Proper Identification

De-cluttering cannot begin without the homeowner’s realization that his living space is already cluttered. So when can we identify that a space already is cluttered? If there are things lying around that do not belong to a specific area or a specific place, if you want a neat look, everything has to be in its proper place. Any item should be there for a reason. So if there are things lying around without any rhyme or reason, that’s the time to de-clutter. Psychologically, living in such a space will also not be visually-comforting for the homeowners.

It is said that dirty shoes reflect a dirty person. Where you live reflects the kind of person that you are. Needless to say, if your house is cluttered, you probably have a disorganized mind. It can also imply that you’re too busy to organize your living space.

Making it a Habit

How often should de-cluttering be done? If you have a big household, you should de-clutter every two weeks. For families of three to four, once-a-month would do.

De-cluttering is all just a matter of sorting the clutter into boxes or defining whether items should be kept, displayed properly or disposed of. It’s really more of deciding whether the stuff should be kept temporarily or permanently stashed away.

Causes of Clutter

Too Busy. More often that not, we take de-cluttering or even general household cleaning or even general household cleaning for granted. Because parents usually work very hard on weekdays, weekends are set aside for rest and recreation, not de-cluttering.

De-cluttering and reorganizing the home can be a venue for family bonding. It’s actually better for each family member to participate so that he or she will know where his or her things are stored. He or she can also decide on what things to give away.

Cultural. When we accumulate or buy things that we don’t really need, that’s the start of adding clutter to the house. People have a habit of going to a sale and then, even if an item is not needed, it will be bought because it’s a bargain. We end up accumulating all these unnecessary things, and it’s best to be aware of this.

Not enough storage. A lot of people are living in condo units now, but condo units are usually not designed to have or maximize potentials of built-in cabinets. There’s a solution to that. Go around home decor and even book stores — there are a lot of good finds like simple baskets as storage solutions. Plastic containers can be decorative and stylish. There are many things that you can find that aren’t necessarily expensive to take the place of built-in cabinets.

De-Cluttering 101

In the Kitchen. The dish-drainer usually made of plastic or aluminum can be done way with. It’s usually placed on the kitchen counter and takes up space. You can keep your plates and other utensils inside the kitchen cabinets and away from the sight of guests.

The rice keeper is not practical. It doesn’t last for a long time, anyway. Just put your rice in big plastic containers, again inside the kitchen cabinet, so it doesn’t occupy additional space outside.

In the living area. The Ottoman, a foot stool that is also sometimes used as a center table. It can be used as an extra seat, or you can put a tray on top of it and put food on it while watching TV. Side tables should have drawers or bottom shelves. If you buy something that’s only a table top, you might not have much use for the furniture; you might as well buy something with two or more drawers or a bottom shelf to be used for storage.

In the bedroom. Have side tables beside the bed. It would be practical to have drawers in them, to stash books in or anything else that you need handy while you’re in bed. Maximize your built-in furniture. If you have a lot of furniture pieces, it will make the area look smaller. Built-in furniture that look like they’re part of the wall — they just blend in. It’s best to have minimal furniture in the bedroom.

The main secret to de-cluttering is to always think of how a particular space in the home can maximally serve its purpose. Maximize the space: per square meter of an area should be doubled, if not tripled, in terms of usage. The furniture should be space problem-solvers, not just decorations.

Steps in De-Cluttering:

1. Throw away the things that you don’t need anymore.
2. Segregate those that you might probably still need.
3. Start with the smaller things, like socks and accessories, etc.
4. Use boxes for items that are: a) to be thrown away, b) to be given away, and c) to be kept.
5. If something has been with you for five years and you haven’t been using it, it’s time to give or to throw it away.
6. Provide areas or containers where the segregated items are to be kept.

Salmonella – found in raw meat and food products and can cause diarrhea, gastroenteritis, and typhoid fever.

Cladosporium – a common fungus that is usually associated with plants, leather goods, and wood products. It may be hidden in places such as the backside of a dry wall, wallpaper, or paneling. This can cause respiratory problems and allergic reactions.

Shigella – 10 shigella bacteria make up an infection, which can be passed through direct contact with bacteria in the stool. People may get infected if they come in contact with anything contaminated by the stool from an infected person.

Baking soda

• For sparkling silver, line a porcelain sink with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Load it with silver you intent to polish, making certain that every item touches the foil liner. Cover with boiling water and add a cup of baking soda. The tarnish will jump from the silver to the foil in almost no time. For any remaining traces of heavy tarnish, make a paste of water and baking soda and polish the surface until it shines.
• Make a tile cleanser by mixing two cups of baking soda with a half cup of lukewarm water. Brush the mixture into the grout and scrub, scrub, scrub.
• Sprinkle baking soda onto your upholstered couch to deodorize it. Let it stand for an hour, then vacuum.

Lemon

• Mix two parts olive oil with one part lemon juice to create furniture polish. Just a few drops on a soft cloth will make your wooden furniture shine. Buff the surface with a dry cloth to remove any excess oil. Store your polish in a glass jar.
• Remove ink stains on cloth by placing lemon juice directly onto the spot. Allow it to sit overnight before laundering as usual. Repeat if necessary.
• Take rust off household tools and chrome by using salt and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Make a paste and rub onto rusty area with a dry cloth.
• Brighten white fabrics by soaking them in a pot of boiling water with a sliced lemon.

Borax

• Add one quarter of borax to two cups of water to make a bleach substitute.
• Pour one quarter cup into your toilet bowl to help clean and deodorize it. Swish the mixture with a brush and let it stand for at least an hour or, even better, overnight. Flush.

Salt

• Remove perspiration stains from clothing by pre-soaking the garment in salt water.
• Soften new jeans by adding one half cup of salt to the wash along with your regular laundry detergent.
• To get rid of coffee stains on the inside of a glass coffeepot, add four teaspoons of salt, one cup crushed ice, and one tablespoon of water. Gently swirl until clean, then rinse.

White vinegar

• Polish patent leather in cloth dampened with vinegar. Wipe it on until shine is fully restored.
• Use a solution of two tablespoons of white vinegar to one gallon of warm water in a spray bottle to clean mirrors, glass, and windows.
• To reduce odor from a pet’s urine in your carpet, dilute a cup of vinegar with a cup of room-temperature water. Apply and blot with a clean rag.

Kids are prone to particular skin problems during summer because of the hot humid climate. For instance, fungal growth is fostered in sweaty areas because it thrives in moist conditions. Children’s skin can also be quite sensitive to heat and overheating often aggravates itching in already affected areas.

Top Summer Skin Problems for Kids

Millaria. More commonly known as prickly, it is caused by the blocking of the flow of sweat from the sweat glands to the skin’s surface. “The sweat will look for another way to get out so it escapes into the skin.

Prickly heat manifests as tiny pink to red spots that can be intensely itchy and painful. In worse cases, the spots may sometimes appear as if they are infected with pus. The spots or bumps often show up on covered parts of the skin, especially where there is friction from clothing. The forehead, body folds, the upper back and chest, trunk, abdomen, and the arms are also common sites.

Mild cases may respond to dusting powders like cornstarch and talcum after bath. For moderate to severe cases, however, it’s best to bring your child to the dermatologist or pediatrician as mild topical and oral steroids may be prescribed.

Placing your child in a cool environment, preferably an airconditioned room will help ease prickly as well as frequent cool baths and light cotton clothing.

Intertigo. Also described as superficial inflammatory dermatitis, it’s an intensely red, macerated, glistening rash with scaling on the edges. This is commonly found among overweight or obese children and affected sites are usually creases of the neck, and other skin folds. Friction — the rubbing of skin against skin plus heat and moisture — result in redness that eventually leaves it macerated. Secondary infection by bacteria or fungi then occurs and patient may experience a burning, itchy sensation.

It’s recommended to bring your child immediately to the dermatologist who may prescribe antihistamines; anti-fungal therapy may also be prescribed.

At home, apply a saline compress to help dry affected areas. The procedure involves placing a gauze on top of the rash then slowly applying saline solution (available in drug stores) using a proper gauze, for 10 to 15 minutes three times a day.

Help prevent intertrigo by keeping skin folds clean and as dry as possible. Applying dusting powders in th folds after a bath will lessen friction in the skin and provide a cooling sensation to the patient. Dress your child in loose and soft clothing and underwear. For obese children, weight loss will help reduce the size of fat folds.

Impetigo contagiosa. It’s a bacterial infection caused by streptococcal bacterial organism. Impetigo starts as an elevated papule which becomes vesicular. The spots or blisters rupture and crust over with a characteristic golden yellowish crust. Scratching or touching the crust can easily spread the infection to other parts of th body and to other children or adults. The sores may be itchy but not painful.

Impertigo is often found in exposed areas of the body like the face, neck and hands. Common sources of the infection are pets, dirty finger nails and other kids in school. This must be managed through proper oral and topical antibiotics so it’s best to bring your child to the derma. Good hygiene is also needed: simply keeping your child’s skin clean and bacteria-free can help mild infections heal on their own.

Other precautions include cutting your child’s nails short to prevent scratching and washing infected child’s clothes, linens and towels every day. Remember not to share these with anyone else in your family to avoid spreading the infection.

Pityriasis versicolor. It is characterized by white to tan scaly patches in the skin. This is more often found in older children. Patients may experience mild to moderate itchiness. Pityriasis versicolor is caused by fungi and affects the superficial layer of the skin. Common affected sites are the back, upper arms or the abdomen.

Dermatologists will prescribe appropriate topical or oral antifungal medicines. I also ask my patients to use a loofah to scrub infected areas to remove the scales and promote faster healing. The problem with this is that the whitish patches take time to fade even if the infection has been treated.

To prevent pityriasis versicolor, keep your child’s skin dry and clean.

Sunburn. Although not a disease, sunburn is the single most common skin problem in young children during the summer months. With kids allowed to play outside the whole day, their skin is most vulnerable to the sun’s damaging rays. Parents should pay extra-attention because there is evidence that adults who have experienced serious sunburns during childhood are at greater risk of getting skin cancer later on.

Proper application of an SPF 30 sunblock 30 minutes before going out into the sun is still the best precaution. Limit your child’s exposure to the sun between 10 am and 3 pm. When going out, ensure that your child is properly covered up with a wide-brimmed hat or an umbrella to shield her from the sun.

If your child does get sunburned, it is advised applying an ice compress on the affected areas applying an ice compress on the affected areas during the first 24 hours. If the condition doesn’t improve, bring your child to the doctor. Don’t wait for the area to start getting blisters before going to your dermatologist. Severe redness already warrants a trip to the doctor who may prescribe topical steroids for inflammation and pain.

While these skin problems are most common during summer, you can help prevent them from spoiling your child’s vacation by a few precautions:

• It is vital to dress children in light clothes made of cotton so that they don’t get overheated. Give frequent cool baths. If your child can tolerate tap water, don’t use the water heater. Keep your child’s and don’t allow sweat to dry without properly wiping away or changing into dry, clean clothes.
• When afflicted with any of the skin diseases that cause itchiness, a general precaution is also to lessen your child’s intake of foods that are often associated with food allergies such as chicken, eggs, and seafood.
• Ensure family outings are fun yet hygienic by choosing beaches or public swimming pools that are clean. Remember that your family may be prone to contracting viral diseases and bacterial and fungal infections from dirty water. And when spending the day in the pool, be sure your child’s feet are clean and dry before putting on their socks and shoes to avoid skin infections.
• Finally, keep your child well-hydrated by encouraging him to drink lots of water. This not only helps prevent skin problem but also other heat-related diseases like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
• Keep your home spic and span. If you have to, replace all your old dusty stuff like your beddings, area rugs, doormats, curtains, placemats, etc. A dirty house can put your children’s heath in danger. So make sure you put hygiene first before anything else. If you don’t want to leave your home you can can purchase your home things online. Superior Rugs is a site that offers the best kinds of quality rugs at very affordable prices. You can even get the oriental rugs to add style to your living room.

Cecile goes into a room and starts to sneeze and itch all over. Usually immune from allergies, she now finds herself affected by the unusually large amount of dust around her.

Although the windows are closed, dust still penetrates through the window sill and finds its way into the home. Our home is a hotbed for allergens — dust, dust mites and mold are only some of the common causes of allergy. Enjoy the summer months by reducing the amount of allergens in the home.

Keep your home and bedroom a safe refuge by making it a healthy place to be in. Here are some tips from the 3M Handy Book of Health & Personal Care (Anvil Publishing, Inc., 2005) to keep it that way:

• Wash beddings in hot water every week.
• Vacuum carpeted rooms regularly.
• Wash curtains often.
• Remove items that collect dust; if it must be in the room, dust them regularly.
• Airconditioners control room temperature and reduce humidity, so clean airconditioner filters regularly to prevent molds.
• Remove pet hair from furniture if your pets are in the house.
• Bathe pets regularly.
• Expose mattresses under the sun.
• Shampoo or expose rugs to sunlight and beat them to remove the dirt.

Air sweet air. Clean air at home is a must. Ensure that indoor air is safe with more tips from the 3M Handy Book:

1. Ensure that appliances and ventilation systems are in good working condition.
2. Dust and vacuum regularly.
3. Leave the room right away if insecticides and pesticides are used. Keep children and older people out of the way.
4. Investigate strange odors in the room. These may be caused by molds and mildew.
5. Keep your airconditioner filter in top shape.

Dust mite trivia. Did you know that dust mites love to multiply in our mattresses — beds, sofas — and other areas where we spend a large amount of time? This is because they feed on dead skin which we all shed — no matter how clean we are. They also feed on pet hair and dirt, and thrive in humid areas. It is the waste product of the dust mites that cause allergic reactions.

Children are at a greater risk. Their organs are still developing. These pesticides can affect their ability to absorb nutrient. Their bodies may also have a hard time expelling the harmful chemicals, which stay in their systems where they can cause long-term and even permanent damage to the nervous system and other organs.

Pregnant women should also avoid pesticide exposure because of its effect on their unborn child’s neuromuscular system. However, there have been very few studies on how great the effect can be. Research has been done on animals, which developed skeletal abnormalities and low birth weight after excessive exposure.

The chemistry of a pest killer

There are chemical pesticides (made of synthetic materials) and biopesticides (made of natural materials as animals, plants and bacteria).

Chemical pesticides include organophosphates and carbamates, which kill pests by affecting their nervous system, and pyrethroids.

On the other hand, biopesticides use naturally occurring substances. For example, microbial biopesticides use bacteria or virus, to attack the pest or its eggs. Others harvest substances (like sex pheromones that interfere with matting).

Both can affect a person’s health, but in varying degrees. You also have to consider how you were exposed to the pesticide, how much, and your own level of sensitivity. For example,  swallowing pesticide can be very toxic and potentially fatal, since the chemicals can harm the stomach and intestinal lining.

The invisible poisons

Pesticides are useful, yes, but you have to be careful — and take far greater precautions than just asking your kids to leave the room when you spray. Ten minutes later, when they walk in, they can ingest the chemicals through a number of ways.

Playing on the floor. Even unscented sprays will leave a microscopic “carpet” of pesticide droplets on the floor, where they’ll be absorbed by your toddler’s skin.

Inhaling the chemicals. Chewing on a toy. You’d never let your toddler chew on a bottle of insecticide, but they’re at equal risk if you leave their teether on the table when you spray.

Touching an infected surface, then rubbing the eyes. Some pesticides can even penetrate the eyes directly (that’s why they get watery). They may also accidentally eat improperly stored pesticides and cleansing agents like roach sprays and insect sprays. Even swimming can put them at risk, if the water contains strong chemicals.

Signs of  pesticide poisoning:

Symptoms include nausea, mild dizziness, and redness of the eyes or skin. Severe reactions include respiratory distress (difficulty in breathing, wheezing), convulsions, and change in consciousness. Here’s what to do:

• If it was due to contact with the skin and eyes: Remove contaminated clothes Wash the affected area with clean running water for 15 minutes.
• If it was inhaled: Loosen tight-fitting clothes. Bring him near a window or any area where he can get a fresh air. If he has convulsions, has trouble breathing, or is turning blue, give artificial respiration and rush to the nearest medical center as possible.
• If it was swallowed: Don’t make the person vomit. Some poisons may cause even greater injury when they are vomited. Bring the person to the emergency room right away.

How to avoid exposure to pesticides:

• Store pesticides and household chemicals out of children’s reach (usually higher than 4 feet). Use a cabinet you can lock, or buy a plastic lock for the handles (available from Safety First).
• Keep children and their toys away from areas where you spray or apply pesticide.
• Close the pesticide container properly before storing or in between uses.
• Never transfer pesticides to containers that children associate with foods or drinks, like soda or water bottles.
• Read labels of insect repellants that you apply on their skin; apply only to required/indicated areas. Never on eyes, face, mouth, hands, open wounds/cuts or irritated skin.
• Was the child’s hands, toys, flor areas, walls, and other surfaces to reduce exposure.

Moms do not have safer choices when it comes to pesticides but they may not necessarily be better in controlling the pest population. These include using the newer types of pesticides mentioned above — biochemical biopesticides — as these are naturally occurring substances  that inhibit or regulate the replication of the pest species (e.g. pheromones).

Other non-chemical methods, which are also part of what is collectively termed as “integrated pest management” include mechanical trapping devices, natural predators and insect growth regulators. To check if the pesticide you’re using at home is safe, make sure that the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority has regulated the manufacturer.

Message to Moms: Always use your common sense in buying products from the supermarket. Read the warning label carefully and follow directions. Keep them out of reach. Keep the lids tightly covered. Wash your hands and your child’s hands, toys an other objects often.

On Child Care

As always keep children, especially preschoolers, where you can see or hear them. If you have an infant, make sure you have him safe in his crib, far from your preschooler’s reach.

Keep your kids busy while you take your bath or are cooking. Drawing, reading, coloring books or a video can do the trick.

On Cleaning

Don’t always expect the house to be spic and span. The goal is a semblance of neatness and cleanliness. Train the kids to fix their beds, pick up their toys, and pack away their own things.

If you have a big house, consider getting someone — perhaps one of your mom’s helpers on loan — to come in once a week to do a thorough cleaning.

Have the laundry done by someone else (or use a laundry service).

Have a place where the little ones can make a mess. If you allow them to play with clay or paint in the living room, don’t get angry when the rug gets soiled.

Don’t clean the bathrooms daily. A once-a-week thorough cleaning — with twice-a-week touch-ups of toilet bowls and sinks — will suffice. Your teenage children can alternate cleaning schedules with you.

If your kids are all under six, have them use just one bathroom — the easiest to clean in the house — since they will use it frequently during the day.

Impose house rules that will facilitate things for you — like, leave muddy shoes or slippers outside the front door, eating and drinking allowed only in the kitchen and the dining area, and so on.

On Meals

Have set menus good for a month, which you can rotate weekly. This will make marketing easier. Have a couple of favorite recipes at hand for special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.

Choose recipes that are realistically possible for you to cook, time-wise. Look for flavorful dishes that are easy to prepare.

Make a mental note of what you regularly buy in the supermarket and how quickly you run out of them, so you’ll know how many and how often you have to purchase them.

If worse comes to worst, you can always order for delivery or eat out. This is, of course, a last resort and shouldn’t be done often (because if cost cutting is one of the reasons you did away with having helpers, well, eating out defeats the purpose).