Overlooked household chores in Singapore
There’s nothing like moving out of your family home to your first adult abode, only to realise that you are confronted with a long list of chores to keep your home in tip-top condition. Whether you like it or not, your daily and weekly housekeeping routine isn’t enough to keep your home clean, safe, and functioning well.
Here, we break down the often-overlooked household chores most common among Singaporeans. Neglecting these can result in issues that impact your health and safety, from poor air quality to reduced appliance efficiencies. Paying attention to these will save you time, money, and more fuss in the long run too.
1. Cleaning your curtains
The right pair of curtains can be the perfect finishing touch for your home decor, but here’s the nasty surprise: they tend to accumulate dust, pollen, and potentially mildew over time, especially during the more humid months in Singapore. This leads to poor air quality at home, and can worsen allergies if you have them. It’s not something you can easily remedy with an air purifier too.
It’s easy enough to keep your curtains clean and avoid these issues altogether. Just send them to be professionally cleaned a couple of times a year.
Now, if you’re wondering, “How often should I clean my curtains?”, the rule of thumb is simple. If you live near construction or an area with heavy traffic and leave your windows open, it’s ideal to wash your curtains every 3 to 6 months. Otherwise, every 6 to 9 months will do.
Local laundry and dry cleaning service, Duo Nini, offers 2 types of curtain cleaning services, including same-day turnarounds. For a minimum order of $100, Duo Nini will clean your curtains with a 7-step process at their factory. Said process includes washing the curtains at high temperatures to remove dirt and grime, then cleaning the curtains under UV-C light to eliminate germs and pathogens.
For those who prefer their curtains cleaned onsite, the team can also head down to your home and steam-clean your drapes for you, no removal needed.
Prices start at $12.50 per kg of fabric, or $180 per room for steam cleaning.
2. Cleaning your upholstery
Like curtains, upholstered furniture—from couches to armchairs—traps dust, skin particles, pet fur, and other pollutants that can trigger allergies and give your home a musty smell. Cleaning your upholstery doesn’t have to be tedious. Regularly vacuum your sofas and armchairs to remove the surface dirt, and wash your couch fabric quarterly in the washing machine if that’s possible.
Once a year, you should invest in getting your upholstery deep-cleaned, because DIY maintenance can only eliminate surface dirt. Hire a specialist, like Duo Nini, have a multi-step upholstery cleaning process to remove all the nasties from your furniture. The process starts with surface dirt removal, then a specialised wash, before rounding it off with a deep steam clean. Additionally, they offer a special cleaning routine for leather couches.
Prices start at $50 per armchair and go up to $150 for a 4-seater sofa.
3. Chemical washes for your aircon
Singapore’s tropical climate makes air conditioning a must, but neglecting regular maintenance can lead to inefficient cooling, higher energy bills, and even mould growth.
When you’re getting your units maintained, be sure to request for a chemical wash every 6 months to a year. A lot of us groan and think chemical washes are an added expense, but they’re the only way to grime and mould from the internal components of your unit. This ensures improved air quality at home but also extends the lifespan of your aircon.
4. Preventing drain clogs
Hair, soap, and other debris can quickly clog bathroom and kitchen drains, leading to unpleasant odours, slow drainage, pests, or even costly plumbing repairs. Use drain strainers to catch large particles, and clear these out daily so you minimise clogs. Every month, be sure you’re using a drain cleaner to keep your pipes as clean as they can be.
For a budget-friendly version, pour boiling water down the drain, then follow it up with a 1:1 solution made with baking soda and vinegar. Let it work its magic on your drain for about 10 minutes, then pour in more boiling water to seal the deal.
5. Steam cleaning your mattress
You spend a good chunk of your life in bed, which means your mattress is one of the most used pieces of furniture at home. In spite of this fact, many people overlook cleaning the mattress when doing their household chores.
Cleaning your mattress is especially important if you don’t have a protector and topper in place. Mattresses accumulate dust mites, sweat, and bacteria, all of which can affect your sleep quality and health. You should vacuum your mattress quarterly, and get professionals to come to steam clean your bed every six months. Steam cleaning purges all the grime, harmful bacteria, and dust mites from your mattress, which will, in turn, dramatically improve your quality of sleep.
FYI: Duo Nini offers mattress steam cleaning, from $75 for a single mattress.
Stop ignoring these household chores
These chores may not be the first to come to mind, but they’re key to maintaining a clean, healthy, and efficient home.
Thankfully, these chores don’t have to be DIY. You can leave them to the pros at Duo Nini, who have a comprehensive suite of cleaning services to keep your home in tip-top shape. Whether you’re looking to clean your curtains to your upholstery, the homegrown cleaning service has your back, with affordable rates to boot. It’s worth noting they offer dry cleaning and laundry services as well , if you need their expertise in those areas.
To work with Duo Nini, WhatsApp 9838 5355 or call 6100 2363.
Find out more about Duo Nini here
This article was brought to you by Duo Nini.
