Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Keeping House

And my housekeeping tip of the day is brought to you by my maid-less existence: When cleaning the microwave, check the "ceiling." I thought I had gotten my microwave to sparkling, lemon-y fresh levels (using a damp microfiber cloth, an eco-friendly surface spray, and a dollop of some heavy-duty surface cleaner for tough spots)--until I bent down and looked up to see the remaining MoMA-worthy spaghetti sauce splatters.

We normally have a maid come over once a week, but she's been on vacation for the past three weeks. (Buti pa siya.) So I had to come up with a manageable system--given my full-time job and packed weekends--that would keep the house from falling into total disarray while the trusty help is on her extended leave. My solution: housework as my morning workout.

To keep things from getting too overwhelming, I try to do one or two little things a day, right after breakfast. Day 1, for example, is for sweeping and mopping; day 2 for cleaning the kitchen counter and organizing; day 3 for setting aside our freshly laundered clothes; day 4 for cleaning the microwave. (Making the bed and washing the dishes are givens.) Vacuuming is for free time during the weekend.

Save for vacuuming, I do enjoy most of it. I like scrubbing away stains and seeing a pristine surface after I'm done with it. I like walking on our shiny floors. I like the smell of clean. Still, I think I'm going to like it even more when our helper comes back! She is AWESOME at her job (and, more importantly, she's incredibly trustworthy), and I love her to bits.

2 comments:

  1. hmmm... it's handy to have a housekeeper when it comes to that stuff. it's too bad that you had to do it for this week.

    ReplyDelete
  2. She's back! And I am a less frazzled homemaker!:)

    ReplyDelete

Oh, so sweet of you to drop a line!:)