Practical household tips by the book

MANILA, Philippines - If you share the same sentiment, here are some practical household tips that I’ve picked up from The Best of Mrs. Beeton’s Household Tips, which I happened to chance upon National Bookstore in Cubao, and thought ‘Maybe this will come in handy someday’.

Home Basics

“Regardless of changing fashion and individual taste, your living accommodation – whether a bedsit or a palace – should be a home; that is, a place in which you feel secure and relaxed.” – Mrs. Beeton

According to Mrs. Beeton, managing a modern household need not be a daunting task, while it does take a lot of effort to make a house feel more like a home, running a well organized household is very much doable.

Tips for Furnishing the Home:

• When it comes to decorating a new home, do it gradually, just room by room so you won’t end up buying too many things all at once.

• When buying furniture, do consider practical aspects aside from the actual design such as durability and ease of cleaning.

• There’s nothing wrong with mixing brand new furniture with second hand furniture, especially when you are on a budget. Just remember that furniture is not a “once-only purchase”, always consider practicality especially when the time comes to upgrade particular pieces.

• When choosing soft furnishings like curtains, chair covers and cushions, always consider the kind of environment that you want to create – lively or restful, cozy or sophisticated?

• The correct choice of lighting is important for safety as well as comfort. For practical tasks like food preparation or taking a shower, bright lighting is essential. The same thing goes for stairs and hallways to avoid any accidents. Meanwhile, since the bedroom, dining room, and lounge are places to relax, it’s better to use soft lighting for these areas of your home.

• Every home should have an emergency light aside from candles, gas and oil lamps in case of an emergency. Have a designated place in your home for such items so you’ll easily find these items even in the dark.

• When it comes to the choice of flooring, it usually depends on the overall décor of the room or what is it going to be used for and your budget. Typical heavy-use areas such as kitchens, hallways, and living rooms especially in a home with a lot of occupants need sturdy, hard wearing flooring while kitchens, utility rooms, bathrooms and shower rooms should have floors that can withstand dampness as well as the occasional soaking.

DIY and Home Maintenance

“The details of building construction may not interest you but it is important to know a few facts about the way in which your home is put together and, more importantly, the services supplied to it.” – Mrs. Beeton

Here are some key points to remember:

Electricity: it is important to know where the fuse box is as the fuses protect every electric circuit in the house. Make sure that all adult members of your household know where it is and that older children are made aware of the main switch in case there is an emergency and the electricity should be turned off.

Drainage Systems: this takes away all water from sinks, showers, baths etc. If there are any blockages or foul smells, lifting the inspection cover can give some indication of how bad the problem is. With the cover off, run water or flush different toilets to see if the waste water runs away quickly and efficiently.

Get yourself a tool kit: as a homeowner, a tool kit is something that you must have in your home as you’ll obviously need it to make some quick home repairs every now and then. While it’s tempting to just get a repair man to do the job for you, it’s important that you at least know basic home repair tricks like changing light bulbs or clearing a blocked toilet.

Make sure to have these items stocked in your home tool kit:

• Screwdrivers: choose between a screwdriver with interchangeable heads or a screwdriver set for large and small screws plus those with cross heads and straight heads.

• Hammer: while a medium-sized hammer works well with various home repairs, a small hammer is best for hitting tacks and a large hammer is meant for jobs which need a “firmer knock”.

• Pliers: make sure to get a sturdy pair of pliers as this is a very useful tool for the home like pulling out old nails.

• Electric Drill: another useful tool for the home, you’d need this for putting curtain rails, shelves and various other tasks.

• Saw: just like with buying hammers, there are also various types of saws available so try to see which ones you’ll be able to use the most in your home. There are hack-saws with removable blades, fine saws, panel-saws, and coarse saws.

• Sandpaper: keep a few of these in your tool kit for cleaning off old paint, cleaning pipes and for various other household touch ups.

• Knife: don’t use your kitchen knife for slitting the coverings on electric wires or cutting a thick rope. Instead, have a strong knife with a retractable blade in your tool kit for such kind of “tough cutting jobs”.

• Selection of screws, nails, tacks, and washers: make sure to have all of these ready for instant home repairs.

When it comes to buying tools, refrain from buying those that are made from cheap, low quality materials. Think of your home kit as an investment.  

Just like what it says in the book, running an efficient, orderly household may not be a walk in the park but with much effort, a lot of practical knowledge and understanding how things work, having a well-managed household is definitely not impossible.