2022-11-15

The festive season of Dusshera and Diwali that follows is the most vibrant time of the year in India. With it being just around the corner, new clothes, lots of food, fun and frolic is on the menu.

This is also the time when every home gets together and cleans every nook and corner of the house. It is customary to deep clean the home and discards unnecessary things. While we won’t do a Mary Kondo on you, here are five tips that will help you sail through your festive cleaning smoothly.

Konmari your way:

Have a hard time throwing away that old jumper that is too cute. But you cannot wear it anymore? Now is the best time to declutter. Get all the things you have not been using, A great way to do this is to apply the one-year rule. If you have not used it over the last year, unless it is a family heirloom or something valuable, you can let it go. Gather all the items that you do not need any more so that you can donate, dispose of them or just throw them away. Expired food, bottles, boxes and covers that you thought you could use sometime later, or clothes that have been just lying around. Give them away. You will be surprised at the amount of space unwanted things occupy.

Plan & schedule:

First, draw up a plan. Get a schedule, by diving tasks over a period of days you have in hand. Maybe you would like to clean the kitchen first. Declutter over days, and dispose of them at once, or start by doing one hour of cleaning every day. With our fast-paced lives, planning will give some form of organisation and make things easy on the go. You would not be able to clean the entire house in one day. You can also make a list of things to clean. Do you want to start by scrubbing the floor, vacuuming surfaces, cleaning cobwebs and cleaning the bathrooms? Schedule one activity per day, and you will be done in no time.

Use a Wet & Dry central vacuum system:

Does cleaning heavy linen, carpets and upholstery feel tiring? Using traditional cleaning techniques involves lots of wet damp cleaning materials, and scrubbing using your hands. This can be messy, and time taking. A central vacuum cleaner will come to your rescue here! With high-efficiency motors that can suck up dust, dirt and debris in no time, some of these are also wet and dry vacuum cleaners, which make it ideal to clean carpets, heavy rugs and sofas. You can also clean wet spills, stains, and grime that is difficult to remove. They can reach places that are hard to reach, cleaning every corner efficiently.

Cleaning products

Yes, you should get a central vacuum cleaner. But remember that the cleaning won’t be as effective till you get the right cleaning agents for the process. There are many kitchen ingredients that double up as cleaning agents, like vinegar, salt, coffee beans and baking soda.. Make sure you use pet-safe and child-safe products. Harsh agents like acid and bleach could cause irritation and there is always a risk of an accident with them. Also, invest in good quality products. They will not only ensure that your spaces and surfaces sparkle, the cleaning gets done faster, and spaces stay fresher for longer.

Involve everyone

Once you have a schedule and plan ready, all you have to do is roll up your sleeves and get in. Make sure you involve everyone at home. After all, this is a festive activity. If you have an automatic central vacuum system, even children and the elderly can easily do the core cleaning activity.

Divide work items between each of the family members, and have a fun cleaning huddle. It is also a great opportunity to redecorate, or. Give your favourite spaces a makeover. Maybe get a new patch in your garden, because with winter to follow the festive season, it is a great time to grow some veggies.  The central idea is to make it less of a chore and more of an activity.

Festive cleaning is almost ritualistic in India. Homes get decked up to greet everyone during Dusshera and Diwali, and it is a time for celebrations and cheer. With a few tips, cleaning hacks and organisation you can get a fresh, sparkly home ready in time for the festival.