Over the last year or two, I have been writing a guide to the various facets of household management. It emphasizes the requisite mindset and approach in addition to the practical techniques, and has proven to be quite useful on a regular basis- there's nothing like teaching things to make you think about them more thoroughly, after all.
On Cleaning and Cleanliness:
There are many facets to the cleaning of the house. While each room may have its own details, foibles and curiosities that require special attention, the basics should remain the same for the given region of the world you live in. There is no framework that is both precise and adaptable enough to be effective worldwide, so this section will be slightly broader-brush. Standard practices are fairly universal though, and will be noted first.
General Cleaning
Vacuuming, sweeping, or mopping of floors should happen weekly, with any movable rugs, mats, or other floor décor cleaned alongside. Door handles and the surrounding area should be cleaned monthly, as should light switches and exposed light fixtures, with the first two placing emphasis on removal of grime from daily human contact, the last mainly for spiderwebs, dust, and other interlopers. Staircases possess many corners and are prime targets for dust and dirt deposits, so they should be kept clear whenever possible. The banister should be wiped weekly with a damp sponge or soft cloth.
In a house with pets, these measures may requite supplementation, or a shortening of the recommended duration between cleanings. There will be an independent section regarding household animals with additional information and advisories. If the house has central vacuum equipment installed, there should theoretically be nowhere it cannot reach, but that should be checked. If necessary, a secondary vacuum or handheld 'dustbuster' can be kept on hand in case there is something that needs to be done quickly in an isolated area of the house. More mundane, nonpowered tools should be kept on hand as well, particularly in times and places where electricity may be unreliable or not present. They should include brooms, mops, dustpans, buckets, and a small stack of folded clean towels of varying sizes for scrubbing, as well as sponges or other, smaller scrubbing and spot-cleaning tools, specialized to the needs of the locale.
Toilet and Washroom
Bathroom cleanliness is hugely important in any environment at all, but doubly so in one's own home where guests might discover lax standards. The primary and most obvious concerns are the toilet, sink or sinks, and bathtub or shower. The toilets and sinks are to be scrubbed weekly with the tools and cleaning supplies of choice, and the shower or bath given a thorough cleaning monthly. Said tools and supplies may vary widely depending on the make and model of the appliances. A fiberglass shower, for example, will require a very different treatment for soap scum buildup than a tiled one, and a shower curtain over a bathtub will take different treatment for mold than a sliding glass door. The appropriate cleaning chemicals are to be stored nearby, ideally beneath the primary bathroom sink or in accompanying cabinetry or shelving.
When selecting cleaning supplies be sure to read the primary ingredients carefully, as many of them may be harmful if unknowingly or carelessly mixed. Bleach may clean and disinfect quite well, but most common glass cleaners use ammonia as a primary ingredient, and the combination creates lethal chlorine gas. Many other cleaners are caustic on both sides of the pH scale, and if under pressure can even be explosive. The importance of adequate ventilation during cleaning cannot be emphasized enough, as most appropriately vigorous cleaning agents are easily capable of harming the user before they notice, even when the directions on the packaging are followed to the letter.
Depending on how frequently the rooms see usage the period between cleanings may be adjusted, but the listed periods between maintenance will serve as a baseline. Cursory examinations of the bathrooms should be done to confirm impending need when collecting towels and bathmats or other linens such as bedsheets for laundering.
----------------------------------That section continues at length into the minutiae of washrooms, laundry, kitchens, dining areas, and vehicles.
So as you see, the approach is geared towards basic functionality and thorough understanding rather than rote motion and action. The goal in developing this sort of expertise is not to have an environment free of difficulties. Entropy always wins. Instead, it should be to build an environment wherein mitigations are sufficient, preparations are thorough, and responses to unexpected or uncommon occurrences are not needlessly confusing or complex- the better to reduce stress and difficulty for all parties while remaining suitably functional, active, and aware in the act of coexistential service.
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