If you try list down all your daily tasks, it could be too overwhelming at times. There's your demanding boss approaching you every 5 minutes(if we can only stop them by choking them with papers clips), corporate meetings that last for ages until you literally turn into a decaying corpse and a whole lot more of responsibilities we owe to the people around us. But amidst these crazy things surrounding our lives, we (generally) still have that extra little time to make ourselves neat and presentable before we leave our homes. But, how about the homes we always leave behind every morning? When was the last time you actually gave it a little TLC (True to Life Cleaning)?

I am guilty as charged as most of the readers of this blog are; there is no denying that. Admittedly, I have this imaginary memo posted on my fridge saying, "Clean the house and check what needs to be fixed". Well, this memo will of course stay invisibly posted and will stay unnoticed for weeks - until that day I just could not take it anymore.

Now, let's all close our eyes and pretend that day is already today. Then after 5 seconds, you will slowly open them and realize that there are things in our homes we simply cannot ignore.

1. Door locks and alarm - Make sure that all doorknobs and locks are working. There is no compromising this even for a hot date. Secure alarms for added security. I use this simple, no-brainer alarm I got from Wilcon and attached it at my main door.

2. Electrical wiring and sockets - If you suspect that your home has faulty electrical wiring call the professional and leave the work to them. An annual inspection of all electrical switches and outlets in your home should be done. Call the professional and never do it yourself.

3. Doors and Windows - They should be in proper working order. The hinges need to be greased on every now twice a year.

4. Walls - We know that the number 1 enemy of our home is moist. It is important to wipe your wall with a dry cloth. You don't know only dust you wall off but also extend the life of the paint.

5. Ceiling - Remove cobwebs with the use of vacuum cleaner. If you like to do it the old-fashioned-style, use a broom. What I normally do is attach the hose of the vacuum by taping its end to the end of a broom handle. Does wonders for me.

6. Faucet Leaks - Unless you want to pay for water consumption that you never really used, do not ignore water leaks from shower of faucet. If you think tightening the handle will no longer stop the leak (ever after you darn broke a bone already), call the experts, please.

7. Floor - If your floor used to be a white marble but is now turning dark brown to black, divine intervention is not kickin' in. Don't be in denial! They are just dirty! A quick wash with water and detergent will do the trick.

8. Garbage - You house smells like something's rotting inside. Did your friend just ask you this? She's is not really fooling around. It's time to throw the rubbish before your house starts to be become a roach colony.

9. Wobbling chair - If you think it's cute, wait till you fall and hit the ground. If you don't have that time any sooner, store the seat first before any gets seriously injured. Simply replace the cork or plastic glides if they have gone missing.

10. Busted bulbs - It is dangerous not to replace busted or flickering bulbs. Once the bulb starts to flicker, remove them from the socket. Continuous flickering may cause the bulb to spark and may cause fire.

Now that we are finished doing home maintenance, we can now open our eyes to see that what we did was all but a dream. It's time to work again!

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