Welcome to the second instalment of our three-part series aimed at providing essential tips for young people who have recently left home. Today, we'll delve into the basics of housekeeping and laundry - areas where many young people may have gaps in knowledge. This article focuses on practical advice and useful tips to help you be economical, efficient, and avoid costly mistakes. 

Drawing from my experience as a professional superyacht stewardess in the 1990s, I’ve learned the finer points of housekeeping, and laundry. While it’s not my goal to turn you into a steward or stewardess, I can certainly share highly useful tips that will equip anyone at home.

Let's start with laundry, an area where many people are particularly clueless, and it shows! Before anything else, sort your clothes and linens into dark, white, and mixed piles. This prevents dyes from dark or coloured clothes from greying or staining your whites and keeps lint off your black clothes. Always wash new clothes separately to avoid dye transfer, especially next to whites.

Next, sort your laundry into 'like' items. Towels should be washed in the same load and never with darks. Dirty cleaning cloths or tea towels should be washed separately on a hot cycle to remove grease. All other washing can be done warm or cold since modern detergents are designed for cold washing. Never wash woollens in hot water, as they will shrink.

When choosing between powder or liquid detergent, I used to prefer liquid for darks and powder for lights to save money. However, I've since discovered laundry sheets, which dissolve in the wash and are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and lightweight to carry home, that’s what I’d recommend. 

An obvious, but strangely overlooked task is to check pockets before washing clothes. Stray tissues will cause lint to spread, and items like phones, money, gum, notes, receipts, pens, can be damaged if left in pockets. 

One last important tip: look for stains whilst you search pockets and treat with the appropriate stain treatment. Not doing this will mean that stains will set and be impossible to remove later.

Now for drying, even if you’re going to hang the clothes on the line, dry them first for 10 minutes and they’ll be soft and wrinkle free. Then hang them straight. They cannot possible dry straight if not pegged properly. I prefer to use coat hangers. If using a dryer only, make sure not to ‘cook’ the clothes. High heat settings can damage clothes. Always clear the lint filter for quicker and better results, and safety! You could also half-dry and then hang inside – straight – on the hanger! 

I have literally written a book on housekeeping – a training manual in fact - but I'll spare you the long version. Here’s a streamlined sequence to clean properly:

Start with emptying rubbish, then approach the dusting.

• Begin at the top and work your way down, as dust falls.
• Microfibre cloths are great since they trap dust.
• Long-handled dusters made from microfibre will help you to reach walls and ceilings.

Bathrooms come next:

• Start at the far end and work your way out.
• Vacuum the floor to remove hairs and dust, then mop.
• Open windows and doors to allow circulating air to dry the room.

In the kitchen:

• Begin with the heavy jobs, such as cleaning the stove and oven, as grease can cause fires.
• Wipe the benches.
• Clean the fridge next. With clean benches, you can place the fridge food down while you wipe the inside with a vanilla-based product to handle food smells.
• Discard anything that doesn't pass the smell test but remember that some items may still be good even if they are past their use-by date.
• Reorganise your fridge thoughtfully identify items that need to be used up soon, to avoid waste.
• Re-wipe the benches and sink, making sure to clean the underside of the plug.
• Clean your bins regularly to avoid smells.
• Descale and clean dishwasher filters regularly to remove caught food. Rinse plates before placing them in the dishwasher for better results.

General cleaning tips:

• Opt for eco-friendly products and use them sparingly.
• Elbow grease* works well in most cases. [In Gen Z speak this means ‘make an effort’.]
• Avoid air fresheners, which only mask smells. Identify and address the source of odours. Open windows to get fresh air inside; it’s much more effective than a costly spray. Flowers, indoor plants, lemons, or baking can create a pleasant aroma.
• Once in a while vacuum underneath the lounge cushions, and under the furniture. 

When I was growing up, we had a formal Sunday lunch once a week. This was when mothers taught their children how to set the table and cook a meal – the basics of ‘entertaining’. Since that happens far less these days… stay tuned for the final part of this series, where we’ll cover basic cooking and table setting.