Do you seriously want to cook your food in this?
Lamp shades and ceiling lamps
Are your lights in your house getting weaker? Perhaps you need to give them a good clean up.
It is easy to overlook the insides of a lamp shade and leave it exposed to dust day by day. A dust cloth and lint rollers are helpful ways to get to the hard to reach edges if the feather duster or hand-held vacuum cleaners are too cumbersome to get inside.
Dust can obscure ceiling lamps and make them less bright over time. Cleaning it regularly (perhaps once in 2 weeks) helps ensure that your house has less dust and is well-lit.
House plants
Plants, especially those with large leaves, can accumulate dust. Be it fake plants or real plants, there are ways to clean them appropriately.
For real plants, you will need a spray bottle with clean water inside. Bring the plant outdoors on a warm or sunny day, and spray the leaves, especially on the undersides. Estimate the strength and intensity of the spray based on the fragility and size of the leaves. When you’ve sprayed all the leaves, let the plant air-dry naturally.
Fake plants are easier to handle since they are hardier than real plants and you do not have to worry about accidentally killing them. Fake plants can be air-dried naturally too, though if you need it back in the house quickly and have time to kill, you can use a dry cloth to wipe the leaves. On regular days, you can dust it with a feather duster as well.
Make it a point to dust houseplants once a week or every two weeks to prevent too much dust from accumulating.
Microwave
The microwave makes food preparation quick and fuss-free, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to clean it up. Anything used to cook food gets dirty or greasy easily, and they must be maintained regularly, or risk causing stomach upset or changing the smell and appearance of your food, for the worst.
Common issues with microwaves include bread crumbs and melted cheese all over the bottom, and cereal and hot drinks splashing out when they overheat.
Once a week, wipe out the excess food crumbs from the microwave with a wipe cloth. Then fill a microwave-safe bowl with water. Add some lemon juice into the bowl. Microwave until the water boils, turn off the microwave, and let the bowl sit inside so that the steam penetrates the interior. The steam helps to loosen other more stubborn food particles, while the lemon adds a fresh fragrance.
After about 10 minutes, remove the bowl and interior tray. Wipe the interior with a damp cloth, and wash the tray with soap and water. When it’s dry, return it to the microwave.
Books
Dust accumulates easily on books, especially on the top edges on the pages. Remember to dust them regularly to prevent build up. If you have some precious books that you’d hate to get dirty, consider keeping them in a clear plastic bag. You can then use a damp cloth to wipe the bag, which makes it cleaner.
Your IT Paraphernalia
Laptop, keyboard, mouse… we touch these all the time these days. Many of us eat and drink while using the computer for work or leisure, and the crumbs are easily caught in the keyboard. When we hold food and are lazy to wash our hands before touching our gadgets, this makes them grimy and unhygienic as well.
Invest in a good keyboard brush that can be used to sweep out the particles and dust. Use microfiber cloth for your screen, the body of the laptop and your mouse. Above all, try not to eat while you’re using your laptop, or at least wipe your hands before touching it.
Stay tuned for the last instalment of this series in the following week.
If you missed the first part of this article, do check it out here.
