Managing Without A Maid in India | Quick Cleaning Ideas

Cleanliness is next to Godliness is something that I had learnt in my school.

But as I grew up, I soon gave in to the rebel adolescence phase! I would barely clean my room, and the stack of clothes kept piling up. I would literally dread if my father would enter my room, for he was a strict disciplinarian. And then college life happened. I learnt to be responsible and would keep my room tidy. Five years of college life was not enough, that I got married to a man who was even more particular about keeping the house spic and span.

And thus I started my journey without a house-help/maid, living right here in Kolkata.

I have been asked by several people about how we manage without a maid in India. Let me tell you that my in-laws have also managed for several years without one, so it was not a big deal when my husband announced that we would not need one as well!

Here are a few tips on how we both as a team manage to keep the house neat, clean and tidy without any help.

1.     Try having minimal items in your house : This is one of the major reasons why our small abode looks tidy enough. We started off with almost nothing on the floor (Just a bed and an almirah) and soon we started customising things as per our need. We took baby steps, and first came in the sofa, then my makeup dresser, finally the dining table. We did not buy everything at a go, and analysed very hard before making a major purchase, be it a furniture or an electronic gadget. This not only helped us in analysing our space constraints, but also in turn helped us to plan our finances better (since we purchased things slowly and steadily).

2.    Invest in useful gadgets and cleaning solutions : While most of you might find a vacuum cleaner or a scotch brite mop unnecessary, these two items have really helped us keep our house clean and our sanity intact. A micro-fiber cloth/gloves have further helped us in dusting, and the prill liquid makes dish washing a breeze. Not to forget, the corelle plates and non-stick pans that need minimal maintenance.

3.    Try not to push things for tomorrow : The dishes get done as soon as they land in the sink, and the floor gets mopped as soon as we find it dirty. Keeping things to be done for a later stage only postpones the agony! When you know that you need to do the dishes, the sooner, the better!

 

4.    Have a designated place for everything : The keys stay put at the key holder, and the extra plastic bags are dumped into a makeshift laundry basket. Make sure that the things are put at the designated place, else.

 

5.   And last but not the least, “do not take life too seriously” : While we ensure that things are done right away, we do take things casually at times when we just don’t feel like going about it. It is very important to take break once in a while, else the routine gets monotonous, and you feel like quitting it.

Hope this post inspires many of you out there, who want to do things on your own, but are finding it difficult to start with! Give it a try for fifteen days, and I assure you, you will never feel more accomplished and happier. My maa keeps on complaining about how the maid has been absent without prior intimation, and how difficult it is to adjust to their timings. While I totally sympathise with her, I no longer find it relevant to my current scenario. Instead of adjusting to the house-help’s routine, why not incorporate your own one where you are in charge of your things!

With that, I sign off. Have a happy and peaceful weekends!