors are mopped daily. Ensure that you clean using a child-friendly and natural disinfectant such as Nimyle. Use the spin mop for easy access and cleaning. If you are using a regular mop, squeeze as much water as possible from the mophead before mopping 

• Cooking: Plan and finish cooking for the day so that you can attend to your office work or spend time with your family. After cooking, use your Nimyle spray to clean the kitchen counter and cooktop. The neem in Nimyle will keep the space disinfected and leave a subtle fragrance

• Dishes: Doing the laundry or washing utensils are extremely boring, however, if you skip this for a day, it just piles up for the next day. Wash your utensils as you are cooking. This is the right time to inculcate the habit of washing our own plates, glasses and coffee/milk mugs. After the washing is done, spray the sink with some Nimyle spray to keep it clean. Sundry the washed dishes and by evening you can wipe them and arrange these in their respective areas, thus not burdening anything to the next day

• Laundry: If you are using a machine, load it every alternative day is possible. If washing by hand, soak the clothes in the evening so that you can wash them before your bath. Ensure that clothes get ample sunlight to disinfect them as well

It may be overwhelming to manage all the chores with very little socializing. Don’t forget to: 

• De-stress: Listen to music you love while working and cleaning your home. This way, it will calm you down and will help you finish your tasks faster

• Get ample sleep: Towards the night, you are bound to be exhausted by doing all the work. It is extremely important to relax and calm yourself by doing things that you love. Be it attending to your plants, reading a good book, or playing a few games with your children- indulge in these activities to help you unwind at the end of the day. Sleep early and ensure that you get a good 8 hours of sleep to wake up refreshed the next day!

Source : ITC Nimyle