Cleaning my environment, especially my personal space, has never been a big deal for me and my co-tenants in the compound. We willingly engage in necessary cleaning activities and do not assign duties like some tenants in other compounds do, especially when the compound is occupied mostly by ladies. Thankfully, we are all guys.
The methods we have been using are very simple, and they are as follows:
Sweeping the Compound Every Morning:
I grew up in a village setting, and sweeping the spacious compound with either a long broom or a short broom was a compulsory task for me. That has always been one of my basic morning assignments. I have applied this same habit in the current compound where I live. It is a little spacious and has an open ground, which, if left unattended, will allow grass to grow and take over everywhere, especially during the rainy season.
Each morning when I wake up, that is one of the activities I look forward to, and I do it if it has not already been done by any of the other occupants in the compound. As I mentioned earlier, we do not assign duties; instead, we take it upon ourselves to clean willingly. Whoever wakes up and feels like sweeping does so with ease, without keeping track of who swept last. We do this every day to keep the compound clean and to prevent grass from growing. A ground that is not regularly walked on or swept easily allows grass to germinate.
After sweeping, we have a designated section in the compound where we gather the dirt, allow it to dry, and then burn it regularly.
We do this often to prevent waste materials like nylon from being blown away by the wind and littering the compound again.
Clearing the Grass:
Despite our regular sweeping, grass sometimes still grows. Whenever I notice little patches of grass springing up rapidly, I pick up a cutlass and clear them. I do not like my compound looking like a bush. Because the compound is spacious, I do not always clear everything at once. I usually do a little at a time, and most times, before I return the next day to continue, some of my neighbors might have already cleared the remaining part.
Inside My Living Room:
I do not joke about keeping my living space clean. For my bathroom and toilet, I do not have a specific cleaning schedule; instead, I clean them regularly. Even if I cleaned them yesterday, the moment I notice a little dirt or a funny odor, I clean them immediately.
For my room, I do not like stepping on sand or dirt on the floor, so I sweep two to three times daily. Ideally, I should sweep only once, but because people frequently enter my house whenever I turn on the generator, they often bring in sand with their footwear. This is why I sweep often.
My room is not very spacious but contains a lot of items, I try as much as possible to keep everything clean and well-arranged. I ensure that all my belongings are in order, making my space neat and comfortable.
Thanks for reading.
This is my entry to Marchinleo contest. Day 8
Photos used are mine