All About Life Without Maids

[2ppaamm]

Fairy:

I understand that the irobot vacuum cleaner needs long hours of charging before use. like 2 hours of charging for 1 hr of usage. Is that true? Can users of the gadget comment?

It charges for 2+ hours and you use it for 1.5 hours. 20 mins per room, 1 charge can last about 4 rooms.

If you buy the lithium ion batteries from US, it charges faster, I think 1 hour and you can use it for 3 or so. My new battery has not arrived.

[skunk]

Fairy:

I understand that the irobot vacuum cleaner needs long hours of charging before use. like 2 hours of charging for 1 hr of usage. Is that true? Can users of the gadget comment?

If i'm not wrong, u need to charge for 7 hours to get a full charge from a flat battery....and it is better for the battery to be used until emptied of charge, before re-charging.

Just charge it at night while u r sleeping, and then let it run in the morning.

[2ppaamm]

skunk:

If i'm not wrong, u need to charge for 7 hours to get a full charge from a flat battery....and it is better for the battery to be used until emptied of charge, before re-charging.


Just charge it at night while u r sleeping, and then let it run in the morning.

Maybe the old model? Mine charges in 3 or less for sure. I have models 560, 530, 570.

[skunk]

2ppaamm:

Maybe the old model? Mine charges in 3 or less for sure. I have models 560, 530, 570.

7 hours is for from flat battery to full. This is for brand new battery.

As your battery ages, u will find that u need less and less charging time...but correspondingly it will be depleted sooner n sooner hehe...that's because the chemicals inside no longer hold charge so well....

Heck, just before my battery died on me, it could be \"charged\" in merely an hour....but lasts only 20 mins LOL

[2ppaamm]

skunk:

7 hours is for from flat battery to full. This is for brand new battery.


As your battery ages, u will find that u need less and less charging time...but correspondingly it will be depleted sooner n sooner hehe...that's because the chemicals inside no longer hold charge so well....

Heck, just before my battery died on me, it could be \"charged\" in merely an hour....but lasts only 20 mins LOL

oic. The first charge for me was 16 hours! By the way, how did you order the battery?

[Fairy]

Thanks, skunk & appaamm for the response.

[mocharita]

daisyt:

Hi mocharita, one thing we have to learn, from the stage of having maid to no maid, is to to lower our expectation. The house would never be sparking clean and neat as before. We have to bear with that, do our best and not tired ourselves up. Also try to get all family members to be involved in housework.


Without maid, we only mop the floor once a week, the most twice a week. Sweep or vacuum the floor, twice or thrice a week. Wash the toilets, once a week.

For cooking of dinner, I would prepare all the ingredients on Sunday, pack it by day, in container. Every morning, I would cook the soup for 1/2 hour, wash the vegi and put in a plastic bag into the fridge. So at night when I reach home, abt 7+, I simple heat up the soup and simply fry a vegi, meat and a side dish (can be egg dish, beancurd or fish). We have very simple meals on weekdays and eat well on weekend.

You can also make use of hightech equipments like irobots vacuum cleaner or dish washer as suggested by other parents here.

Don't be so stress up, its fine if the house is not sparking clean. Most important is the peoples who live in the house are happy.

Thank you for your kind words.

I guess I’m going through a phrase where I need to adjust to my new lifestyle and routine. Routine is something very difficult that I’m facing right now. All the activities that I used to involve before are put to an end. Maybe this is where I’m feeling stress up and upset.

When you said that you would prepare all the ingredients on Sunday, does that mean you were getting ready all the ingredients for cooking for the next few days’ meals? As for meat, do I need to season them on Sunday and ready for cooking for the next few days meals? After seasoning meat, do I put them in the freezer or chiller? Putting veggies in a plastic bag won’t go soggy?
Pardon me for my being ignorant because, because, I’m simply ignorant. :oops:

Anyway, where do you place your potatoes, onions, gingers and garlic? In the chiller or cabinet? All my maids put them in the cabinet and I followed. Due to x’mas and New Year festivals, I didn’t cook for a week. This morning, I saw buds and tiny eggs in the cabinet. I threw the whole container out, and stress me.., cleaned up that stinky cabinet! If I could rip that cabinet out, I would!

I’m all ready to get a dishwasher, dryer, but my kitchen and laundry area won’t permit due to the layout of my home. Anyway, is an iron better than a steamer? Or vice-versa? I don’t dislike ironing but I don’t know how. I’ve tried learning from friends and youtube but still having a hard time with it. I’ve tried laundry service, but they have minimum kgs, which means I have to collect enough soiled clothes for this service. I don’t want to do that because dirty laundry stinks after a few hours. I’m good at ironing flat sheets like hankies, bed sheets and pillow cases but not others. I am pathetic, I know.

[mocharita]

2ppaamm:

Agree with daisyt, lower standards a bit. I used to change bedsheets twice a week, now, maybe fortnightly...


If you really feel bad, go get a part-timer or get a maid back. Snoop around and see whose good maid is leaving. You might be able to find...
Must be happy.

Hi 2ppaamm,

I’ve tried a part-timer and didn’t work out at all but I’m sure someday I will find one that will suit my needs. I guess I need to fix myself first and try to be happy and relax. Hahaha, I can’t snoop around here because everyone seems to keep to themselves and I don’t have many friends over here.

Yes, must be happy.

[2ppaamm]

mocharita:

Anyway, where do you place your potatoes, onions, gingers and garlic? In the chiller or cabinet? All my maids put them in the cabinet and I followed. Due to x’mas and New Year festivals, I didn’t cook for a week. This morning, I saw buds and tiny eggs in the cabinet. I threw the whole container out, and stress me.., cleaned up that stinky cabinet! If I could rip that cabinet out, I would!

Maybe others do it differently, but I do not keep these things in the cabinet, they do stink up - quite badly. I leave them in baskets , in the open to \"air\". If the potatoes grow buds or turn green, I throw them out. If the onions and garlic grow shoots, I plant them in some soil to get spring onions or chives, if the gingers grow roots, I also plant them. When I need ginger, I go and dig it up and cut some to use, then I bury that ginger again. I have ginger month after month without having to buy much.

If you have a cabinet that air can pass through, you can keep them there, but those that are closed on all 4 sides are not meant for these.

If you are very stressed about cooking for now, get a caterer. Those tingkats that bring food to your home. Maybe a twice or three times a day to start with, or start with all 5 days and then decrease as you learn to cope. Weekends, make sure you go out and eat well. Does not matter if it is hawker food lah, just find some time when you don't have to worry about food.

If you still want to cook, can I suggest pre-prepared mixes for now, like sauces. So you don't have to worry about your onions and garlics, just use a packet a time. You won't need to worry the right amount of sauce to use. But they are not very healthy. Just aim to reduce it slowly, perhaps over months as you start to cook faster. They cook in minutes, so that reduces your cooking time tremendously.

Both iron or steamer are good. Perhaps a steamer works faster, but I have been ironing since 7, so I am not sure if a beginner can use a steamer. I use a $20 iron, and it works great.

Why do you iron the hankies, bedsheets and others besides clothes? Just pull them straight before you hang dry, they will be straight enough to use. Not as good as pressed, but given the current situation, I'd rather spend that 1 or 2 hours sleeping. Wrinkled hanky? Nevermind lah, use tissues for the time being. If you must absolutely have crease free pillowcases and bedsheets, how about using that ironed ones only during festive seasons? Or try satin ones, they don't wrinkle so much.

I don't even iron T-shirts nowadays. But, I make sure all the T-shirts are folded immediately after they dry, and not left in the basket to get wrinkled. I straighten with my hands and stack them up in the cupboard neatly. Because of the weight and pressure, they will straighten out. Saves a lot of ironing. The next time you buy T-shirts, look for those that don't need ironing.

For dishes, how about using disposal ones for the time being? The serving dishes can be 'real' ones, and use disposal ones for personal. Throw them out after using. Cups? Label each for each person - 1 cup each. Ask them to wash up after drinking. Otherwise, they have no cup to use.

I thought these out for you, hope this helps... and not confuse you further... That's what I would do if I were in your position.

[en107rn.01056yahoo.01056com.01056sg]

[quote]I don't even iron T-shirts nowadays. But, I make sure all the T-shirts are folded immediately after they dry, and not left in the basket to get wrinkled. [/quote]
I do mine just a little bit different. I used to fold immediately. But these days, it's faster to put them on hangers. I get the kids to hang their own clothing & put them in their respective cabinets. I do mine and dh, cause dh too old to be trained.