GREEN COMMUNITY TAKE-OVER

It's Festive season and two excited vookified members of the Green Community are taking over the Blog this month.
Let's join in on their conversation about festive prep and all that it takes to keep a home hygienic, sparkling and clean to make you the perfect host for all your festive gatherings happiness and peace.

“Rajesh! You won’t believe what I found!”, shouted Madhu. I ran across from the other end of the house, where I was busy with my territory of cleaning. She had in her hand, a bluetooth headset (one that she had gifted me for my birthday, just a few weeks before it disappeared).

It had been hibernating for almost a year between the cozy cushions of our designer sofa. Thanks to the cleaning routine for the festive season this year, we chanced upon finding it. Now I’ve got one more reason to be excited about the “Great Indian Clean-up”. Getting rewarded with such “treasures” is certainly a bonus for getting the cleanup done and dusted.

Over two years of the Covid era did somewhat dampen our spirit of celebration. But this year, Madhu and I decided to bring back the magic of the festive season with a house that is quite the place for memorable moments. Afterall, spending most of our time with an MNC bank and a Corporate hospital, these festivals are the little chance we get to touch base with friends, relatives and the like. And while we did that, I just wanted to share some ideas that you would find helpful while you start your cleaning routine.

Plan a Cleaning Schedule

Yes. You heard that. Sometimes we overlook the complexity of cleaning our home and underestimate the effort required. The best way to not get overwhelmed is by creating a cleaning schedule that spans across a few days leading up to the festive season. Jot down specific tasks/efforts to specific days, so you can handle one area at a time without feeling rushed. This plan would ensure you don’t get exhausted by doing too much or feel complacent and end up doing too little.

Cut the Clutter

Take some time to declutter each space in your house. Make a list of all the items you have in your home and segregate the ones you don’t need anymore. You don’t have to dump all of them in the garbage. Give some of those away on pre-loved product portals online or just pass it on to your neighbors, who may need them. Getting that additional real-estate within your home by doing this is the first significant step to your cleaning routine.

Go by BHK

Keep a close watch on Bedrooms, Hall & Kitchen. These are rooms, where we generally keep walking in and out throughout the day. They tend to get dirtier faster, especially if you have guests and family visiting you. Be sure to vacuum, mop and wipe the floor thoroughly, to keep them fine. In fact I tried a different floor cleaner liquid this time from a brand called ‘vooki’. The results were too good and it seems like they have an impressive lineup of eco friendly cleaning products.

Dust and call it done

Madhu gets easily annoyed when furnishings and chandeliers begin donning a sad old look. Tops of picture frames, shelves, light fittings and ceiling fan blades - all these are victims of this. But guess what? Most of the time, it is just a subtle layer of dust that forms over their surfaces. Yeah, although these need to be dusted often, do not forget to make them part of the festive cleaning routine.

Deep clean the kitchen

This is my favorite part of the house, when it is vibrant with cooking & baking magic that brings out different kinds of sweets & savories. But not as favorite, when it comes to cleaning. However, to prep it up for this year, Madhu got a deep cleaning solution from vooki, specially made for handling hard stains of the kitchen countertops & floors. And we realized that even cleaning can be a magical expereince with their line of home cleaning products.

Keep an eye out for Bathrooms

No matter how much we invest ourselves in festival cleaning, bathrooms will always need an extra eye. And I never compromise when it comes to guest bathrooms in particular. Get a good toilet cleaner and deep clean the toilet bowls, toilet seats, sinks, taps and shower heads thoroughly. And most importantly, get rid of any trace of limescale that may have built up on the floors or walls or bath fittings. Throughout the festive season, you may want to stock up a bit extra on essentials like toilet paper, soap and hand towels so your guests don't run out during their visit.

Finish it with the Exterior

While the interior of your home should be the primary focus during the festive season, don't forget about the exteriors. Keep the walkways leading to your home free from garbage or filth. Sweep it at least a couple of times a day. Clean the foyer and rearrange the footwear shelves. Consider changing your welcome mat and if possible, add a warm greeting dangler for your guests. I had an idea to make the outdoor lighting a little better than what we had. So we got a couple of new LED strips and added it to the foyer. And I must say it does give out the festive vibes in a fantastic manner.

Sometimes, we may be surprised by guests visiting without prior notice. In fact, I get stunned when that happens, especially when the cleaning routine isn’t over. But Madhu is a bit smart with these situations. So here are some of her quick cleaning tips when guests ambush you before your cleaning routine is over:

• Focus on High-Impact Areas: Do a quick clean up of areas like your living room and guest bathrooms. Wipe down furnished surfaces and make sure there's a handwash, sanitiser & hand towel that is clean and dry in the bathroom.
• Hide Clutter: Sometimes it might be too hard to declutter in quick time. Get those loose items and put them away in a laundry bin or a closet. You can deal with them later.
• Air Fresheners: How your home smells can certainly make it feel cleaner than it actually may be. Use a pleasant fragrance without overdoing the spray across the house. Compliment this by lighting up a scented candle and let the aura of your home be lifted up.
• Set the Table: Whether you’re offering a meal or a quick snack, it is important to set the dining and coffee table up. A nicely set table can certainly keep guests’ eyes away from other not so clean areas of the home.
• Shut the Bedrooms: If your guests aren’t going to stay for the night, just close the rooms and keep the focus on the living room.

Whew! It sounds like quite a daunting task right? But trust me, it isn’t as tough as it sounds. Get along with these cleaning tips and you will be just fine. Now if you will let me go, I shall get back to my “treasure hunt”. Will keep you posted with more updates on how it went and what more I found. See you soon! Bye!