It can be useful, if you are in a communal living situation, to create a list of really basic simple repetitive house tasks. Not only to reduce the workload of the person “in charge,” but also because people genuinely want to help and contribute.
Here’s a list of some of the most frequent repetitive tasks around our house. Most are very simple and can be done by anyone. In a later post, I’ll also be sharing a list of a more difficult tier of tasks that some residents might be willing to — or even actually want to — get involved in.
BASIC DAILY REPETITIVE TASKS at Starshine House / Trailhead 501
• Rinse out bottles for recycling bin. It should only take a couple ounces of water. Could be rainwater or well water if available. Put it in and swish it around and then turn the container upside down and let it dry in the recycling bin. Put the lid, if there is one, on top of the upside-down container. It’s particularly important to rinse out milk bottles, as they get smelly and the presence of solid matter reduces the likelihood that the container will get recycled. In the case of juice bottles and soda cans, turning them upside down in the bin is usually enough; the ants will find them and clean them out.
• For cans and jars that have sticky matter such as peanut butter residue, beans, etc., turn them upside down in the designated organic cleaning area and let the ants and other friends clean them out. This happens surprisingly quickly, like within 24 hours a lot of the time. Once they are clean, stick them in the recycling bin. I also remove the paper labels and put those in the area of the garden where we put paper trash.
• Keep the well-pump primed. Usually this happens naturally if somebody uses well water at least once every 24 hours, but that doesn’t always happen so we need to check it. If you test the pump and it’s not pumping, pour some water into the pump – it should only take a few ounces – and then try again. It should suction properly and dispense water without much difficulty.
• Paper and cardboard trash (pizza boxes etc.): Tear into smaller pieces and put it into the designated area of the garden where we put paper trash. Usually this is a large planter container.
• On extra hot sunny days in summer, draw the shades on the patio to avoid allowing sun into the house. Usually around eight or 830 is a good time. Once the sun has passed, usually around 10:30 or 10:45, open the shades again.
• Toilet: minimal maintenance is required, as we do not put toilet paper into the toilet unless we are immediately flushing it down.
• Bathroom sink: If people are using it for shaving, periodic maintenance may be necessary. (Pouring hot water down the drain every few weeks; cleaning the gunk out of the drain trap with a square of TP and putting it in the trash, etc.) Otherwise not much water is going down that drain other than when we wash our hands.
• Kitchen sink: This is used only for refilling water bottles and kettles, adding water to a cookpot, etc. And sometimes a quick wash of the hands. Since we don’t do dishes indoors, minimal water goes down the drain. Very occasional maintenance may be required. The sponge in the sink is there for scrubbing the sink and keeping it clean, dry, and not attractive to bugs. For doing dishes, there is a dishpan and water sources outdoors. Use your sponge, brush, or other cleaning implement of choice. Dishwater is dumped in designated areas of the garden.
• For greasy cookpots, greasy toaster-oven grill pan, etc., same method applies as for cans and jars with food residue. Don’t try to wash them. Put them out in the designated “ant and possum feeding area.” Once the gunk and grease is cleaned off, which usually happens within 24 hours, wash them in the dishpan outdoors or leave them for the next user to wash. Let them dry on the rack outdoors.
• Mail: Check mail — It usually comes in the afternoon.
• Refrigerator: When the cloth used to absorb water drips gets saturated, swap it out for a dry one. You’ll find the dry cloth either on the line, or already dried and folded up on top of the fridge. Hang the wet cloth outside on the line. Sometimes water pools below the vegetable crisping area. Use rags to soak it up, then dry them on the line.
As you can tell, none of these tasks are urgent (except maybe rinsing out the milk bottles, because of the smell and spoilage); they are simply constant and repetitive. However, they are a great contribution to reducing the workload, and any willingness to help is much appreciated. Performing these routine tasks on a daily basis reduces the likelihood that urgent situations will occur.