OC's rules

[mikelly]

ako gusto ko yung pagkasabit ng hanger isang pwesto lang, kung ang hook nakatalikod dapat nakatalikod lahat...nag-iinit ulo ko pag sala-salabat ang pagkakalagay..

me too. haha..

ako naman aside from always checking the door if it is locked, i am always cautious sa mga unused electricities na iniiwanan.  ayoko yung naiiwang bukas yung light ng room then may opened tva nd fan then walang tao.

gusto ko palaging malinis yung floor, or bagong floor wax.

naiinis ako everytime nagbibihis husband ko, palaging naiiwan yung hangers and clothes na pinaghubadan sa room namin. he leaves home early kaya nagigising ako na nakayakap na ko sa pinaghubadan nyang damit. 

i always check my daughter's back from sweat.  dapat palaging may lampin yun kasi pawisin siya and it would be possible na magkasakit siya pagnatuyuan ng pawis.

after cooking, i always make sure to switch off the gas. ayokong naiiwanan to avoid any fire or singaw.

[aquacharly]

This is funny,  parts of my manual given out to some here... hindi ko na alam kung sino, eh ended up published in a magazine, some parts in diarios.  Ok lang, basta sana as payment eh ... bigyan naman a street child a sandwich and bottle of water or juice.

1 here, binalikan ako last year.. kesyo sobra daw my manual.. eh nakatira lang daw sya alone sa condo.  Hello, baket hindi mo sinabi agad?  Ako pa tinalak.  hahahaha

I really like to help out with home management, it is a stress buster for me .. I get too stressed with our businesses, and my mom.  hehe..  PM me what is your main or priority concern, and some details thereof...like, how many in your household, no. of househelp/none/weekly outsourcing of services, etc.   kasi your habits and functions must be followed, otherwise the recommendations are useless... these are to make your life easier, not to make you over or re-train you.     PM me and I will get back to  you shortly.      Or email:  aquacharly@yahoo.com.ph 

YES, MIKELLY ganon din ako.. all hangers 1 color, all must hang in 1 direction.

nga pala, through time, you will surely adjust your ways of organizing.. to keep in touch with your growing kids, advancing age or well.... your mindset changes, you just really wanna pare down your lifestyle.    ok lang yan.  So do not wait for a perfect system, and think:  saka na ko mag organize kasi hindi ko pa ma think through.  There is such a thing as learning through trial & trial -- there is no such thing as trial & error.   

[aquacharly]

MIKELLY is right about unplugging, not just turning off, appliances that you are done with using.
Sabi nang curtain maker ko, she has had 3 clients whose houses got partially burned down due to an electric fan left plugged in an extension cord, a cellphone charger left plugged in (no cell na nga chargiing), and a tv set left plugged in a room whose windows were totally closed.

I have a LOCK-DOWN CHECKLIST in the SERVICE KITCHEN for which the cook is responsible for:
        OFF - Range
        UNPLUG       (alam nya refers to Waters purifier-dispenser & RICE COOKER, their tv, dvd player, e/fan) 
        ALL food in ref/freezer
        ALL CLEAN KITCHEN   (ibig sabihin eh floors, counters, their table -- lahat clean and walang kalat)
        KEY   (kasi susko!  they lock the door, ay! ang susi na sa loob!    ngek)   

The above checklist is permanently posted near the door, to be easily seen on the way out.
There is another LOCK-DOWN CHECKLIST in my kitchen, for which my Senior Cleaner is responsible for.... mas madami items thereon. 

Tapos, a 3rd LOCK-DOWN checklist for my lavandera who is responsible for the garbage can outside the Service Kitchen, the gates and external areas.

When I leave for more than 24 hours, I have LOCK-DOWN checklists for each bedroom that will not be occupied, as well as for other areas that will not be used.   

I told my husband, when the kids grow up and move away... we best move to a 2thou sqm lot, have a 200sqm house, and the rest - gardens.  Like our townhouse, where we started our marriage... there will only be 1 lock-down list.   gloria!

THE BEST I have seen is an entire wall coated with blackboard paint...the wall right beside the exit door sa kitchen.   Doon naka lagay mga messages for the family going in or out, as well as the lock-down checklist.   No, I am not the one who has that, it is somebody whose house I visited in the US.. nahiya naman ako picture-an. 
 

[aquacharly]

Nagbackread ako. uhmm, sis aqua, ako din po..pahingi ng manual..;-), many thanks in advance..;-)
,

Email or PM me what is  your priority concern/area. 

[aquacharly]

sis aquacharly, may i have a copy of your manual also? I am living in a very small studio apartment now and i feel smothered. am planning to prune my stuff, parang sobrang kalat! walang particular problem area, it is one big (small) problem area all in all.

i also need tips para sa paglilinis. thanks!

WHAT exactly is your concern/priority? 
I love condo living!  All your stuff are sure to be nice, kasi ikaw lang gagamit, walang helper na burara, mapanira. 

PAGLILINIS -- start with putting everything away.   The less you have on top of the counters, better. 
Just have in your studio what you really use every week.  The best way to store is to use plastic bins/drawers.  You can maximize your cabinet/closet  space that way, also the space under your bed.
Be very selective with your possessions... instead of 10 pairs of shoes, go for 3 expensive/designer shoes.

Another good guide is to put things where you use them, or take these off.
Try to put your storage on the walls instead of on the floors.   Shelving, hooks, that kind of thing.

Avoid mga itsy bitsy stuff... these create a lot of clutter, and will make your dusting complicated.  If you have itsy bitsy collection -- put them all on 1 shelf, preferably a glassed display shelf. 

CLEAN AS YOU GO...  after each use,  swipe your counters and hob clean with LYSOL WIPES.  That will aid your pest control.
IF you live alone, pwes... hwag makalat, throw out your garbage daily, and you will survive with a once a month general cleaning (unless madalas ka mag entertain, ibang usapan yan.  )

Studio living is really all about discipline in terms of possessions.  Be very selective, go for high quality instead of quantity, as the Japanese and New Yorkers do..

You want a step by step by sched cleaning manual?  PM me, and give me details of your studio.   

[prisma]

Pa join,

In the kitchen and dining, i have to clean everything - from the countertop, sink, cooktop, floor. everything has to be foodscrap free.  Final touch is to spray n scrub in the disinfectant.

I triple check my main door, garage door and sluding door leading to the garden.

I double check my oven, cooktop and electric wall switch before sleeping and leaving home.

As I told my children, one mistake  is enough to regret a lifetime.

[aquacharly]

sobrang kalat ko sa gamit sobrng kalat diko alam kung san ko nailagay ang isang bagay and now im living alone here in abroad it's like pain in my ass

you live alone, so that should be simpler, really.  Hwag ka ma discourage.
1st -- kaya kalat chaos ang gamit mo kasi halo halo -- DEFINE what your major activities in your condo? townhouse? room are.
     Tapos, designate mo a specific area for that major activity of yours.
     
Kung ano yung top priority or madalas mo gawin.. that gets the bigger share of your area.
Eh ano kung wala kang kitchen for example, if you never cook?  Eh di all you need is a counter for say a coffee maker, a small micro and a toaster perhaps.  (I have seen kitchens converted into bars, into home offices.) 

Then, once you have divided your area into your functional spaces... take time to determine what it is  you really do there; and need to use.   For example, not all home offices are the same.  Some need only a drawer for files, some need a whole wall system.  PUT therein only what you need, hindi yong nakita mo sa catalogue or showroom. 

Use as much of the walls as you can.  Hindi ko alam but motivation for putting things in order when on wall shelves or cabinets is greater than motivation for keeping things on the floor maayos.  Hindi ba?  daling ibagsak lang kasi eh.  hehe

Everything, as much as possible should have 2 uses.  Tapos na ang araw ng mga gamit na "kasi maganda", pati tao nga ngayon it is not enough na "kasi maganda"  lol   

If clear cut your functional areas... pwes, hindi ka na siguro maghuhubad and dump your clothes sa work area mo, for example.  The thing is:  prune your stuff to what you really need or cannot really live without, and designate a permanent "house"/space for it.  Look at your stuff as not being NPAs ha, and you will see .. simple lang yan, you wll get into the habit of being orderly.  It will be less stressful, maniwala ka; and you will never ever miss the yaya you left behind here.   

Once in awhile, magiging makalat ka uli, but for  sure not to the same extent coz you have built in reminders na eh.    Now, between the now and the getting-it-all-down-nailed, you should designate a JUNK Drawer or bin -- lahat nang hindi mo maitabi properly doon mo ibagsak.  So at least, pag may hinanap ka or you have time to make ayos again... 1 place lang titignan mo.

[aquacharly]

TEKA, hahaba cuentuhan dito eh unless we get the basics  defined.

1st -- do not organize as what others may say/do, or kasi maganda ang bahay ni ganito ganyan.
You should organize as per YOUR habits, preferences, needs. 
IF you have a husband -- you must adapt to his habits.  Dahan dahan mong i-change ang habit.
Hwag nyo pag awayan.  Better a cluttered home than a cranky husband or cranky you.

2nd   EVeryone can be trained, if  you do it slowly enough.  Make it easy.  Ex., If he likes to undress by your bed, pwes, put the hamper there bedside.  Pag na break in na sya na:  ah, hamper! ah shoot the clothes! -- eh di iurong mo dahan dahan papunta sa dressing room or banyo.    Easy does it.

3rd  - Mind your energy rhythms..  Do not let the house management advance your aging. 
If you are an insomniac and  like a vampire, have high energy late at night.. then you do your cabinet/drawer cleaning at night,  for example.  Or portions of your general cleaning.  I do my monthly closet checks of my clothes when I cannot sleep. Or mag inventory of med expiration dates,mga ganon.  Once, nag polish ako ng silver while watching DVDs.  Ayoko na pepwersa to cook, but when in the mood.. I cook by myself 5-6 dishes from 10pm to 2pm.  ganon ka crazy.  Ang hindi ko pa nagawa sa gabi eh ang mag lawnmower, pero mag pot garden, nagawa ko na once upon a time. 

4th, kung ano magaan sa kalooban mo or ika happy mo, do that.
A sister of mine has an entire wall of shelves in closed cabinets full of her shoes.
It is in her garage.. hindi ko kinomentarya, it is none of my business.
BUt when a cousin in law lined up her designer shoes in boxes on the sides of the stair rungs of their townhouse .. yan, nag commentaryo ako:  tindahan na ba kayo? lol     

Well, what can I say but that.. there is always room for improvement. 
 

[aquacharly]

sa plastic bags naman.. organize ko rin ito by folding them na parang triangular shape.. then nilalagay ko sa isang small box.. at least di sya makalat tignan plus.. it saves space..

lol, triangles din kami, then put in that wall-nailed container for dispensing plastic bags.

For UNDERWEAR -- I have this shallow drawer for my bras.. nakatayo nga medyo, by color, no dividers like some of you mentioned.
Noong thongs gamit ko, I just dump them in a drawer, halo halo.
Now, I put the folded panties in a drawer together with the panty liners.  (Hindi, hindi pa naman L lol).

[M!ssy]

Grabe nasa page 5 pa lang ako, busog na ko sa tips!  MORE!

Anyway, hindi naman extreme yung sa kin but ewan ko kung bakit minsan parang na o-o-Aan sa kin family and inlaws ko. 

Like..
-CLEAN AS YOU GO! Simple lang naman di ba? Ano kayang OA dun! 

-Bawal pumunta ng bed ng di bagong ligo pag galing sa labas..Si hubby kahit kaliligo lang at lumabas saglit kahit dyan lang sa garahe, basta nag step out of the house, hindi pwedeng hindi maliligo uli pag hihiga sa bed (feeling ko, meron at meron pa ding pollutants from air na dumikit sa kanya or something)
Even my babies pag bumaba, syempre magpplay sa sala, gugulong gulong sa floor, kahit malinis yun, hindi pa din pwedeng derecho sa bed ng di naliligo
(Bawal kargahin ang babies ko ng pawisan or galing sa polluted area..pag hindi talaga maiwasan..i either spongebath them after umalis ng bisita or shower agad kung hindi pa naman sila naliligo)

-ang floor ng room namin, linoleum..so any spills ng kids or any sign of dirt or feel of alikabok, papertowel agad and alcohol..(sinasabihan ako ng inlaws ko na masama daw sa kids ang punas ng punas ng alcohol sa floor..?)

-Stuffed Toys ng Babies wash every week (or less if may mga accidents)
Hindi pwede sa bedroom ang mga toys na galing sa labas (ex.pedia visit) kelangan i-wash muna..yung mga hard toys na pwedeng i-wipe ng wet towel with alcohol, nililinis everyday or wina-wash with Joy Antibac

-Super OA magwash ng hands or alcohol

-After maligo, pat dry my skin..kelangan iwash ko uli hands ko and NEVER touch anything til im done putting on face moisturizer

-Never ako humahawak sa phone/gadgets/remote pag feeling ko madumi kamay ko, kahit dry hands basta feeling ko may nadapuang madumi kamay ko..But still, i clean our gadgets/remote control pa din at the end of the day

-All surface must be sanitized all the time..
Lahat ng pwedeng sprayan ng Lysol inisprayan ko esp door knobs, Light Switch (incase may nag-click na madumi kamay) toilet area, diaper bins, walls, etc

-Yung mga nakahanger kong clothes are by colors

-iba iba sponge for:
babies kainan
plates and utensils
pots and pans
sink
ilalim ng pots
stove
After using the sponge, kelangang pigain mabuti and lagay sa lalagyan..hiwa hiwalay din lalagyan syempre and may cover na may holes na di kasya ipis

-iba iba din rags for floors,  countertops, bathroom, kitchen and hindi pwedeng sama sama sila sa iisang lalagyan..i throw agad mga rags or doormat na hindi fully maalis ang dumi

-hindi pwedeng gamitin sa paglaba ng damit ang basin na panlaba ng rags..NEVER pwede maglaba ng rags sa sink where we wash our dishes and food!

-Floors must be scrub with Lysol AM and PM

-everything must be ironed..ultimo socks and bedsheets namin and pati towels ng babies

-Before magflush ng toilet, dapat nakababa ang cover para di tumatalsik mga invisible to our naked eye na germs..ewww!

-Ayokong nilalapag sa floor ang bags esp baby bag

-I always have Lysol sa bag..spray sa shopping cart before sumakay si baby, toilets, high chair, etc

-Change sheets and Towels 2x a week..Curtains Every Week..Sofa Cover Every Week..Wash blinds everyweek

-Aircon 2-3x a week linisin pati fans

-hindi pwede kumuha ng sampay ng pawis or madumi damit..syempre ididikit nila sa katawan nila yung sampay, edi narumihan din

-Sa laundry, hindi pwedeng sabay sabay wash..like if towels, towels lang, sheets..sheets lang and so forth.
Saka inuuna ko lagi gamit ng babies, then towels..clothes ko..clothes ni hubby..sheets..sofa cover..curtains, then CLEAN TUB na..basta before ko salang gamit ng babies, CLEAN TUB muna..or basta after ng linens, que damit ko next, run ko muna clean tub.

-Never pa ko nagpalaba ng damit ng babies..dito ako nasasabihang masyadong maselan but i have certain standards na erratic like minsan kelangan 2x sabunan and kelangan ganito kadaming sabon lang sa first wash and ganito kadami sa 2nd..or minsan 1x lang but may mga kelangan pa gawin etc.

Well marami pang arte "daw" na madalas hindi ko inuutos, kasi nga i have certain standards na minsan mas nakakapagod iexplain tapos madalas eh di rin ako satisfied so uulitin ko din..
Esp may mga helpers na discretely nag sskip ng ibang instructions like halimbawa, sabihin mo step 1 ganito, step 2 and so on..yung mga pwede nilang skip na di mo mahahalata, di mo naman malalaman esp hindi mo naman sila pinapanood habang ginagawa utos mo..So yung mga bagay na pwedeng ikainit ng ulo ko pag nagkamali or mas lumala pa..hindi ko na talaga inuutos, mas bawas stress sa akin ang ganun..Kaya nasstress ako sa mga inlaws ko pag sinasabihan ako na bakit hindi ko utusan katulong na ganito ganyan..Eh sa dito ako comfortable eh?? Feeling nila masyado ako maselan, kanya kanya lang naman preference yan. 

BTW, wala ako yaya ngayon..So ako lahat, as in lahat! 2babies, hubby and me..and naaaply ko pa din mga gusto ko kasi di ako dependent sa helper..Like sis Aquacharly..maaga ako nasanay,. Though im not saying na madali my situation now but hindi ako takot sa mga yaya, so pag hindi kaya certain simple standards ko, di ako magtitiis kunsumihin sarili ko kaka-train kung ayaw talaga matuto.

[DV]

^I agree with your in-laws; I'd say easy lang on the Lysol and alcohol. You may be killing the germs, but it may also be too toxic for your kids if you use it a lot, with its harsh and carcinogenic ingredients and fumes. You may opt to use 'greener' cleaners.

[aquacharly]

^^  We all have our standards, MISSY.  BUT let us not make these landmarks of a battle ground.

Making others follow our standards/practices is an exercise in "Management of Change". 
Be diplomatic, be a good example, show how your practice benefits YOU ... susunod din yan. 
Kasi when you expect them to follow what is not a practice of theirs,  hindi nakagawian tapos ang approach mo eh yours is better.. naku, nagka anak anak na ang underlying issues.. ano isip mo madumi kami?  Ano isip mo, hindi kami marunong mag linis ng bahay? etc etc etc    eh susko!  gusto mo lang talaga maging presko ang hubby and babies mo.. yun and end goal di ba?  Not to prove you were raised and know better, but you can help make them feel more comfy. 

Mahirap talaga.  My husband says now and then..  kelangan ng mga bata ang germs para lumakas ang katawan.  ngek, isip ko.

So, when others are involved... tread slowly. 

[M!ssy]

^exactly sis..thats why hindi rin ako bigla bigla nagpapasa ng chores..i show them muna how its done para walang sisihan..but if talagang they're not even willing, no na lang.

And yeah, i thought about it din..So ang Lysol sa room (where my babies stays) once a day na lang..but i dont know pa ano pwede kong pang alternate sa alcohol pang wipe ng floor..i cant do rags, coz mas madali sa akin ang disposable paper towel..we eat kasi sa bedroom so i need talaga something pang wipe off na disposable

[aquacharly]

Swiffer is good.. Throw away din, and with refills.

Frequent exposure to chemicals is not good.  Pati nga daw 70% alcohol is cancerous.
A cousin of mine in San Fo died 2 years ago, gulat kami lahat.. lung cancer.  Hello, she lives alone and does not smoke!
yun pala, you can get lung cancer from household chemicals.  Eh susko, yun talaga spic and span and all, como she has 2 dogs, eh di mas maraming ginagamit na chemicals to keep her townhouse smelling fresh.  So, big warning to us, sabi ng Tita ko/her mom. 

Like COCKROACHES ha.   We do not spray, we use boric powder nga.  Lately, Mercury has not been selling it.  Eh so effective, we use it at home and here in the office.  Pero pag na ingest yan, dead-o.  So keep away from pets and kids.  Anyway,  kahapon  naka buy the driver of my sister sa Bambang (huh? San yon?!)  She gave me a kilo, it is called Boric Acid pero parang sugar granules ito ha, hindi liquid.  IMO< that is a better alternative to spraying.

[M!ssy]

ay ayoko na pala! buti i gradually lessen din talaga pag sspray ko since last month..kasi kahit ako minsan nauubo..

Where can i get yang Swiffer sis and you know how much? and while im still hunting for that..ano muna kaya pwede ko gamitin since everyday talaga i need something to wipe the floor (linoleum).
Toxic pa din kahit 1 or twice a day alcohol?

and pano kaya after diaper change? like, after diaper change kasi..i wipe my hands with wet wipes then alcohol..wala na kasi kaming CR sa Bedroom now so i had to do that after i throw the diaper and before putting on the new one..edi nalalanghap din pala namin yun esp the babies? 

[DV]

^Missy, I use Potty Spray on shopping carts, high chairs, toys, floor, etc. For hands, we use Human Nature hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available. Daming natural products (that work just as well as more commercial, synthetic products) na available sa Sesou (TriNoma, Serendra, Podium).


Hindi ako stockholder ng mga kumpanyang yan ha. We just use them at home kasi I'm more anal about hazardous chemicals than exposing my child to germs. I also believe the hygiene hypothesis. Yung tamang linis lang, hindi super sanitized sa bahay, kasi when my child starts schooling, I can't control how clean her surroundings will be. Pag nasanay sa sobrang linis, mas susceptible sa attack ng germs later on.

[tiggerlily]

^^ google for DIY cleansers. meron yan procedure from disinfectant to wipes.

[M!ssy]

Pottyspray sounds like spray for toilet..? You spray this sa toys, etc.?
And enough na ba hand sanitizers after diaper change? Kasi hahawakan ko si baby then they put their hands sa mouth nila minsan..TIA

[DV]

^Yes, you can use it for practically anything that needs disinfecting. I have one bottle for the toilet and another one for high chairs, shopping carts & toys. You may click on the links I provided in my earlier post to find more information about Pottyspray and Human Nature.

From their website:
Is Pottyspray's use limited to toilet seats?
Of course not! Pottyspray can also be used to sanitize and disinfect baby changing stations, table-tops, toilet or kitchen counters, diaper bags, door knobs, laundry bins, even your very own hands-- the applications are limitless

Human Nature has a similar product, a natural disinfecting spray:
http://humanheartnature.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=104&zenid=rbgb6uset50or9i98scuggnbj0

I prefer to use Pottyspray, though, because it's BFAD-approved.

I limit the use of alcohol on myself and my baby especially in an enclosed/air-conditioned space because of the fumes, and children are susceptible to alcohol poisoning (look up alcohol poisoning in children na lang para hindi tayo masyadong mapalayo sa topic). When changing diapers sa bahay, we handwash talaga afterwards. Pag nasa labas or in the car nag-nappy change, hand sanitizer muna (para patay ang germs) and wet wipes to remove the hand sanitizer residue then go to the nearest toilet to hand wash.

[aquacharly]

Swiffer mops are sold at S&R.  There is the basic kit, and refills.    IMO, these are more  hygienic and convenient to use than the regular wash and  squeeze mops... IMO too, the cost is just the same, if you factor in water and detergetn cost.  We use it on the granite, wooden and tile floors (IMO, it is the best for wooden floors that only need to be dry-mopped after sweeping.)     

(I do not want to post prices,  hehe ... am not sure if such is prohibited or not nowadays.  ... Someone got a warning, not me.. for posting prices.  So until that issue is cleared up.. play it safe )