WHAT ARE TIPS TO SELECT AND MANAGE HOUSEHOLD TOOLS

1. Homemaking is a mainly American term for the management of a
home, otherwise known as housework, housekeeping, or household
management. It is the act of overseeing the organizational, day-to-
day operations of a house or estate, and the managing of other
domestic concerns. A person in charge of the homemaking, who isn't
employed outside the home, is in the U.S. and Canada often called a
homemaker, a gender-neutral term for a housewife or a
househusband.
The term "homemaker", however, may also refer to a social worker
who manages a household during the incapacity of the housewife or
househusband. Housework is not always a lifetime commitment;
many, for economic or personal reasons, return to the workplace. In
previous decades, there were many mandatory courses for the
young to learn the skills of homemaking. In high school, courses
included cooking, nutrition, home economics, family and consumer
science (FACS), and food and cooking hygiene.
This last one may underlie the tradition that a homemaker is
portrayed wearing an apron. More recently, most of these courses
have been abolished, and many youths in high school and college
would be more likely to study child development and the
management of children's behaviour .
HERE ARE SOME OF THE CONTENTS IN HOUSEHOLDING.THEY ARE:
 Household tools
 Housekeeping
 Household chemicals
Maintenance
SELECTINGANDMANAGINGHOUSEHOLD

2. Householdtools
The method and function of housework are different in the industrial
world and in other countries, with the balance of convenience,
labour-saving devices and easier methods being in the industrial
homemaker's favour . The reason for this is that mechanical
invention has been applied extensively to different tasks of the
home. Inventors have developed mechanical labour -saving devices
not only for the shop and office, but also for the home. There are, on
the market, thousands of household tools, devices and equipment
for every domestic need. It only remains for the homemaker to
choose between them. Domestic technology is the incorporation of
applied science into the home. There are many aspects of domestic
technology. On one level, there are home appliances, home
automation and other devices commonly used in the home, such as
clothes dryers and washing machines.
There are many technologies now routinely used around modern
homes, itemized below.
 Air conditioning
 Central heating
 Cleaning
 Clothes dryer
 Broom
 Dishwasher
 Mop
 Sink
 Shower
 Bath
 Vacuum cleaner

3.  Washing machine
 Computer
 PC
 Food preparation
 Barbecue
 Bread maker
 Blender
 Faucet
 Food processor
 Microwave oven
 Mixer
 Oven
 Food storage
 Can
 Canning
 Refrigerator
 Home maintenance
 Grounds keeping equipment
 Garden tools
 Paint sprayer
 Knitting machine
 Plumbing
 Power generation
 Solar cell
 Windmill
 Telephone
 Window

4. On another level, domestic technology recognizes the use of applied
science to construct homes to achieve a particular goal, such as
energy efficiency or self-sufficiency.
AdvantagesOF HouseholdTools
 Another reason for the great supply and demand for household
labour savers in the industrial world is that the homemaker has
to face the increasingly complex problem of scarce domestic
help.
 With cheap labour, the need for the mechanical replacers of
labour, or "mechanical servants," will not be keenly felt,
however, the majority of homemakers perform their own
household tasks.
 The homemaker's time and effort are worth conserving by
every means. Homemakers should, therefore, be eager to buy
and use all the household tools that will save their strength
and time and liberate them from household drudgery.
 While some homemakers are "handy" with tools, the fact
remains that most homemakers are unfamiliar with the
different principles involved in mechanical tools and devices.
DisadvantagesofHousehold Tools
House cleaning services have some disadvantages, as well, such as
the cost, which is a huge put-off for many people. Paying someone
$200 a week to come in and clean your house once or twice seems
like a huge waste of money to many. Another reason people choose

5. not to hire someone is that they have security concerns, which are
justifiable in many cases; most companies require background
checks, but that doesn't always guarantee anything. The last
disadvantage, kind of along the same lines as security, is that a
stranger is coming into your home when you are (most likely) not
there. It's not a trust issue so much as it is one of privacy; many
people simply do not like the thought of someone coming into their
home.
The homemaker, however, is called to have knowledge of the
principles of applied mechanics. The gaining of knowledge
concerning domestic tools may lead the homemaker to purchase
good quality equipment, which may assist in saving time and labour.
HOUSEKEEPING
Housekeeping by the homemaker is the care and control of property,
ensuring its maintenance and proper use and appearance. A home is
a place of residence. In a private home a maid or housekeeper might
be employed to do some of the housekeeping. Housework is work
done by the act of housekeeping. Some housekeeping is
housecleaning and some housekeeping is home chores. Home chores
are housework that needs to be done at regular intervals,
Housekeeping includes the budget and control of expenditures,
preparing meals and buying food, paying the heat bill, and cleaning
the house.
Housekeeping refers to the management of duties and chores
involved in the running of a household, such as cleaning, cooking,
home maintenance, shopping, laundry and bill pay. These tasks may

6. be performed by any of the household members, or by other persons
hired to perform these tasks.
Here are some of the tasks in house keeping . They are:
 Housecleaning
 Removal of litter
 Dusting
 Removal of dirt
HOUSECLEANING
It includes activities such as housecleaning , that is, disposing of
rubbish, cleaning dirty surfaces, dusting and vacuuming. It may also
involve some outdoor chores, such as removing leaves from rain
gutters, washing windows and sweeping doormats. The term
housecleaning is often used also figuratively in politics and business,
for the removal of unwanted personnel, methods or policies in an
effort at reform or improvement.
Housecleaning is done to make the home look and smell better and
be safer and easier to live in. Without housecleaning lime scale can
build up on taps, mould grows in wet areas, smudges on glass
surfaces, dust forms on surfaces, bacterial action make the garbage
disposal and toilet smell and cobwebs accumulate. Tools used in
housecleaning include vacuums, brooms, mops and sponges,
together with cleaning products such as detergents, disinfectants and
bleach.
Removaloflitter
Disposal of rubbish is an important aspect of house cleaning. Plastic
bags are designed and manufactured specifically for the collection of

7. litter. Many are sized to fit common waste baskets and trash cans.
Paper bags are made to carry aluminum cans, glass jars and other
things although most people use plastic bins for glass since it could
break and tear through the bag. Recycling is possible with some kinds
of litter.
Dusting
Over time dust accumulates on household surfaces. As well as
making the surfaces dirty, when dust is disturbed it can become
suspended in the air, causing sneezing and breathing trouble. It can
also transfer from furniture to clothing, making it unclean. Various
tools have been invented for dust removal; Feather and lamb’s wool
dusters, cotton and polyester dust cloths, furniture spray, disposable
paper "dust cloths", dust mops for smooth floors and vacuum
cleaners. Vacuum cleaners often have a variety of tools to enable
them to remove dirt not just from carpets and rugs, but from hard
surfaces and upholstery.
Removalofdirt
Cleaning the floor. Examples of dirt or "soil" are detritus and
common spills and stains that exists in the home. Equipment used
with a cleaner might be a bucket and sponge or a rag. A modern tool
is the spray bottle, but the principle is the same.
AdvantagesofHousecleaning
A housekeeping service can be a tremendous advantage if you have
trouble with organization or if you have high expectations for
wanting to maintain it. A regular housekeeper will be tasked with
keeping things orderly, putting stray items where they belong and

8. organizing items that lack a designated spot. If your service comes
just periodically, you'll find you have to pay more for the service if
you don't pick up and put away before the housekeeping service
comes. If they are simply tasked with cleaning, the job will take less
time and typically will cost less.
DisadvantagesofHouse cleaning
Privacy Disadvantages
Whether your housekeeping service comes bi-monthly, weekly, daily
or lives on the property, having a housekeeper that is not a family
member in your private home on a regular basis can feel like a
disruption to your privacy. Conversations are open to another
individual and disagreements can be witnessed by someone you may
not want to see or hear them. In addition, your private possessions
are accessible and even maintained by someone who may be little
more than an acquaintance.
TechniqueDisadvantages
Everyone has different ideas of how and to what extent things
should be cleaned. Leaving your household cleaning to a
housekeeper, in some senses, mean relinquishing a portion of your
control of how things will be done. A detailed list of what needs to be
done and on what time schedule will help reduce the
disappointment you may have when a housekeeper does not tend
house in the same way you would. It also requires preparation on
your part, ahead of time, to make sure the housekeeper uses the
products you prefer and that you have a means for communicating
any unacceptable results.

9. The bottom line is that housekeeping services are only as good as the
effort you personally put in to finding, securing and maintaining that
relationship. It starts with knowing your expectations, doing your
research and staying involved with the housing keeping service you
select. Depending upon the size of the home and number of people
living there, some living spaces can take a lot of time to keep clean.
Since housekeeping is more than just tiding up, having a service to
regularly mop, vacuum, dust and scrub is a great way to reduce the
household time demands you may face.
Householdchemicals
Various household cleaning products have been developed to
facilitate the removal of dust and dirt, for surface maintenance, and
for disinfection. Products are available in powder, liquid or spray
form. The basic ingredients determine the type of cleaning tasks for
which they are suitable. Some are packaged as general purpose
cleaning materials while others are targeted at specific cleaning tasks
such as drain clearing, oven cleaning, lime scale removal and
polishing furniture. Household cleaning products provide aesthetic
and hygiene benefits but are also associated with health risks for the
users, and building occupant .When multiple chemicals are applied to
the same surface without full removal of the earlier substance, the
chemicals may interact. This interaction may result in a reduction of
the efficiency of the chemicals applied such as a change in pH value
caused by mixing alkalis and acids and in cases may even emit toxic
fumes. An example of this is the mixing of ammonia-based cleaners
or acid-based cleaners and bleach. This causes the production of
chloramines that volatilize become gaseous causing acute
inflammation of the lungs toxic pneumonitis, long-term respiratory
damage, and potential death.

10. Here are some house hold chemicals used daily :
 Aerosol spray products, including health, beauty and cleaning
products
 Air fresheners
 Chlorine bleach
 Detergent and dishwashing liquid
 Dry cleaning chemicals
 Rug and upholstery cleaners
 Furniture and floor polish
How cancleaningsupplies, household products affect
health?
Many cleaning supplies or household products can irritate the eyes
or the throat or cause headaches or other health problems. Some
products release dangerous chemicals, including volatile organic
compounds (VOCs). Other harmful ingredients include ammonia and
bleach. Even natural fragrances such as citrus can react to produce
dangerous pollutants indoors.
VOCs and other chemicals released when using cleaning supplies
contribute to chronic respiratory problems, allergic reactions and
headaches. Studies are underway to assess how these chemicals
affect people who have asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
However, past studies link exposure to chemicals from cleaning
supplies to occupational asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
Recent research has found that even natural fragrances in cleaning
products, particularly in air fresheners, may react with high levels of
ozone from indoor sources, like some air cleaning devices, or from
outdoor air to form formaldehyde and dangerous fine particles
indoors. Ozone is a harmful, but invisible, gas that worsens asthma

11. and other lung diseases. Particles are also common air pollutants
that can worsen asthma and other lung diseases and risk heart
attacks and stroke. Both ozone and particles can be life-threatening.
Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen.
How canyouprevent harm fromcleaning and household
products?
Read all labels on cleaning supplies and household products before
you buy them. Choose products that do not contain or have reduced
amounts of VOCs, fragrances, irritants and flammable ingredients.
Manufacturers are not obligated by U.S. law to list all ingredients in
consumer products. Products that are labelled "green" do not
necessarily mean they are safer. Avoid using air fresheners. As a safer
cleaning alternative, warm water and soap often will do the trick,
especially at home. Baking soda is good for scrubbing. A mix of
vinegar and water can clean glass.
When using cleaning or household products, keep the area well
ventilated. Open windows and doors. Never use cleaning products in
a small, enclosed space. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
has a list of products that meet its Safer Choice requirements for
cleaning and other needs. They include cleaning products for home
and vehicles.
CONCLUSION:
Cleaning is essential to protecting our health in our homes, schools
and workplaces. However, household and cleaning products—
including soaps, polishes and grooming supplies—often include
harmful chemicals. Even products advertised as "green" or "natural"
may contain ingredients that can cause health problems. Some

12. cleaning supplies can be flammable or corrosive. Fortunately, you
can limit your exposure to those risks.
HOMEMAINTANENCE
Home repair involves the diagnosis and resolution of problems in a
home, and is related to home maintenance to avoid such problems.
Many types of repairs are "do it yourself" (DIY) projects, while others
may be so complicated, time-consuming or risky as to suggest the
assistance of a qualified handyman, property manager,
contractor/builder, or other professionals. Repair is not necessarily
the same as home improvement, although many improvements can
result from repairs or maintenance. Often the costs of larger repairs
will justify the alternative of investment in full-scale improvements.
It may make just as much sense to upgrade a home system (with an
improved one) as to repair it or incur ever-more-frequent and
expensive maintenance for an inefficient, obsolete or dying system.
For a DIY project, it is also useful to establish limits on how much
time and money you're willing to invest before deciding a repair (or
list of repairs) is overwhelming and discouraging, and less likely to
ever be completed.
Worn, consumed, dull, dirty,clogged
Repairs often mean simple replacement of worn or used
components intended to be periodically renewed by a home-owner,
such as burnt out light bulbs, worn out batteries, or overfilled
vacuum cleaner bags. Another class of home repairs relates to
restoring something to a useful condition, such as sharpening tools
or utensils, replacing leaky faucet washers, cleaning out plumbing

13. traps, rain gutters. Because of the required precision, specialized
tools, or hazards, some of these are best left to experts such as a
plumber. One emergency repair that may be necessary in this area is
overflowing toilets. Most of them have a shut-off valve on a pipe
beneath or behind them so that the water supply can be turned off
while repairs are made, either by removing a clog or repairing a
broken mechanism.
Brokenor damaged
Perhaps the most perplexing repairs facing a home-owner are
broken or damaged things. In today's era of built-in obsolescence for
many products, it is often more convenient to replace something
rather than attempt to repair it. A repairman is faced with the tasks
of accurately identifying the problem, then finding the materials,
supplies, tools and skills necessary to sufficiently effect the repair.
Some things, such as broken windows, appliances or furniture can be
carried to a repair shop, but there are many repairs that can be
performed easily enough, such as patching holes in plaster and
drywall, cleaning stains, repairing cracked windows and their
screens, or replacing a broken electrical switch or outlet. Other
repairs may have some urgency, such as a broken water pipes,
broken doors, latches or windows, or a leaky roof or water tank, and
this factor can certainly justify calling for professional help. A home
handyman may become adept at dealing with such immediate
repairs, to avoid further damage or loss, until a professional can be
summoned.
Maintenance

14. Periodic maintenance also falls under the general class of home
repairs. These are inspections, adjustments, cleaning, or
replacements that should be done regularly to ensure proper
functioning of all the systems in a house, and to avoid costly
emergencies. Examples include annual testing and adjustment of
alarm systems, central heating or cooling systems (electrodes,
thermocouples, and fuel filters), replacement of water treatment
components or air-handling filters, purging of heating radiators and
water tanks, defrosting a freezer, vacuum refrigerator coils, refilling
dry floor-drain traps with water, cleaning out rain gutters, down
spouts and drains, touching up worn house paint and weather seals,
and cleaning accumulated creosote out of chimney flues, which may
be best left to a chimney sweep.
Examples of less frequent home maintenance that should be
regularly forecast and budgeted include repainting or staining
outdoor wood or metal, repainting masonry, waterproofing masonry,
cleaning out septic systems, replacing sacrificial electrodes in water
heaters, replacing old washing machine hoses (preferably with
stainless steel hoses less likely to burst and cause a flood), and other
home improvements such as replacement of obsolete or ageing
systems with limited useful lifetimes (water heaters, wood stoves,
pumps, and asphaltic or wooden roof shingles and siding.
Advantages
Cost savings: Cost control is a driving issue for most industries and a
prime motive for outsourcing. In-house staff wages and benefits
(such as pension, medical, vacation) may have become too costly for
the company to subsidize. Cost is also a function of a contractor’s
ability to flex up and down faster than in-house staff; additionally,
hiring costs are absorbed by the contractor. An outsourced

15. contractor assumes the burden of these, and other, financial
liabilities associated with workers.Staffing flexibility, expertise and
work quality: An outsourced contractor can provide flexibility in
delivering the proper staffing level and required skill set quickly, with
less cost and time investment, as well as providing expertise that
may not be available, or is inadequate, within the in-house staff. This
expertise will also positively impact the quality of the work being
performed. It provides the flexibility to utilize specialized services as
needed, instead of incurring the cost of developing in-house
competencies that are not needed on a permanent or continuous
basis. However, it should be remembered that this is also a potential
weakness. Dependent upon location, and in certain markets, the
craft pool may be limited and the required skill sets may not be easily
obtained. Or if they are acquired they may command top dollar and
cost more in the long run.
Personnel issues: In the majority of instances, when a client
completely outsources its maintenance function, personnel
grievances, disciplinary actions and issues become the responsibility
of the contractor. Former in-house activities such as payroll, time
keeping, labour relations, HR, benefits, etc., are handled by the
contractor, releasing management from the responsibility and time
requirements of doing so. Tools, equipment and technology: An out-
sourced contractor can provide staffing well-versed in the usage of
the most current technology, without the need of the company to
provide training to the in-house staff in its use, or the cost of
acquisition of the technology/equipment. The same holds true for
specialized tools and equipment, in that the contractor would be
required to supply the tools and equipment to perform the work
required.
Core business focus: Out-sourcing allows management to

16. concentrate on their core proficiencies and critical objectives to drive
the business.
Disadvantages
Loss of control: Outsourcing the maintenance function may be
cost-effective, but there are restrictions when working with
contractors, such as the host company’s inability to directly manage
and instruct the workforce. Another example is it may be difficult for
a service provider to fulfill all of a client’s requirements such as staff
flexibility or craft availability within the host company’s expectations.
Also, the client and contractor may have different approaches,
management styles and philosophies, which can lead to conflict.
Staff turnover: In-house employees are inclined to have more years
of service at a facility than employees of a contractor and know the
business and its expectations better. This is a common issue for
clients, as outsourced staff do not, as a rule, possess as much
allegiance to the company. As such, the intellectual knowledge they
possess in regards to a site’s maintenance function, equipment and
business model is more readily lost if/when they leave, as their
loyalty is more tenuous. Redundancy in management roles: Roles
may be duplicated within a client and contractor organization,
contributing to overall cost. Overlapping roles and responsibilities
can lead to inefficiencies within the maintenance organization and
contribute to the appearance of too many bosses and not enough
workers, create conflicting priorities and confusion.
Response time: When dealing with specialty contracts such as
PLC’s, refrigeration and complex compressors, a response time to
problems may be handled more rapidly in-house when compared
with a phone call to an offsite vendor. The host company must

17. balance the needs of the site against the decision to outsource this
work and negotiate an acceptable response time, such as 24 or 72
hours. Since a longer response time equates to more downtime and
lost production, this response time must be clearly defined in the
contract, or the host company may be unable to meet their goals and
objectives.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, it is up to the end user to determine the cost-
effectiveness, control, flexibility and focus required at their unique
site to properly manage their maintenance function within their
particular budgetary constraints. Outsourcing does not mean
abdication of management responsibilities, on the contrary,
outsourcing requires dedicated management personnel tied into the
CMMS. Only with a detailed examination of these factors can it be
realistically established whether outsourcing is a viable option or not.