[BlindTlk] House Cleaning

Sun Jul 18 13:18:03 UTC 2021

I vacuum the kitchen flor before mopping.
The other tactic is to sweep everything into a corner, then vacuum it up. 
You can also sweep onto the carpet and vacuum it up.

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindTlk [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Ericka via BlindTlk
Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2021 10:39 PM
To: Blind Talk Mailing List <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Ericka <dotwriter1 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] House Cleaning

Jen

There have already been really good answers here. And I do 95% of what it said here. One thing I have been guilty of is sweeping like a bathroom or kitchen linoleum floor onto a carpeted surface and sucking it up with the carpeting. I don’t have any distance vision so are use my ears to make sure that I’ve got everything off. You have to check though because when you go over the metal Strip between services some of the littlest particles get here stuck right next to that and you can’t sweep it over onto the carpet. Before you vacuum, get on your hands and knees or borrow a IRA or something and make sure you’re not going to vacuum something up like change or strong rappers or receipts or something. Those aren’t so great for vacuum cleaners. Another tip I’ve learned over the years is too work from the top up. What I mean is wash your counters before you wash your kitchen floor. That way anything when you are wiping down your counters you spell on the floor you can get later. You can usually hear where things land. Also it works in the refrigerator too. Wash the top shelf of your refrigerator and the door shelves first. Then wash the other shelves. Wash your crisper drawers last. They’re going to be probably the most disgusting and you’re going to slap the dirt all over so it just gives you a littlebit of control so you know where the dirt is more likely to me. Do not sweep any floors that are wet! It’s just going to stick to the broom and it’s not going to pick up everything. When it dries the floor is just going to be as disgusting or worse. I vacuum and sweep/wash the floor barefoot. This works really well. It’s a little tougher for my husband because he has neuropathy in his feet so it’s harder for him to feel.

I hope all we’ve all said his helpful. You’re probably overwhelmed by responses by now! Happy cleaning! The other thing I would add is the more often you clean like thoroughly clean won’t be a problem if you keep things up weekly. We just pick a day to really tidy up each room of the house. A lot less stressful. That way if there’s some big chaos in your life you’re not responsible for so much. To just pick one day and clean the whole house is overwhelming and doesn’t necessarily fit into everyone’s lifestyle. Plus when you get sick you don’t feel like doing much of anything. Be good to yourself and your house. We vacuum a lot because I’m allergic to dust.

Ericka Nelson

> On Jul 17, 2021, at 5:55 PM, Judy Jones via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi, Jen,
> 
> I take it you're talking dry mopping and not wet mopping?
> 
> One trick to vacuuming/mopping is to do it barefoot!  Any dirt you missed on a floor, you will feel it underfoot.
> 
> Again, my mom, my original "teacher" always did floors in bare feet, as it was comfortable for her, and is a great technique for me as I can't see the dirt.
> 
> If you use a vacuum, you can hear the dirt being sucked up into the unit.
> 
> Decide ahead of time when mopping where you want your dirt pile.  You can pick an outside doorway, an alcove, or corner.  You will need a dust pan and brush or broom to sweep the pile off the floor and throw it out.
> 
> The only thing I don't like about mopping is that you really can't see whether or not you are getting everything.  I do my floors the good old way by using a five-gallon bucket  of warm soapy water and rag.
> 
> If you have wood floors, you can put a drop of Dawn or detergent in a five-gallon bucket of water and damp wipe.
> 
> I would recommend getting a light electric broom if you have non-carpeted floors, or a regular vacuum if you have any carpeting.
> 
> I first vacuum up everything I can get, and I do the room in overlapping squares, starting around the edges of furniture or walls, then working around the room and covering the middle at the last.  However you do it, keep track of where you are in your room and do it a section at a time.
> 
> After the vacuuming is when I do the bucket and rag method mentioned above.
> 
> Maybe this is my lack of skill, but I have found that when I try to use a mop, wet or dry, although I have covered all my area, I tend to miss some.
> 
> There is nothing like feeling for yourself with your hands, which will require you to get on your hands and knees to do the spots you missed and know for sure you have a clean area.
> 
> One thing you can do with a dust mop is to regularly wipe your walls down to keep dust from collecting.
> 
> From time to time, of course, you can ask a sighted person if you've missed anywhere as you get more familiar with a total cleaning.
> 
> You'll find techniques of your own if you keep in mind to use your hands to check for cleanliness.
> 
> Judy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: BlindTlk <blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jen via 
> BlindTlk
> Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2021 3:28 PM
> To: Humberto Avila via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Jen <spiderweb1 at sbcglobal.net>
> Subject: Re: [BlindTlk] House Cleaning
> 
> I've never used a vacuum before, so I'm practicing with a mop. The challenge for me is - how to keep all the dirty stuff in one pile without spreading it around? And not forgetting where I am?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Saturday, July 17, 2021, 06:23:07 PM EDT, Humberto Avila via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote: 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hello Jen,
> 
> I, just like Justin, am a bachelor. Or at least, as long as I can still live in apartment an. I'm currently in career transitioning, but that's another story. 
> 
> Anyways, it really is possible to keep an apartment / home clean. What I've usually done, is make sure that the cleaning around the table, kitchen and counter areas I use every day are always clean, daily. I use disinfectant wipes and water. I usually clean in a grid pattern. For example, clean the area(s) moving vertically over the surface, and when you are done, move horizontally over said surface. But the key is to always be proactive and do it as often as possible. The concept applys also to floors. I bought a portable, battery powered vacuum cleaner that I can use for cleaning floors, and can also do corners quite well. It seems to work for me. As per windows, I always use Windex, cleaning and applying it with paper tissue, the thick variety. 
> 
> Hope it helps. 
> 
>> On Jul 17, 2021, at 2:27 PM, Jen via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Floor sweeping, cleaning windowsills and dusting. Is it even possible for a blind person to keep an immaculate house, or is sighted assistance always needed?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Saturday, July 17, 2021, 05:02:19 PM EDT, Jim Portillo via BlindTlk <blindtlk at nfbnet.org> wrote: 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Hi there,
>> I think you're going to have to be more specific. There are certainly 
>> techniques, but what are you wanting to clean or have look nice?
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: BlindTlk <blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jen via 
>> BlindTlk
>> Sent: Saturday, July 17, 2021 12:31 PM
>> To: blindtlk at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Jen <spiderweb1 at sbcglobal.net>
>> Subject: [BlindTlk] House Cleaning
>> 
>> Are there alternative techniques for cleaining what you can't see so 
>> the house is immaculate? Thanks.
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> BlindTlk mailing list
>> BlindTlk at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> BlindTlk:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/portillo.jim%40
>> g
>> mail.c
>> om
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> BlindTlk mailing list
>> BlindTlk at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for BlindTlk:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/spiderweb1%40sb
>> c
>> global.net
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> BlindTlk mailing list
>> BlindTlk at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for BlindTlk:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/humberto_avila.
>> i
>> t104%40outlook.com
> 
> _______________________________________________
> BlindTlk mailing list
> BlindTlk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for BlindTlk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/spiderweb1%40sbc
> global.net
> 
> _______________________________________________
> BlindTlk mailing list
> BlindTlk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for BlindTlk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/sonshines59%40gm
> ail.com
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> BlindTlk mailing list
> BlindTlk at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for BlindTlk:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/dotwriter1%40gma
> il.com
_______________________________________________
BlindTlk mailing list
BlindTlk at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for BlindTlk:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/blindtlk_nfbnet.org/justin.williams2%40gmail.com