For one to be considered to live a healthy life, is not just by the food we eat  and the sports that we do but cleanliness is also a part of healthy living. There is nothing which repulses me as a dirty house.

As much as am a very busy person with over three part time jobs and one volunteer job to teach children every Saturday, I find time every morning to clean my house before I leave for the office, so you can imagine to my surprise a week ago when I visited an old friend who lives in a large house, and in a town where people live on a fast track in trendy houses to find her house in filth.

She has a very beautiful apartment, one that I would love to own here in Kigali. The apartment is located in a beautiful suburb I must confess the rent is not cheap either.

I loved everything about the house, except the hygiene. Since I was going to spend one week in my friend’s house, I had to do something about the cleanliness before I could put my head on any bed that night.

I started with her bedroom, and then went to her children’s room; thirdly I cleaned the guest room, where I was to spend.

The next day I headed to clean her living room before finishing off with the kitchen and the bathrooms. She was very lucky I was there over the weekend otherwise she would not have been lucky with my free services considering that I was in that town for business.

When I asked her what happens, she gave me an excuse that she has an eight to five job so she does not have time for house cleaning, even though she has a house maid, she also has no time to supervise what the maid does!

This I told her is very dangerous, she should be able to find time over the weekend to supervise her house, her clothes and make sure that the house is properly cleaned. I gave my friend the list of the jobs that I do, she was very surprised, yet I still have the time to do thorough cleaning every Saturday and any other day before I leave for my office.

This is the same person who complained that her boyfriend rarely sits in her house for more that fifteen minutes, I told her the reason was because her house was filthy.

No woman should have her job as an excuse as to why her house is in filth. Below are the very basics that one should do on weekly basis to make sure that her house does not sink into filthiness.

LIVING ROOM

At all times make sure that your living is sparkling clean because when you have guests this is the first room they enter to rest and it is  also a place where you entertain them. When cleaning the living room

1. Start with a large, empty box and a waste basket placed in the center of the room.

2. First, collect any dishes and glasses around the room and take them to the kitchen. Put them away or into the sink.

3. Next, collect all trash and garbage (newspapers, wrappers, old magazines, etc.) and throw them into the wastebasket.

4. Then, collect anything that doesn’t belong in the living room (clothing, toys, mail, and project equipment) and throw them into the box.

5. Take both the wastebasket and the box to the garage, basement, closet or other out-of-the-way spot.  Put items away now or you will never have the time to do that work again.

6. Grab 2 washcloths -- one damp (but wrung out very dry), and the other completely dry. Quickly wipe off picture frames and mirrors, first with the damp, then the dry rag.

7. Next, wipe all objects and tabletops with the damp rag, and remove moisture with the dry cloth.

8. Neatly stack magazines or books on the coffee table. Rearrange decorative objects to an attractive position.

9. If you have some around, bring in a fresh flower arrangement or fresh plants and place them around the room.

10. Spray light air freshener into the room.

Sit down and enjoy a glass of hot chocolate and watch a good movie in a clean environment and you will enjoy every single minute of it!

BEDROOMS

Your bedroom is a place where you would like to unwind and relax after a long, hard day and not a storage area or junkyard.

But, most of the time, our bedroom becomes just that and intense cleanup is required to restore its charm. Cleaning a bedroom is not an arduous task; you just need the necessary supplies, a sound plan and some time.

• Gather all your supplies such as a basket or laundry bag to pick up all the things that don’t belong in your bedroom. You’ll need a trashcan, vacuum and glass cleaner to clean the windows and glass tabletops on side tables.

• Collect all the objects lying around in your bedroom that can be stored elsewhere. These can be toys, snacks or food items, extra magazines and books and so on. Place these items in a basket and whisk it out of the bedroom.

• Grab all the dirty or used clothing including towels, sheets, rugs, window curtains, comforters and so on and put them in a hamper or laundry basket. You can wash these later. In the meantime, set aside fresh sheets, towels and other necessary items.

• Pull out all the pieces of furniture that are not affixed or too heavy. Bed or closets, if too heavy to remove from the bedroom, at least move them around so that you can clean up the entire area.

• Dust the corners, ceiling, walls, windows, accent lamps, fan and other areas where dust, cobwebs and other junk can settle in. Also clean the assorted knickknacks and decorative items. Use a damp cloth or household cleaner to clean if the surface has unsightly finger prints, water spots or other marks.

• Dust the dressing area including drawers and chest, mirrors and night stand. Use glass cleaner for mirrors.

• Vacuum and flip your mattress over to provide even wear. Don’t forget to clean under the bed.

• Clean your closets next. Remove everything from your closets, one closet at a time and wipe the interior with a damp cloth followed by a quick wipe with a dry cloth.

• Store the items appropriately in closets or drawers, if they are lying around in the bedroom. Folded and pressed clothes, accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, etc.

• Use fresh sheets to make the bed. Replace the curtains, towels and rugs with washed items.

You will not believe your eyes when you are through, your room will be clean and airy.

When your house is this clean, and then be ready for that man to even want to spend the rest of his life in your house!

KITCHEN

Cleaning up the kitchen is part of cooking. Not only is it easier to cook and bake in a clean kitchen, but clean surfaces and storage containers will keep your family healthier and safer.

1. Have a place for everything. It’s much easier to find utensils or appliance when it has a specific place where they are kept. 2. Don’t mix ammonia and bleach because it will create toxic fumes in your kitchen.

3. Identify spots in your kitchen that accumulate clutter and take a few minutes every day to clear those spots and place objects in their correct homes.

4. Try to end each day with a clean, empty kitchen sink.

5. A sponge is actually a great way to spread germs. I prefer using paper towels, discarding them after cleaning each surface, to totally prevent cross-contamination.

Take some time to learn these easy tips and preventative measures and before you know it your kitchen will be automatically cleaner and less cluttered. Make cleaning second nature and you’ll save time and money.

Ends