Now we think both of those who have another activity to which they dedicate their time but want or need to take care of their own home, as well as those who do not have enough time to devote to housework and decide to use people they trust to help them in this work. It is true that it might seem to us that delegating this work leads to losing a bit of intimacy, but having the help of other people means gaining time and not only "physical" but also "mental" time, since we will not have to think about it. On the other hand, it does not hurt to know how to do these things, in order to be able to teach them to whoever has to take care of them, if necessary.
In the previous article we collected some experiences about cleaning the house. This time we will talk about some aspect of tidiness, the other pillar that guarantees a balanced and peaceful home environment.
Properly speaking, tidiness is not a "task" to be performed at least once a week, but an attitude to live with on a regular basis. It is important to make the well-known phrase "a place for everything, and everything in its place" a reality. For example, in each closet should be precisely the things we have decided that they should be; this way we will find what we need at any given moment. And if we make an effort to collect and return things to their place once we have finished using them, we will save time the next time we need them; in addition to knowing where to find them, we will prevent them from being damaged or misplaced.
It is important to plan in advance, in a logical way, the distribution of objects: something like in a library, where books are grouped by subject, or by authors. This will help in the search for what we need. Just as in a kitchen, food is never placed next to cleaning products, in a dressing room it does not make much sense to find objects that are not related to clothing.
Inside the cabinets or shelves, boxes of different sizes can be used to group objects. Ideally, transparent plastic containers that allow the contents to be identified without having to open them. On the desk, small trays, as compartments, would be enough to prevent small objects from scattering when opening and closing drawers.
Good ventilation seems to "reinforce" order. The house will be more pleasant if we ventilate whenever necessary, especially first thing in the morning, or when leaving a room. By means of the ventilation we manage to renew an air loaded by excess of carbon dioxide, the bad smell, the heat or the excessive humidity, and to give step to an air with better conditions for our health and well-being.
In summer it is recommended to ventilate at the earliest time, to take advantage of the fresh air; in winter, we will take into account the start of the heating at its maximum temperature, to ventilate earlier and avoid unnecessary expenditure of energy. Natural ventilation, that is, the use of air currents by opening windows or doors, allows a faster air change than ventilation by means of the mechanical assistance of an extractor fan or air conditioning; the cold air moves the hot air and is thus regenerated. We will take into account if there are shutters on the windows, and we will hold them before opening to ensure that there are no sudden blows or things are not blown away, especially if there is strong wind. Windows that tilt open from the top are also useful.
There are also other details that make the rooms cozier, especially the living room: for example, to close the windows according to the season of the year, the day, the climate... letting in the necessary light, but not excessive heat. In all these rooms, a pleasant atmosphere requires that the curtains or "blinds" must be in place, the armchairs or armchairs well placed, with soft cushions; the tables clean, the newspapers or magazines tidy; the wastebaskets (and ashtrays, if any) empty and clean; the television or video controls in place.
We must also take care that there is no dust on the furniture, picture frames, etc. If there is a carpet, it should be vacuumed whenever necessary, and the bangs should be placed if there are any. When cleaning we can check that all the light bulbs are shining and, if there are any blown out, replace them with new ones. The plants or flowers, we will try that they are in good condition. In the bedrooms, the furniture should be in place, the carpet centered, the bed well stretched, without wrinkles or bulges.
