Have You Ignored These Areas When Cleaning Your Mom’s Home?
Spring cleaning has you clearing cupboards, scrubbing floors and appliances, and so many other tasks. In the rush to get things done, there are areas families often overlook. Have you forgotten any of these areas?
The Washer and Dryer
How often do you stop and wash out the washing machine? If you avoid it, musty odors and stale water may start to make the machine stink. Run the washer when it’s empty. Use bleach and hot water to help sterilize it. Leave the lid open to help it dry out between uses.
The dryer needs attention. Check the lint trap and remove any lint that may have slipped by the screen. The exhaust hose or piping needs to be cleaned out to prevent a fire. It may be easier to replace a flexible metal hose. If your mom has permanent metal or PVC piping to the side of the house, you’ll need to run a chimney brush through it to loosen and remove any built-up lint.
Pet Areas
If your mom has a cat, the litter box should be completely emptied and washed out at least once a month. Scoopable litter may make it for a few weeks, but clay litters that do not clump need to be replaced once or twice a week.
Water bowls should be washed out daily and refilled once or twice a day. If your mom feeds her pets canned food, bowls should be washed daily. For dry food, washing them every few days may work. It depends on how sloppy an eater the pet is. Crumbs will attract ants and other pantry pests if you don’t keep up with cleaning.
Trash Cans
On a sunny day, take your mom’s trash cans outside and spray with bleach. Let it soak for a while. Use a sponge and scrub any stuck on spills and messes. Rinse with the hose and let the sun dry it completely.
The Toilet Tank
The toilet probably gets scrubbed regularly. When was the last time you took off the lid in the water tank and scrubbed that out? That’s another thing you should clean out. Take a sponge and a scrubbing cleaner and give the walls a scrub. You’ll want to gently scrub the plastic components, too.
Get Help Keeping Your Mom’s Home Tidy
If you can’t keep up with the routine and monthly household chores at your mom’s house, hire someone who can. It’s no fun trying to get a week’s worth of housework done in a few hours on the weekend. Caregivers can come a few times a week to help with laundry, dusting, vacuuming, and more. Call an agency to arrange to have caregivers come to your mom’s home on the schedule you choose.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Homecare in East Quogue, NY, call the caring staff at Artful Home Care today at 631-685-5001.
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