Speed Cleaning

I recently picked up a copy of Speed Cleaning by Shannon Lush and Jennifer Fleming.Some good tips in here but as I have read a few housekeeping type books and organising books, there was nothing new, to me, about the routines. There are lots of tips on what to get things clean with and how and general advice, and it’s not just the same advice as in other books. For example, I had not come across the advice to spray door frames with lavender oil to deter flies, which, should the cat ever stop earning her keep and catching them, I will keep in mind. The two sponge technique was a revelation. Lots of books and recommend bicarb and vinegar for environmentally friendly cleaning and many supermarket products now tout bicarb as an ingredient but I knew that for the best effectiveness they needed to be brought together at the same time to fizz and the two sponge technique accomplishes this. I hadn’t really given much thought before I ordered it to the fact that it was published in Australia and thus the heavy emphasis on insects and pests. I was quite startled to read about some of the “common” kitchen pests, bugs in the linen and putting snake poo in the corners of your rooms to deter mice. I now feel very lucky that I don’t have to cope with cockroaches and armies of ants as a matter of routine, and spiders webs that can short out your light bulb, crikey. As a bit of an aside, I notice that in this and just about every household management book I’ve read they say “wash your towels once a week”. Now, does this mean save them up and do a massive towel wash or, and I think this is the true meaning, are they implying that a towel can last a week without washing. I come across this again and again and have even heard the argument that a towel doesn’t really get dirty, just wet but surely a wet towel attracts bacteria. I can’t imagine my family drying themselves on day seven with towels that have been wet and air dried over and over for a week. Maybe it’s just our family and excessive towel use but I do a towel wash at least every other day. I intend to publish this review on my blog, not just Goodreads, hence the harping on about towels in the hope it provokes a few comments and thus an insight into other people’s towel habits.

Comments

[Christine Martin]

Yes, thank goodness we live in Britain without snakes and huge spiders etc. I really must comment about towel habits. Having grown up without central heating as a child I have a very strong aversion to cold, damp towels. So mine are always clean, dry and changed every day. Same goes for bed linen habits. Lots of my friends only change the sheets etc when they think they are really ready. Mine are changed every Sunday, so we get in clean beds ready for work/school etc on a Monday. On the rare occassions that we have a hot summer, then the sheets are changed twice a week. I have two sets for each bed - one on and one in the wash. Oh, and incidentally you might have guessed that I belong to the "let's put clean sheets on the bed before going on holiday". yes, nothing like getting into a clean bed, after all there is always a mountain of washing and ironing to come back with, why make it worse with having the laundry to do for the beds too! I must point out that I'm not obssessed with housework (even though it must seem like it). I have a pile of ironing awaiting and the sun is shining through the window and I can see some dust on my computer table! In my book some of life's luxuries are a hot bath, a clean bed with crisp cotton sheets, reading in bed on a Saturday morning with a cup of coffee and home made cakes!