What Should You Clean Each Day at Your Dad’s House and What Can You Skip?

When you’re short on time, caring for a parent is more challenging. You only have a few hours to get through a full day’s chores when you stop by your dad’s house before or after work. You have your own home to keep clean and organized, too. 
 
Your goal is to make sure that you keep possible allergens, viruses, and bacteria to a minimum to keep your dad as healthy as possible, especially during cold, flu, and allergy seasons. Of all the cleaning that helps keep germs to a minimum, what should you do daily and what can you skip? 
 
Chores That Should Be Completed Every Day

 
Kitchens and bathrooms are two areas where germs collect. Surfaces in the bathroom need to be disinfected every day. Counters, sinks, door handles, sink handles, and the toilet’s flush handle need to be sterilized. Keep bacteria counts down by closing the toilet before you flush. 
 
Kitchen surfaces that are used for food preparation need to be cleaned after every meal. Cutting boards must be sterilized. After eating, dishes should be rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher or washed and dried. Immediately put the dishcloth into the wash. Don’t use it for several days as that spreads bacteria. 
 
Anything that your dad touches each day should be wiped down with a disinfectant. Door knobs, phones, remotes, cabinet handles, drawer pulls, and refrigerator handles all need to be wiped clean. Do the same with faucet controls, appliance knobs, and light switches. 
 
Things You Can Do Weekly 
 
If your dad is prone to allergies or asthma attacks, run a dust pad over wood, laminate, and tile floors every day. Vacuum all carpeting each day. If he’s not, those tasks can be completed weekly. In the spring as trees bloom, you may need to increase the number of times you vacuum. 
 
You don’t need to clean the shower each day, but you need to once a week. The same goes for the toilet bowl. If either looks dirty, you can clean them more often. 
 
Change sheets each week. Wash them when you do the rest of the laundry. Towels should also be changed at this point. Ideally, towels should be changed two or three times a week, but if you’re pressed for time, aim for a minimum of weekly. 
 
Finally, dust surfaces, ceiling fan blades, and light fixtures each week. You may want to use the vacuum upholstery nozzle to clean lampshades and any vinyl or wooden blinds. 
 
What you shouldn’t do is overwork yourself to the point you feel overwhelmed. Elderly care services help your dad while you’re at work. When you’re free, you can focus on spending quality time with your dad. Call an elderly care specialist to make arrangements. 

 

If you or an aging loved-one is considering Elderly Care in Natomas, CA please contact the caring staff at Aging Assistant today. (916) 897-4752