Just Because It’s Summer
Just because it’s summer… It’s back! We are looking at summertime like a long-lost friend! Seems like forever, doesn’t it? But just because it’s summer doesn’t mean we don’t have to keep up with regular chores. Some are made worse when it’s hot out! I know, I know… Here are some reasons why and what to do.
Warmth and Germs Love Each Other
Most people associate the warm months with vacations and beaches, patio dinners, and running through the sprinklers. In other words, being outdoors most of the time. But often, our “in”-doors get neglected regarding cleaning. Doors and windows are left open so there’s more air circulation and less-than-pleasant smells are not as noticeable.
Clothing, whether it’s work or play clothes, just the heat of this time of year makes us all sweat more. Do you know how your teenager’s room smells? Yeah, that. Except multiply that by all the family members. Try line drying the clothes for a few months. This will save money on your electricity bills and give your clothing a good dose of UV to kill the germs created by sweaty bodies.
Garbage, defined as: “wasted or spoiled food and other refuse, as from a kitchen or household” is the wet/sticky/scraps that we throw in our waste cans. Let them sit for a hot day in a closed container and you might just be knocked back a couple of feet by the smell. Meat waste like trimmings and bones are particularly susceptible to spoilage. Food poisoning is more common in the summertime and is no fun. Make a habit of taking the garbage out daily or having a special bag for just food leftovers and get them out of the house.
Dirty Dishes have a habit of building up as people run in and out of the house for snacks and cold drinks. Even the small bits of food left can create foul odors quickly. Encourage the family to scrape dishes into the garbage and/or rinse them off. Run the disposer at least once a day and maybe throw in a lemon or orange peel to freshen it up. Once or twice a month (all year actually) add a cup of baking soda and vinegar to it and let it volcano up in your sink and entertain you for a few seconds. (Good chore for kids?) Wash it down 10 minutes later with some hot-hot tap water.
Rain or Shine
In and out, in and out. Kids, cats, and dogs can’t seem to make up their minds about where they want to be. While it’s best to leave shoes at the door, it’s not so easy to keep up with the traffic. Who knows what everyone has walked or run through especially if there are pets around…you get the drift. Buy a bunch of dollar store flip-flops in assorted sizes for indoor use by the most used door for ease of rule enforcement. This will help keep the worst of it at bay.
DIY season
And then there’s the home repairs and remodeling that are so common this time of year. It’s also a fairly universal habit to just “let things go” while the work is being done because why clean when it’s just going to get trashed again until it’s finished. That’s fair logic to a point, but if one area gets neglected then often the whole thing gets neglected. And if it’s a BIG project, like remodeling a bathroom, then things can get out of hand quickly.
Whether you are doing it yourself or have a contractor, make it a point to have things tidied up at the end of the workday. Sweep up sawdust and other potentially hazardous debris and get the power tools unplugged and put away.
Keeping the house ship-shape, even during the lazy hazy days of summer! Sometimes it’s just easier (and worth the $$ spent) to let us help you keep up indoors while you go enjoy the “out”-doors!
