I’ve been coughing incessantly for nights in a row leaving me in an irritated state and a battered throat the morning after. The sore-throat/nasal congestion cycle has been repeating itself once every three weeks.  Sinusitis and tonsillitis have been ruled out; I’m clinically fit and so it had to be something else. So after a rough night, I went to see the ENT yesterday. The diagnosis : allergy. Something that I’ve known all along because this problem surfaces only in Bangalore and no where else with equivalent dust levels.

In short, if I stay indoors in Bangalore, I’m alright; if I step out into the traffic for more than an hour, I’m down in a few days. Slat water gargling or steam inhalation hasn’t helped. Now, I’m on a prescription of anti-allergy tablets. The reason for this post is even interiors of one’s home can lead to such allergies. For instance, it’s high for me on nights when I use a comforter. It’s taken me long to eliminate the causes and narrow them down to one or two. I’ve always been dust weary but now it is at an all-time high. High chances are you’ll spot me with damp cloth or Easy Off at home.

Look out for dust mites if you have symptoms such as coughing, nasal dripping, itching, sneezing etc.  in the absence of an infection.

To keep one’s home free of dust mites need not be a rigorous exercise. It’s impossible to keep any home completely dust-free but you can strive to reduce the deadly mites with this simple routine.

1. Bed Linens : How often do you change the bed sheets? I used to change them once a week, sometimes two.

Do you step onto your bed with dirty and damp feet? Dampness provides a conducive breeding environment for many undesirable micro-organisms. So wash your feet and pat them dry before retiring in for the night.

2. Carpets: Carpets are a safe haven for dust mites. No matter how much you vacuum the carpets, they’d never go away completely. If you are prone to allergies, get rid of carpets right away. You’d be better off without them. I had a beautiful hand woven Kashmiri carpet in the bedroom that I had to put away very sadly. But it has made a huge difference.

3. Curtains: When was the last time you washed the curtains? Last Diwali? Shake the curtains and you’d be surprised to see a thin layer of dust flying away, only to settle on other surfaces such as night stand, table lamps, sides of the cot etc. Wash your curtains regularly instead of vacuuming as it ensures the dust is gone permanently.

4. Sliding Windows: If you have one of those sliding aluminium windows, take a peek in the gaps. You’d be surprised to see how much dust has accumulated. Remove it after vacuuming with a damp cloth. Do not brush it away; you’d end up ding more harm by brushing it as the tiny particles mixes with the air.

5. Comforters/Duvets : Yet another cosy place for the dust mites to reside. I was surprised how it triggered the cough every time I found comfort in my duvet. It was a newly purchased one so I didn’t see the need to wash it. Undoubtedly, dust mites had found their way on to the comforters causing more harm than everything else put together. You can clean your comforters (if washable) in warm water to make them mite-free.  Avoid mink and woolen blankets for allergies.

5. Soft Toys : How many teddy bears do you have? I have about twenty soft toys in various shapes, sizes, ages, and colors from different colors (Dust mites must be loving it here). Each has a story and name associated with it. Some have come to be related to each other and some are treated as if they were for real - full of conversations and very much a part of our daily lives. But, it’s time to give away some of them and some fond memories too. Because nothing  can be more comforting for these teeny-weeny organisms than snuggling inside the fur? If you wish to keep some of them, then keep it clean by washing often.

Some other areas of the house that may require dusting often are shelves, photo frames, TV stands, night stands, door mats, and sofa upholstery.

In short, dust mites resent clean homes.  What are the steps you take to keep your home dust-free?

My kitchen cabinets are made of rubberwood.; the wood work is exactly five years old.  The cabinets haven’t lost much of the shine, but the wooden doors have accumulated dust and grease from cooking. The patches are quite visible now. I was wondering what would be the best way to clean them. One of the suggestions I got is to use a solution of dish washing liquid like Vim or Pril in hot water. The process itself will involve wiping the cabinets with a sponge using this solution, and then immediately rubbing it off with a clean cloth. Since the doors are polished, I believe little amount of moisture should not do much harm.

How do you de-grease your cabinets?

A little caveat before I begin this post: it’s not the feel-good type that you are used to seeing on this page. It’s one of those get-down-and-dirty posts but something e can’t live without. If you’re game, continue reading and I promise there are great pictures in the end

What is the one thing that causes you the most agony in maintaining your home? For me, it’s cleaning bathroom and kitchen tiles. Outsourcing this area of home cleaning has never given me good results and I don’t feel good telling someone to clean the bathrooms.

Products I use:

1. Easy Off for hard water stains. There are different flavors of the product. Choose the one best for you.

2. Harpic/Domex/Clean Mate (really doesn’t matter). Alright, Harpic fares a teeny tiny bit better than the rest!

3. Homemade paste of vinegar/baking powder/lime/salt.

How to clean bathroom tiles - the process :

Ok, let’s get to the dirty bit.

1. The bathroom cleaning ritual is not something I hate totally. It gives me immense satisfaction to maintain a clean bathroom. I usually clean it before a shower which has its own advantages. You don’t have to worry about soiling your clothes!

2. I choose nights when I expect the family to kick start the following day late to apply Harpic/Easy Off on the tiles. Leaving them overnight works wonders as it takes very little scrubbing and brushing effort the next morning. Using a sponge (I use the one from Scotch Brite) does not damage the tiles (no scratches while bringing back the shine).

3. No water, no dirt : The real trick in having sparkling tiles is to net water accumulate in the floor. More the water, more the dirt absorption capacity. I know it’s fairly tough to maintain a dry bathroom if you do not have a demarcated shower area. Especially in old rented homes, there’s little one can do. So keep a mop handy in the bathroom to wipe away water after shower. If you own the place and do not have a shower area, get one. It’s really easy. Get a strip of tiles affixed on the floor to form a small square/rectangular portion.

4. Stained tiles : My apartment was rented for a few years and poor maintenance did it in. The bathroom tiles were stained and it took me months to take the shine back. If you have stained tiles too, then here  are few things that will work: apply a solution of vinegar/salt/lemon/baking soda on the stained part and let it stand for a while or acid wash. I do not recommend acid wash highly for two reasons: it’s not permanent and a lot of hard work, and tiles lose their sheen.

5. Cleaning scum from taps: Hard water tends to leave a thick deposit on the taps. The vinegar mixture works well on the scum. This is a economical solution. Or if you have Easy off, you can use it. Use the same procedure to clean the soap dish and the racks that hold the toiletries. If it is glass, then do it while cleaning your mirrors. If it is granite, then wipe away with a clean towel.

6. Before beginning to clean the tiles, I flush the toilet and pour two caps of Harpic and let it sit for at least 2 hours. Doing this at least one/two times a week helps and will be a lot less work.

7. Glass cleaner: I use a spray glass cleaner to clean the mirror with a clean piece of cloth/towel.

8. Once a week, clean the kids’ bath tub with a brush to remove the scum. Ensure the tub is free of water after every shower.

If there isn’t sufficient white cement between the gaps in tiles, hire someone and get it done. This prevents water seepage.

And finally, when you’re done, spray your favorite room freshener.

Now over to the good part:

Wood complements the bright color

In Black and White

A bold graphic pattern in sea green

Your turn. Share your bathroom cleaning ritual in the comments space.

Image courtesy:

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