Housekeeping tips?

In My Humble Opinion
1

So right now I am renting a rather spacious room from an apartment. And my den is…ah, in rather bad shape now, and I seek dopers’ help in educating me on house-keeping

  1. For some time, the landlord’s mother has tell me there’s a certain smell coming from my room. It’s either the dirty clothing (I do laundry about once per week) or the room is not being ventilated. Any idea what else I could do?

  2. What is the frequency I should wash my curtains?

  3. Bedsheets? Pillow case? Blankets?

  4. My belongings consist of mainly books…and more books. And board-games. I am running out of shelf space. And if I ever have to move, packing those books will be my biggest nightmare. Any tips?

  5. Eh…and, are there any alternative to mopping a floor?

  6. What other areas should I pay attention to?

I guess the biggest problem is #1. There is definitely a difference in the quality of air outside my room and in my room…given that the New Year is rolling about, would like to do a good spring cleaning.

2

#1. maybe Febreeze? Is all your dirty laundry in one place like a hamper or all over the room? Is there a window you could crack sometimes? Get a fan? I’m a big fan of Febreeze though, used to use it regularly when I smoked in my old apartment so it wouldn’t reek as bad and other people that didn’t smoke said the Febreze really helped. And use a good all-purpose cleaner on all the surfaces, maybe something citrus because it makes stuff smell really clean and fresh.

#3. It depends. Do you routinely shower right before bed? Or are you “dirty” getting into bed, like you haven’t showered since the morning and may be sweaty and or dirty from work or activiites? I’d say at least 2x a month, more if you are “dirty” while sleeping. Some people wash them like every week. It helps to have 2 sets so you put the new one on when the other is being cleaned. And my hair is super dry but I imagine people with hair that tends to get greasy easier wash their pillow cases more often. I just do the sheets and pillow cases and the extra blanket all at once twice a month. (oh and if you are getting busy in the bed ever…wash them more :wink: )

#4. If you’ve got books and you like them, you’re gonna have to move them. When you move, pack them in smaller boxes because books are HEAVY! Don’t want to hurt yourself trying to grab a big box of books. I almost killed my brother when he helped me move last time; I didn’t label my boxes and he went for a big one thinking it was light but it was full of books. For in home storage, I don’t know what else to do but buy more bookshelves really. You could always get those particle board laminate ones cheap if money is an issue. Don’t forget to dust the shelves though, I take all the books down and clean the shelves with the appropriate cleaning product for the surface. And if you need more space but bookshelves aren’t an option, if you can fit stuff under your bed, those plastic under the bed boxes are great. They slide under the bed and it’s an easy way to keep stuff together but out of the way.

#5. Sweep and maybe get one of those Swiffer WetJets? Looks easier than mopping, don’t need a bucket and you’re not sloshing water everywhere.

Sorry I have no idea about #2, my curtains are wood beads.

3

  1. I’d wash all of your laundry, sheets, blankets and curtains at the same time and use a Febreeze-like product on everything in there. Open the windows for as long as you can stand the cold. Wander around your room sniffing at everything close up. It’s got to be something.

  2. Normally if nothing smelled I would only wash them 2 or 3 times a year. They don’t get dirty, just dusty and I vacuum the dust off the valances every few weeks.

  3. Once a week whether they need it or not. I don’t know why I do it that often other than that my mother did and I inherited the habit.

  4. Is it possible that your books are moldy? That would create a weird smell. Moving books is always a nightmare because they’re so heavy. I used smaller boxes so that I could lift them, or used old fashioned twine to tie them into small stacks that I could tape a handle on and carry.

  5. You can get down on your knees and scrub it with soap and water and then go over it with a wet cloth to get the soap off. In a small room sometimes it’s faster than getting out the mop.

  6. It’s faster to clean a little mess every week than clean a big one once a month or a disaster once a year.

4

Ventilate your room; even in winter you need some fresh air. Baking soda is odor-absorbent; you can rub it into the carpet, leave it for a while, and then vacuum, and that will help if the carpet is musty.

I wash sheets/pillowcases once a week. Stale sheets are not lovely. Blankets can be washed less often, as they are not in direct contact with you. Still, every month or two will keep them fresh.

5

Could the smell be from damp towels? Do you toss towels right into a hamper when you’re done with them? As opposed to hanging them up to dry off, that is. If they go right into the hamper then they never dry out and get musty smelling.

6

Do you have carpeting? Sometimes odors get into carpeting, so a really good vacuuming or steam cleaning is in order.

I hate to say this, but sometimes animals crawl into the walls or roof and die there. And rot. And STINK.

7

Hi, thanks for the tips. BTW, I am in the tropics, so no winter here.

I leave everything in a laundry basket by the door, and yes wet towel goes inside there. I will keep in mind to let stuff dried or wash wet stuff as soon as possible.

I do sweat a lot; even when sleeping (and I have no air-conditioning and it is really humid here), so I guess I should wash the bedsheet more regularly.

How do I prevent book from going moldy in a humid environment?

The room has no carpeting - it’s ceramic tiled.

As for the smell, would getting one of those aroma producing machine (no idea what it is called) or some room-scent helps?

8

Don’t put wet towels in your hamper. I would bet that’s the source of your smell, and moldy, mildewy towels do stink.

If your room doesn’t have one, get a free standing towel rack or one that hangs on the back of your door and hang your towels as soon as you are done drying off. You will still need to wash them frequently since you live in a warm, probably humid environment. But hanging them to dry should cut down the smell considerably.

9

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10

You can’t, really. Do you have a lot of second hand books, or books on cheap paper? They smell musty real fast. There is no way you ca really prevent that; just have less books on your shelves, and more in closed boxes. Or get airco with a dehumifier.

God no. That is just producing one smell over a bad smell. It is a markeing idea that never actually helps. Your only bet is stuff like febreze, that actually “eats” the smell instead of topping it with another smell.

You could ask a woman to smell your room. They have better smell, on average, and more knowledge of what could smell bad.

11

CrazyChop, you need air flow in the tropics. Keep two windows opened a crack for cross-ventilation, or run a fan if you have one.

Do you have an exhaust fan in your bathroom? Do you use it during and at least 15 minutes after you shower?

You must dust your books regularly, too, because of the humidity. Since you have no carpeting, once a month should do. Cull them if it’s too big a job, but caring for them needs to be done. Otherwise, all you will have is a shelf full of petri dishes.

We also tend to sweat a lot at night. We choose pillows under $10 each and replace them every 4 months because they stink. It would also cost us the same amount to wash and dry them in our apartment’s laundry.

12

The best general housekeeping idea I could share with you is the idea of having a daily routine. The more frequently you do something the easier and more automatic it becomes.

You can build a routine slowly, starting with just one thing like, say, make your bed as soon as you get out of it. Once that is a habit, you could make your bed every morning and sweep the bathroom floor before you get in the shower. Then you could add dry out the shower with the towel you used to dry off with (then hang it up before it goes in the laundry hamper) Then add swiping off bathroom surfaces with a damp rag.

I’m telling you my routine, which grew step by step and is now such a habit it is like those things happen by themselves. Pick your own tasks. My motto is “half-assed is better than no-assed”, that is, it’s better to do something, no matter how imperfect, than nothing.

(And some people will recognize that I’ve cribbed all this from the FlyLady, patron saint of the housekeeping impaired. You can check out her website at flylady.net, but you might want to try establishing a small morning routine first. She can be a bit overwhelming)

13

Oops, I didn’t look at your location. In humid climates, you should change sheets and towels frequently. If you could work up to twice a week for sheets, and fresh towels every other day (or daily, as I know people who feel that’s necessary), that would be good. And your towel habit is probably the source of a lot of smell–hang them out and wash them ASAP, as already mentioned.

14

In the tropics, I’d suggest NOT making your bed as soon as you get up. I always let my sheets air out for at least an hour or two, as I tend to sweat at night, even in the winter, and by folding my sheets back the moisture will evaporate somewhat better. Get another set or two of bed sheets and pillowcases, and change them more often.

Personally, I like to wash my pillows several times a year. Between the cat hair and my sweaty head, they seem to need it.

And hang up those wet towels! Once mildew sets in, it’s darn near impossible to get rid of.

15

I’d like to be a fly on the wall when you make THAT request.

16

G’morning!

Approx 2.5 million sweat glands in your skin secrete about 2 cups of sweat daily.

You lose between 30 - 40,000 dead skin cells a minute.

I could go into more detail but I don’t want to gross you out. Suffice it to say that it’s a good idea to wash your bedding, and hang a clean hand towel, facecloth, and bath towel daily.

Ziplock bags will keep your favorite books free from mold, mildew, dust mites, and other greeblies. Store books you don’t read often in Rubbermaid containers - covered with a decorative cloth they can double as end tables, bedside tables, etc. Put a cup of dried rice inside a sock intoeach container - it’s an effective desiccant.

Can’t help you on the curtain question - I hate curtains. We use vinyl blinds which we raise totally during the day and pull down at night for privacy. They’re easily wiped clean with a 5% beach solution once a month. We use a 5% bleach solution to clean most things in our house from countertops to floors. How often you’ll need to clean floors and walls will depend on your living habits. Countertops are cleaned every time we use them - several times daily. This is an incredibly inexpensive and effective way to clean.

If you live in an area where the air quality is poor - urban areas, downwind from farms that use pesticides and so on, it’s a good idea to invest in a good quality air purifier. Personally, I’d choose Oreck XL Pro models - they use them on submarines. They take care of mold, mildew, smoke, dust, pollen, and just about everything unhealthy you wouldn’t elect to breathe in if you were given a choice. They’re great if you hate dusting as you’ll be hard pressed to find dust on surfaces even after two weeks. That should help with your books too. We live in a pristine environment in the mountains and so don’t use an air purifier at present - we just keep the windows open, even in winter.

Synthetic or even non-synthetic wall-to-wall carpeting is a major health hazard. I wouldn’t use it. Cotton or woolen area rugs that you can beat the dust out of and bleach in the sun are okay if you feel you must have carpeting.

Stainless steel sinks are porous, dangerous, and should be cleaned daily with a bleach solution. Your toilet needs to be cleaned daily and don’t forget the mechanisms in the tank. Borax and citric acid will keep them clean, as will a 5% bleach solution.

I don’t clean my house personally anymore but I did for years. Due to time constraints and other interests, I now have someone else do it - to my specifications. :slight_smile:

All the best with your clean-up efforts. Let us know how you do?

Shalom Aleichem - Jesse.

17

I don’t know about the submarines part, but consumer product testing has shown that air purifiers don’t really work, so don’t waste your money on that. They also produce ozone that gives some people headaches. Vacuuming with a HEPA filter and dusting regularly, as well as not smoking indoors, seem to be just as effective for keeping particles and allergens out of the air. Purifiers don’t do crap for dust mites either.

18

My mom has one that produces ozone and I can’t stand being in the same room with it. It smells like chlorine and makes my head and sinuses ache and does little to nothing to mask the cigarette smell.

19

I could very well be wrong, but I was under the impression that you weren’t supposed to use bleach on stainless steel because it’s corrosive. Which is why you use it infrequently to restore shine to your SS sink (it corrodes the dull layer leaving the shiny virgin SS exposed).

Correct me if I’m wrong.

20

G’morning Brown Eyed Girl!

Pure bleach wouldn’t be a good idea, but a 5% sterilizing solution (5% bleach & 95% water) isn’t going to damage your sink, it’ll simply clean it. :wink:

Love - Jesse.