Sweeten up Mum by helping out in the house

May 10th, 2012

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I wonder if some Mum’s would prefer it if someone actually did the vacuuming, rather than buy her a vacuum cleaner for Mother’s Day?

Doing the chores for Mum this Sunday is one way to sweeten her up. But the weekly jobs are a short lived respite for Mum. So here are a few other house hold duties with more long term benefits:

Give the refrigerator-coils a quick brush off.

This can help Mum reduce the power bill! Coils work by removing heat from the fridge, but they have to work much harder – using more energy – as layers of dust, dirt and hair magnets are collected on them. Unplug the fridge and use a long-handled and bristled condenser brush to clean the coils.

Get rid of lint in the dryer.

It’s just one of those easy to do things that many of us never really get around to doing. But we should, as a matter of safety! Lint build up can lead to fires.

Clean up the microwave.

Microwaves are like gunk magnets. Exploding eggs, burst baked beans, spilt soups: they’re all up there, smattered on the inside, hard as rock, stuck on on like super glue. And it’s going to take a maverick effort and some serious elbow grease to get it all off. You’d do anything for your Mum wouldn’t you?! Get scrubbing! A lot of hot soapy water will loosen up the mess. Then try lemon juice and tackle it with a non-abrasive brush. Make sure to unplug the microwave first.

Give the dishwasher a once over.

Keep your Mum’s dishes sparkling clean by cleaning the dishwasher. Just like cleaning the washing machine, it’s a chore many overlook. Start by cleaning out any gunk that builds up in the areas that don’t get washed during the cycle: under the bottom of the door and the edges of the door. Then clear any debris out of the holes in spinning arms by using a toothpick. Check out the bottom of the dishwasher around the drain and clear out any scraps. After all that, run a cycle using a bit of vinegar to sterilise the machine.

Keri Algar

Having once had to sit on the washing machine to stop it from bouncing into oblivion, Keri is today delighted with the new (smoother running) technologies that make housework easier every day. A self-confessed lazy-bones, Keri seeks out quirky inventions that ease the human workload, such as the robotic vacuum cleaner (wow). And as soon as someone figures out a Jetsons-like self-cleaning house, she will happily lay her pen to rest and retire from appliance journalism. Until then, her pick is a fridge that will tell her smartphone when it's time to pick up more beer on the way home. Magic.