A
Compendium of Housekeeping Tips: Bed Making, Mopping, Dusting, & Cleaning
the Bathroom
|
Evelyn
Smith
|
Once a child agrees to exchange cleaning chores around
the house for an allowance, it’s time to teach children everyday chores; and
yes, there are plenty of apps for that! Students
and young adults headed for a dorm or apartment for the first time can also
benefit from this bibliography of how-to articles.
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Making a Bed
| It's never to early to learn how to make a bed. |
Aguire, Sarah. (2015). Make a bed. About
home. About.com. Retrieved from http://housekeeping.about.com/od/bedrooms/ht/makebed.htm
Best Tip: Change
pillowcases twice a week.
How to make a bed in six easy steps. (2012, August). How to Decorate. Ballard Designs. Retrieved from http://www.howtodecorate.com/2012/08/how-to-make-a-bed-in-six-easy-steps/
- Start with a bare mattress: Once a month, vacuum the mattress for dust mites and flip it once a month;
- Stretch a fitted sheet across the mattress;
- Lay a flat sheet at the top edge of the mattress, tucking in its sides and bottoms. Hospital corners add a finished look;
- Layer on a light weight blanket;
- Add a comforter, quilt, duvet, or bedspread as the top layer, depending on the season;
- Accessorize with functional and decorative pillows.
How to make your bed.
Wiki How. Retrieved from http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Bed
A series of ten-second videos illustrate how to make a
bed.
Part I:
- Best Advice: Place the patterned side of the fitted sheet facing down, so it is facing up when one turns the top edge over a blanket or quilt.
Part II:
- Best Advice: Wash sheets once every one or two weeks at a minimum; wash duvets, comforters, and blankets every three months. To put on a duvet cover, handle it like one would a sock puppet.
Top Tips:
- For maximum comfort, use a memory foam mattress cover.
- Let the bedding air, turning back the covers each morning, before immediately making the bed upon rising.
McKay, Brett and McKay, Kate. (2009, November 19). How to make a bed you can bounce a quarter
off of. The Art of Manliness.
Retrieved from http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/11/19/how-to-make-a-bed-you-can-bounce-a-quarter-off-of/
- “The secret to a tight bed is a hospital corner” (McKay, 2009, November 19, para. 8).
- Make sure to read the comments at the end of the article for other helpful tips.
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Youtube Bed-Making Videos
Conyers, L. Q. (2012, June 25). Four-minute bed making
procedure. Youtube. (4:33 minutes).
Retrieved from
An executive housekeeper for a motel chain demonstrates
how to make a bed in four minutes.
Top Tips:
- Completely tuck in the fitted and flat sheets at the same time;
- Use hospital corners.
King, Chelsea.
(2012, November 12). How to make
your college dorm bed. Youtube. (2:44
minutes). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZpAVDvv9I0
Top tip:
- Use a egg-crater mattress pad to make the mattress more comfortable.
Whitehead, Steven.
(2011, September 23). How to make
the perfect bed. One Kings Lane. Youtube.
(2:35 minutes). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8jIxuO2APE
Top Tips:
- Place the finished side of the fitted sheet facing the mattress;
- Use hospital corners.
Nassar, Natalie. (2014, January 17). How to fold hospital corners. Ballard
Design. Youtube. (1:02 minutes) Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvYrbeQGjjc
An interior designer demonstrates how to fold hospital
corners.
6 mistakes you make when making your bed. (2015, July
6). House
Beautiful. Retrieved from http://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/cleaning-tips/tips/a1478/bed-making-mistakes/
- Laying the top sheet with the pattern-side up—“not the washed-out backside”;
- Skipping making hospital corners;
- Not making the bed each morning;
- Not ironing [cotton or linen sheets]. [Old-fashioned Hint: Line-dried cotton or linen sheets don’t need ironing as much as those sheets dried in a dryer];
- Not using the “inside-out trick” when stuffing a duvet into its cover;
- Not using duvet ties.
___________
Mopping the Floor
 |
| Mopping the floor without streaks is an accomplishment! |
Aguirre, Sarah. (2015). Mop a floor. About Home. About.com. Retrieved from http://housekeeping.about.com/od/surfacefloors/ht/howtomop.htm
Most Important Tips:
- Prep the floor first by sweeping or vacuuming, removing the dust balls and any debris;
- Make sure to use hot water and a cleaning solution appropriate for the floor type;
- Mop the room from top to bottom;
- Rinse and wring the mop after mopping.
How to damp mop floors. (2015). Parish Supply. Retrieved from http://www.parish-supply.com/damp-floor-mopping-method.aspx
Most Important Tips:
- Remove dust and surface soil before mopping with cold water and detergent;
- First mop along the edge of baseboard;
- Start at the farthest corner of a room and them mop backwards in the direction of the door;
- Using a figure-8 motion, mop the floor from side to side.
How to mop a floor.
(2015). Wiki How. Retrieved from http://www.wikihow.com/Mop-a-Floor
Wiki How uses a series of 10-second videos that illustrates
the best way to mop a floor.
Most Important Tips:
- Sweep or vacuum first;
- Don’t use more cleaner than necessary;
- Run the mop along the grain of a word floor; clean textured floors with small figure-eight motions;
- Work backwards toward the door.
Mopping your floor:
A guide to the best cleaning materials for the floor. (2015).
Cleanipedia. Unilever.
Retrieved from https://www.cleanipedia.com/me-en/floor-carpets/mopping-floors-guide-best-cleaning-materials
Most Important Tips:
- To avoid sticky floors, use only the recommended amount of cleaning solution;
- A flat mop with washable or disposable pads is the easiest mop to use. Sponge mops, however, work best on “fully flat surfaces”;
- Use detergents recommended for particular floor types: Wood, tile, vinyl, or laminate and check to see if a wood floor is sealed before mopping it;
- Mop once a week.
___________
Dusting
| Dusting is one of the first household chores children can do. |
Heloise. (2014, June 11). Home Ideas. Good
Housekeeping. Hearst
Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a24221/get-rid-of-dust/
Best How to Tips:
- Use a damp soft cloth or a microfiber or electrostatic cleaning cloth instead of a feather duster;
- With vacuum attachments, work top down from ceiling to floor;
- Unplug electronics before dusting, swiping with a microfiber cloth. Remember to vacuum around cords and vent with a soft-brush vacuum attachment or with a microfiber cloth;
- Place a newspaper or drop cloth before dusting ceiling fans.
How to dust like a pro.
(2015). The Nest. Retrieved from http://ideas.thenest.com/decor-tricks/cleaning-organizing/articles/how-to-dust-like-a-pro.aspx
Article Highlights:
- Use a slightly damp microfiber cloth for “all-over” dusting;
- Dusting includes changing heating and air-condition filters;
- Start at the ceiling and end by cleaning the floor;
- Weekly dust furniture and electronics and monthly dust ceilings and ceiling fans, window blinds, curtains, draperies, and window sills, baseboards, and bookshelves.
How to dust your entire house. (n. d.). Wiki
How. Retrieved from http://www.wikihow.com/Dust-Your-Entire-House
Wiki How details how to dust the entire house,
including the bedroom, bath, hall, stairs, kitchen, and living room.
Best General Tips:
- Dust systematically, moving clockwise or counter clockwise;
- Shake out or rinse dust cloths regularly;
- Don’t forget to dust behind furniture and in crevices;
- Use a vacuum attachment or a hand-held vacuum for dusting upholstered furniture;
- Don’t forget to dust the light bulbs in lamps;
- A used dryer sheet makes a good dust cloth;
- Dry or wet mop or vacuum floors after dusting a room.
Thomas, Amanda. (2015). How to dust: Quick and Dirty Tips.
Macmillian Holdings. Retrieved
from http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/house-home/housekeeping/how-to-dust?page=1
Most Important Tips:
- Use a microfiber and soft cloth sprinkled with a little water and a fiber duster;
- Use another cloth for polishing furniture, but don’t use polish on glossy wood;
- Move through the room, dusting from top to bottom;
- Don’t forget to dust the knickknacks;
- Watch out for dust bunnies under furniture and against the wall.
(Thomas, 2015, p. 1-2)
___________
| All children need to know how to clean the bathroom. |
Cleaning the Bathroom
McCleary, Kathy. (2015). Bathroom cleaning secrets from the pros. HGTV. Scripps Networks, LLC. Retrieved from http://www.hgtv.com/design/decorating/clean-and-organize/bathroom-cleaning-secrets-from-the-pros
Step 1: Vacuum
and dust: Working from top to bottom, dust surfaces with a microfiber cloth and
vacuum.
Step 2: Heat up
surfaces: Fill the bottom of sinks, tubs, and shower stalls with the hottest
water possible from the tap. Letting this hot water stand for several minutes greatly
improves the effectiveness of alkaline cleaners.
Step 3: Spray:
Spritz an antibacterial cleaner on tile, tub, sink, toilet, and floor.
Step 4: Spread: Use a sponge, cloth, or mop to spread the
antibacterial cleaner over surfaces.
Step 5: Sit: Let
the toilet cleanser stand for a least five to seven minutes.
Step 6: Scrub: Use a scrub brush or non-scratch
abrasive pad to clean surfaces.
Step 7: Rinse:
Rinse off the antibacterial cleaner.
Step 8:
Dry: Use cloths [or a specially
designated mop] to dry off any standing water.
Step 9: Glass
and Mirrors: Use a glass cleaner to
clean mirrors.
Step 10: Finish
cleaning the bath by mopping the floor.
The most efficient easiest way to clean your bathroom.
(2015). DIY Network. Scripps
Networks Digital. Retrieved from http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/maintenance-and-repair/cleaning/the-most-efficient-easiest-way-to-clean-your-bathroom
- Sinks: Use an all-purpose bathroom cleaner to remove light soil and film, but clean harder to get rid of stain from vitreous china with abrasive or soft-scrub cleanser, or else use a home-made, non-toxic “green” cleaner (DIY, 2015, para. 3-5).
- [Tile] Shower and Tub: Spray showers and tubs with an all-purpose cleaner and let it stand awhile. Then use an abrasive scrubbing pad to scour bathtub rings and a brush to scrub tile group as well as deposits around faucet fixtures. Then rinse cleaning solutions from these hard surfaces (DIY, 2015, para. 6-9).
- Fiberglass Showers and Glass Doors: Clean fiberglass showers with a non-abrasive cleanser like baking soda and clean glass doors with white vinegar or a commercial lime and scale removing solution, taking special care to protect skin and clothing in a well-ventilated bath (DIY, 2015, para. 10-11).
- Toilet: Let toilet cleaning solutions stay for awhile in the bowl before using a toilet cleaning brush. For stubborn toilet rings, try using a pumice stone. Spray the toilets with a disintectant spray [or three-percent hydrogen peroxide]. Any bathroom frequented by males needs daily attention.
Natural bathroom cleaning. (2015). Wellness Mama.
Retrieved from http://wellnessmama.com/4719/natural-bathroom-cleaning
- Mirrors: Use a 50/50 percent cleaning solution of vinegar and water as well as cleaning rags or old newspapers to clean mirrors since paper towels leave a residue (Wellness Mama, 2015, para. 3-4).
- Counters, Tile, Shower, and Tub: Again, use either a 50/50 percent cleaning solution of vinegar and water to clean hard surfaces or else use a baking soda paste or a undiluted solution of [three percent] hydrogen peroxide to clean “shower gunk” or tile grout with a gentle-strength toothbrush (Wellness Mama, 2015, para. 5-6).
- Toilets: Weekly sprinkle baking soda inside the toilet with baking soda before dumping a cup of undiluted white vinegar into the bowl and then cleaning it with a toilet brush. Remember to clean toilet seat hinges and bolt caps every week. Finish cleaning the toilet with undiluted [three percent] hydrogen peroxide (Wellness Mama, 2015, para. 7-9).
- Air Fresheners: Use natural air fresheners since sprays like Lysol can prove harmful to small children (Wellness Mama, 2015, para. 10).
- Make sure to read the comments after the article for more helpful tips.
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