Yesterday was the day when Mumbai recorded less than 800 Covid cases. It recorded only 785 cases, and this happened almost after 2 months, but it also achieved a dubious distinction of recording 5000+ deaths, and no other city in India has recorded so many deaths. The death rate in Mumbai due to Covid now stands at 5.8% which is much higher than even state’s average of 4.3%, and much much higher than national average of around 3%.With all the hype created by the present state govt led by Shivsena that they have done/ doing wonderful job of containing Covid pandemic, but the figures speak otherwise.
Now coming to my other topic of the day, friends and the Covid pandemic has taught us one valuable lesson and that is to stay clean. Along with staying clean, we must also ensure that our house is also kept very clean.
Having a spic and span house is not just good for the eyes, but a healthy habit.. We generally do daily cleaning, mopping and dusting. But the major cleaning happens generally once or twice a year, and generally before some festivals like Diwali, Ganpati etc. Then there is fix cleaning, it happens when some important guest is visiting our house, then we quickly get into the act of fixing the piled stuff lying around. Here are some tips that can be followed to keep house in spic and span shape:
1 Vacuuming the furniture– Even with everyday dusting, the living room furniture like sofa and couches, especially the ones with cushions, will have dust piled up. The dust can cause allergies and other health issues. Hence, once in fortnight, this furniture needs to be vacuum cleaned, you may be surprised at the amount of dust that yields, as the naked eyes can not see it.
2 Using space wisely– Every available space in the house should be used carefully, for storage and other purposes.. So if you have corners, and any other free space, you can figure out matching storage cupboards that fit in there.
3 Make your bed everyday– The bedroom is no exception and the bed should be made everyday .Leaving it for later, usually means that it will remain undone.
4 Use baskets– Baskets for laundry and even for storing stuff can be used. This makes the area look clean and tidy and also the things will stay organised. Organising things around the house such that everything has a place is important. If a place is assigned then all the family members will know and follow that it should go into that space only.
5 Clothes should not be strewn around– Whether the ones they have been washed or yet to washed, should not be lying around. It makes for a very untidy sight. Washed and dried clothes should be neatly folded and kept in a space for ironing if required, or in the cupboard, if ironings is not required.
6 Organise the wardrobe– The wardrobe should be neatly organised in such a way that that there is place for everything. The undies should in one place, the formal wear, the casual wear, the ties, sarees etc can have separate place so that you know where to find what and do not have to search for the stuff. Also, the dressing table too can be neatly arranged so that the stuff is easily accessible.
7 Use a Shoe rack-It is important to use a shoe rack and organise footwear neatly, even if it is an open one. This gives a good look as well as, makes it easy to pick one out.
8 Organise the kitchen– The kitchen is also an important part of the house. This has to be kept clean by organising the various foods and groceries in designated places. The gas stove especially has to be kept neat and clean. With Indian style of cooking, the kitchen tiles and the gas hob are likely to get dirty. Hence they have to be cleaned daily, or a layer keeps forming which is not a good sight to look at, and also unhealthy.
9 Maintain a neat work desk-Just, like how you could be confused, if you keep saving everything on your computer desktop, the same is the case with your work table. Keep things filed and piled neatly for easy access and a better look. This makes for a better working.
10 Dining table– If you are using dining table, maintain it neatly with daily cleaning. Keep your fruit bowls on the same for good look, and keep your cutlery nicely in some container/holder etc.
Above were the few tips to keep your house clean.
Waiting for your feed backs/comments/views.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
8th July 2020
R. N. Mungale.
Very good tips for keeping house clean always.