Domesticated Kate

I have never imagined myself to be doing or wanting to do house chores everyday (apart from cooking), but barring pain, I think I could be doing this every day.

We like to keep our house clean, including under the refrigerator. At least we try.

Since moving to our new, smaller unit, I've had a nagging desire to keep our place clean and orderly. That's very difficult to do with a toddler begging for my attention, wanting to do every little thing with mommy, or simply being playful and active. Even more challenging when I have to ensure I don't do excessive physical activities lest I deal with pain again. Moving and unpacking is already hard on its own.

This "domestication" made me want all those power gadgets to make cleaning easier: vacuum, robot vacuum, steam mop, and power scrubber. I have tried to sweep using the basic broom, but I ended up enduring pain. I settled with a regular vacuum. It is good, but Mateo always tries to get it from me. So now I have placed an order for a low-budget robot vacuum (in order to vacuum the place everyday while Mateo is sleeping).

One time this week I couldn't stand the stickiness of the floor anymore. So I mopped the floor. Twice. Because I wasn't satisfied with the first run. Maybe our regular mop (the flat one) wasn't good enough, I thought, so I instantly checked second-hand steam mops. Then stopped myself, realizing I've already spent a lot on these tools. In fact, another order is on its way: a power scrubber for the toilet (because manually scrubbing the tiles is too tiring). I got it on sale, and I hope it's worth it.

During this first month of trying to keep our place clean by ourselves, I got some valuable insights and lessons:

1. It is worth to buy a wet and dry vacuum. A regular dry only vacuum may be good enough, but it is better to get one that can pick up Mateo's food bits that end up on the floor. I hate sweeping the floor. I wish we paid more for this feature, but I'll settle for what we have. 
2. A $3.90 sweeper mop is a really good buy. You just have to be careful to choose one that rotates easily.





This is our value mop with the wiggly microfibre mop pad.



3. I find that washing the mop pad in the floor cleaner solution by hand is better than using a sprayer. When I use a spray bottle, there's a high chance the floor gets "cleaned" using a dirty mop. THIS IS ONE THING I DEFINITELY DID NOT SEE MYSELF DOING: washing the mop by hand.
4. It is difficult to use a dry flat mop pad on a floor sprayed with a cleaning solution. It is better to use a wet flat mop pad. Or maybe it's just our mop and our floor. 





My little helper: Mateo washing his car and the mop pads, and his own little mop.



5. A steam mop is not necessary. Thinking about it, I genuinely believe it's true.
6. A vinegar mop solution is as good as (or better than) a store bought mop solution. 
7. Use a dry mop after using a wet one, especially on wooden floors. 
8. The microfiber wiggly floor mop pad is good enough for everyday light cleaning. I don't know what that's called, but I find it can act as a broom and a mop at the same time. 
9. Always have a spare cleaning material for the little one. 





The flat mop pad and a spare microfibre cloth.

10. Take things easy. When tired, get some rest. It is better to have a messy house than a mommy (or daddy) in pain.

We now only have a few pieces that need sorting. I think I can safely say we're 90% done unpacking. This September will be a month to fine tune the little things and make our place more homey. Home sweet home! ;)