HOW TO GET ORGANIZED

Getting organized can be a constant chore if everything in the house is in a disarray. Start with the simple stuff and see how these efforts can make a huge difference:

*Put keys in a bowl at the entry way near door that you exit daily.
*Keep shoes you use often on a wooden or metal rack near door.
*Keep umbrellas stored standing up for air circulation so that they dry effectively
*Buy section boxes for your drawers so that you can keep specific things in them
*Keep your desktop free and clear so that you have room to write, open mail and review files comfortably
*Designate a recycling area that includes containers for newspapers, bottles, etc.
*Keep a list of emergency numbers, take-out menus, notepads, pens near the telephone
*Make sure your nightstand is large enough to hold a book, light, alarm clock, but also have a drawer to conceal items such as television remotes, medicines. A shelf underneath is useful for magazines and books to be read.
*Group your undergarments by type and color in row using a divider or box. Plastic compartments can also be snapped together to customize your drawer.
*Keep our cotton, q-tips, make-up and creams in decorative containers, trays or in a box.
*Keep your utensils on a lazy Susan with compartments for cooking oil, and basic condiments.
*Making meals is easier when organizing canned good by type and maintaining visibility. It makes shopping and replenishing easier.
*Put all spices in a tiered wire or wood spice platform that lets you store them with the labels out.
*Store pots and pans in nesting fashion: smaller one in larger to reduce amount of space.
*Keep tub toys in separate bin near bathtub
*Organize floss, toothpaste and mouthwash in one area of the medicine cabinet
*Use hampers, baskets and separate mesh garment bags for sorting dirty laundry according to what goes to the cleaners, colored and white, hand washing, etc.
*Keep laundry and cleaning supplies separated according to type

Start getting organized!!

OSHA - Injuries in the Housekeeping Industry

Housekeepers are prone to repetitive stress injuries from such continual work as changing sheets, washing bathroom floors and vacuuming according to several researchers who studied three years of government-related injuries at 5 union-represented hotels. It was surprising that the Hispanic housekeepers had a proportionally higher rate of injuries than the non-Hispanic cleaners, according to the study. But there was no explanation for this. The union - UNITE HERE which represents Hospitality employees funded this research. It has now captured the attention of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Injuries come from lifting patients in nursing homes; lifting mattresses leading to musculoskeletal disorders. In many of these cases, people are not supported with additional staff members to do such lifting or provided with the proper tools and equipment to do the work.

If you have any household employees, it is important that you carry homeowners insurance for injuries in your home and/or worker's compensation for any employees on payroll.

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Dangerous Caregiver Database

If you are wondering if the caregiver you have just hired for your mother is on the "dangerous list", a database for this is now available to hospitals. This database allows hospitals to check for any disciplinary action taken anywhere in the country against nurses, pharmacists, psychologists and any other licensed health official. However, this list may not protect your loved one completely. You should always do a national criminal background check on everyone you hire and check your information against state board licensing websites. Unfortunately, the database may give one "false security" in that not every disciplinary action is reported to the Federal government which makes it incomplete.

Laundry Soap Overdose

The Wall Street Journal reports that overdose of laundry detergent is causing problems such as dingy clothes and worn washing machines. "Over-pouring makes a foamy tide inside the machine lifting soil and lint above the water level so it isn't rinsed away." Apparently, this is what leaves a residue on the clothes that gives them a faded look. Companies, like Proctor and Gamble are coming out with ways to design caps for detergent bottles that make it easier to be more specific about measuring soap. It is recommended to clean washers monthly using an empty hot-water cycle and either bleach. Also, if it is hard to see the interior line of a cap, then put a marker line on the outside of the cap. http://www.martaperrone.com http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703808904575025021214910714.html

No More Dish Detergents?

Polymer is a plastic coating that is currently being developed making dinnerware and bathroom mirrors clean with water alone. Something favorable for environmentalists who worry about the effects that soap has on our water system as it washes down the drain. How it works? It is a coating that keeps the grease from penetrating the material underneath. Soap "degreases"- it allows oil on soiled surfaces to disperse into water as an emulsion causing dishwater to cloud up. With polymer, the oil is displaced without soap. Similar coatings may be used on glasses, car windshields and bathroom mirrors to resist fogging and making it easier to clean.

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Classes Begin in February

Classes will resume in February at Domestic Connections Agency for Nannies and Housekeepers to receive training in all areas of the household: cleaning, cooking, laundry, basic childcare, table setting and more. We will also cover career development tools. www.martaperrone.com to register.

Professional Domestic Seminar

Our next all day seminar is November 21st for those who want to further their knowledge on how to better prepare you for a position as a Housekeeper/Nanny/Cook and/or Laundress. We cover labor codes, employee/employer agreements, preparing a resume, qualifications, and provide training in cleaning, cooking, laundry, table-setting, and more. Go to www.martaperrone.com to register!