Housekeeping blunders that endanger your home

Housekeeping is a continuous process that includes keeping the house, the compound, and the yard neat and organised. This involves keeping the floor free of trip and fall hazards and using the right disposal methods for waste.

For your home to look neat and beautiful, you must maintain a consistent daily routine that requires perseverance and stamina.

Accidents are commonly caused by poor housekeeping habits, which, if accepted as the standard, could lead people more dangerous risks.

Here are some of the mistakes we frequently make and the potential threats they provide that could have a major impact on your house.

Kitchen

We all need beautiful furniture in our homes, but we frequently opt for something less expensive.

For instance, furniture made of soft woods is attractive but not very long-lasting.

Martin Walimbwa, a carpentry specialist, says that picking hard wood furniture is the best option because it is sturdy but more expensive. Chopped boards (made from soft boards), which are used in kitchen cabinets, may not last as long if not maintained properly. When they are frequently exposed to water, they deteriorate over time.

When it comes to designs, he says, the kitchen needs to be constructed with various compartments for various culinary utensils to be appropriately placed.  This helps to create order and easy access to any equipment if needed.

Carpenters should be aware that a compartment for plates and cups is different from one for cutlery. In this situation, drawers are typically chosen.

He explained that they prevent knives and other sharp kitchen items from accidentally falling out of drawers due to improper placement.

Kitchen sinks should receive more attention, according to Benjamin Olagwa, who claims that pouring water with leftovers onto plates is one of the most frequent reasons of blocked sinks.

“If a sink is utilised properly, all you need to do is remove leftover garbage before washing the utensils. It will take a long time before you need to clear blockages.”

 Usually, people use sinks carelessly and spill all kinds of things into them.

In addition, Olagwa points out that there are contemporary sinks available on the market that come with a sizeable sieve that can be used to separate food remnants.

However, for those who already own older models, he advises using only sieved water to prevent sink blockages and setting up waste buckets in the kitchen. It is necessary to keep sharp objects like knives and glass out of reach of youngsters and to keep them in adult-only areas of the kitchen.

Toilets and bathrooms

A toilet is not only a requirement to have in a home but it is a must. That is why when there is a problem with it, it is crucial to identify it and fix it as soon as you can.

It’s important to remember that a toilet is not a trash can.

According to Olagwa, popular objects flushed down the toilet include disposable cloths/wipes, sanitary towels, ear swabs, and broken-off hair from combing. The risk can be decreased by warning all family members to be careful about what they flush down the toilet.

Additionally, low water pressure during flushing contributes to partial toilet clogging or blocking.

If you plunge the toilet bowl, you can resolve this. 

“The majority of clogged toilets have sluggish draining mechanisms, which means that when you flush water, it partially fills the bowl but does not immediately flush out the waste. Although the water level is still high, it normally drains after a minute or two. To get a better seal, first plunge the toilet with the rubber flange pulled out. Ensure that there is enough water in the bowl to cover the plunge while pushing in and out firmly. Add towels to the floor to mop up any water that splashes out,”  he says, adding that if the clog persists, a whole plumbing system may be needed to clear it.

On the other hand, washroom sinks rarely become clogged because they are only utilized for fundamental tasks like washing hands, faces, and teeth.  However, you should handle them the same way as kitchen sinks are handled.

Backyard and the compound

Even if you employed a modern design when building, an untidy complex spoils the appearance of your house.

Just like your house, every element of life is impacted by first impressions.

The worst thing to do, according to Patrick Munezero, a director of Rock Paints Limited, is to wait for leaves and dust to accumulate in your compound. You can maintain your compound by establishing a daily cleaning schedule.

To maintain things as hygienic as possible, be sure to hang garbage cans and routinely remove waste.

He continues, “Trees are planted in the backyard to give it an attractive look, but some may impact the boundary wall, backyard pavers, and the home over time due to their root systems entering through the walls so generating fractures and subsequently weakening them.” 

Additionally, keep your perimeter wall in mind when choosing the trees.  The majority of people choose to grow fruit trees such as mango, oak, and willow inside of a compound rather than fencing.  Consider trees with roots that extend downward, such as pine trees, black gum, and others, to prevent this.

“The compound may include alluring vivid blooms.  The use of vases and buckets to plant little trees is another option,” according to Munezero.

Walls and Floor

Many times, people will cite the fact that they have children as an excuse for vandalising walls, which is not acceptable. Make it plain to everyone that scribbling on the walls is not a good idea before blaming just the children. Giving them drawing boards instead can be helpful, as can covering the walls in their rooms with wallpaper.

Munezero advises against using a lot of water to clean walls because if the water gets into the wall, it could damage it.

Paint starts to deteriorate and peel off. The type of paint used should be taken into consideration; oil-based paint typically fades faster than water-based paint.

The floor, he says, needs to be kept dry and spotless at all times to prevent trip, slide, and fall risks.  Dragging objects across the floor leads to tracks of cracks.  Instead of simply dragging chairs and other items on the fall, you should hoist them.

Leakages in Roofs

Rogers Agaba, a quantity surveyor at Bply Imperial Consult Limited, says that many homes struggle with roof system leaks, which ultimately result in wall damage. The majority of these issues are related to flat roofs. Poor water proofing at the junction of the roofing sheets or tiles and the parapet wall is the cause of the leaks.

Agaba advises applying mortar with a good mix of water proof cement to keep water out and fixing metal flashings at this point to address the issue. Although this is common to not only flat roofs but also gable and hipped roofs among other types of roofs.

He adds that shoddy construction, such as incorrectly positioned sheets or tiles, is another reason for seepages.

“Sometimes, a roofer will carelessly place the roofing nails in the incorrect locations on the sheets and forget to fill the holes once the nails have been removed. When it rains, water ultimately leaks in via these unprotected holes. The building’s residents are uncomfortable as a result.”

He suggests using a sealer to fill the gaps as a solution to this issue.

The most popular sealer is bondex, which is sold at hardware stores.

Older roofs might also leak. When a roof is too old, both the structural components and the roof covering begin to deteriorate and are no longer able to perform as intended. He emphasizes that the only option in this situation.

Another frequent reason for roof leaks is improper purlin alignment.  Due to poor alignment, the permanent roofing sheets develop depressions that allow water to collect and eventually make its way inside the building.

This can be fixed by correctly aligning the purlins while building the roof framework. Other roofs leak because of debris and leaves clogging the gutters.

Regular gutter maintenance can aid in resolving this issue.

Agaba’s advice is to always consult professionals when building, such as an architect, engineer, or someone with experience and good construction technology, for advice on the most appropriate type of roof and the methodology for constructing it, in order to avoid the majority of these roofing challenges.

Trees

Trees are planted in the backyard to give it an attractive look, but some may impact the boundary wall, backyard pavers, and the home over time due to their root systems entering through the walls so generating fractures and sequently weakening them.