Being the queen of the household has its advantages, regardless of whether you live alone or play the role of housekeeper in a large family. If you don't have cleaning, cooking, and sewing skills, then learning to master these tasks may seem daunting. The key is to start small and don't overwhelm yourself. With time and patience, you can polish your skills to queen level.
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Method 1 of 3: Part One: Maintenance and Homework
Step 1. Set up a daily routine
There is a certain amount of work you have to do every day if you want to keep your palace clean and free of clutter. Luckily, this job is quick enough that it can be done even if you're working outside the home or while supervising lots of kids.
- To reduce stress as much as possible, plan to complete each of these daily tasks during a specific time of day. Managing time can help you let go of the anxiety you feel about having to sort things out.
- Daily tasks you should have time to do include making the bed, sorting mail, and vacuuming or sweeping the floor.
- Other daily tasks have to be done on the go. This includes tidying things up (to avoid a messy house), cleaning while cooking, and wiping up new spills.
Step 2. Create a weekly schedule
Some homework only needs to be done once or twice a week. Instead of rushing through all of this kind of work at once, plan to do a little each day and set aside certain days for specific tasks. You'll feel more relaxed doing everything, which means you'll be doing better and more thoroughly.
- Clean the bathroom once a week. Make sure you wash your towels and scrub the toilet, tub, and sink. Empty the trash, clean the mirrors, dust off the lamps and dry the floor.
- Bedrooms at home also need a thorough cleaning every week. Get rid of anything lying on the table or nightstand. Wash sheets, pillowcases, and blankets. Empty the trash can, sweep the dust off the surface, and use a vacuum cleaner to clean the floor.
- You may need to vacuum the living room, kitchen, and dining area every day or two, but other household chores, such as dusting, washing carpets/mats, and wiping mirrors, can be done once a week.
Step 3. Experiment with different cleaning products
Not all household cleaners are as good as others. Also, different types of cleaners may work better in different areas of your home. If some part of your regular cleaning routine leaves things unsatisfactory, find out why the cleaner you're using isn't working and look for options that may be better.
- Compare chemical and organic products. Today, many people prefer cleaning products made from natural ingredients over chemical cleaners. Natural cleaners have their own pros and cons, just like chemical cleaners, but it doesn't hurt to include some organic products among the things you want to try.
- Ask your friends for advice or do some research online about the different options. Do a test run for a few different products.
- Pay close attention to which products work best on different materials – wood, glass, ceramic, plastic, and so on.
Step 4. Skilled with tools
Modern household queens need to know less about this side of home care skills than previous queens. You don't need to know how to maintain all the systems and appliances at home, but learning how to take care of some basic projects is a wise move.
At a minimum, your home tool kit should include a hammer and various types of screwdrivers. This tool will allow you to do simple tasks like hanging pictures and making minor repairs to items like toys, cabinets and drawers
Step 5. Set your region
Messy stuff is the natural enemy of all household queens. If you want to maintain a space that any human would be jealous of, you have to keep things organized and in their place. Hone space-saving techniques and similar skills to keep your things organized.
- This step becomes especially important if you are dealing with limited space.
- Get rid of unnecessary junk first, then organize everything that has a function in a way that makes sense based on your needs.
Step 6. Master the matter of washing
Washing clothes is a chore that you can never avoid if you want to be the queen of the household. Your current washing skills may be adequate, but you should still pay attention to aspects of your washing routine that could be improved.
- Consider assigning different washing jobs to different days as well. For example, you could wash bath towels on Tuesday, sheets and pillowcases on Wednesday, and many other types of towels and covers on Thursday. But clothes need to be washed in that week.
- Read the label before washing anything and follow the washing instructions provided.
- If you're not sure whether a piece of clothing will fade in the washing machine or not, test it by soaking the ends of the cloth and gluing it with a white cloth.
- Wash white and colored clothes separately. Also separate very dirty items and wash them yourself.
- Clean the stain first and soak the dirty cloth in the sink or bucket for 30 minutes before washing.
- Use the recommended amount of detergent and select the best wash cycle for each volume of laundry.
- Set the temperature of the water and dryer according to the color and type of fabric. For example, shrinkable materials should be washed in warm or cold water and air dried. Cold water is best for light colors, while hot water is best for whites.
Step 7. Learn some tricks
Once you've mastered the basics, take a look at some tips and tricks that can take your household skills from "great" to "amazing." But some tricks are better than others, so you should test them before bragging to your friends about your newfound knowledge.
- For example, wrap pram wheels and stroller wheels in plastic shower caps before bringing them into the house.
- Loop the tobacco pipe cleaner around the neck of the sauce bottle to catch drips and prevent sauce build-up.
- Plug holes in walls and cabinets with a steel sponge to keep mice and other insects out.
Method 2 of 3: Part Two: In The Kitchen
Step 1. Start with an easy start
If you currently have some cooking and baking knowledge, then you are off to a great start. Otherwise, start small by making simple meals and following easy recipes. You can gradually develop your skills in the kitchen as you become more comfortable, but trying too much at once is a good way to fail and get discouraged.
Look for books specifically aimed at beginners or look for easy recipes online. Instructions that provide step-by-step pictures are often the easiest to follow
Step 2. Take the course
Look for free and inexpensive cooking classes in your area. Focus on developing the skills you're particularly interested in developing, and skip classes that will teach you something you already know or that will teach you something you're not interested in learning.
- Local craft shops usually offer baking and food decorating lessons.
- A small market may hold a cooking basics course.
- Check out the cooking schools in your area. Even if you don't want to spend time and money on a cooking program, some such schools offer one-time cooking lessons at discounted prices.
Step 3. Find your signature
Not all household queens enjoy cooking, but learning to enjoy it can motivate you to improve your skills. Try to find something in cooking or baking that you can feel excited about – or at least interested in. Develop general cooking skills, but involve your interests as much as possible.
- Your interest may be something as simple as baking cookies or mastering stovetop cooking.
- On the other hand, you may feel your attention is drawn to something a little more unique, like gluten-free baking or food preservation.
Step 4. Make any necessary adjustments
You may have full cooking and baking skills when all the tips are done, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to demonstrate them every day. Know when to make simple meals and when to make something more impressive. Learning how to use cooking to help and please others is another skill you need to master.
- For example, if you're cooking for a picky child, focus on choosing foods that your child likes rather than trying to impress them with complicated foods that they won't even eat.
- When cooking for guests, find out if they have any food allergies or special diets beforehand and plan your menu accordingly.
Step 5. Try experimenting
Once you're comfortable enough in the kitchen, start using the skills and knowledge you've gained to experiment with your own recipes and delicious creations. Some experiments may be successful while others are likely to fail. The important thing is just to keep trying until the number of successes far exceeds your failures.
Method 3 of 3: Part Three: Sewing and Other "Forgotten" Skills
Step 1. Master the basics of sewing
Sewing is the champion of the forgotten skill, so if you don't know even the most basic of stitches, you're really not alone. But at the very least, you should know how to hem, repair rips and loose threads, and fasten buttons.
- Learn a variety of basic stitches, including straight stitches, reverse stitches, monk stitches, and basting stitches.
- Buy a sewing machine. As your sewing skills improve, consider buying your own sewing machine. Chances are you'll be glad you bought it. Both repairing clothes and creating projects from scratch will be easier when you learn to machine sew as well as to sew by hand.
Step 2. Get creative with crafts
Of course sewing isn't the only forgotten skill worth learning. There are a variety of other crafts and household skills you can explore. You don't need to master all of them, but choosing a skill or two that you want to do well can improve your position as the queen of the household.
- Perhaps your area of interest could be gardening, knitting with a hook or two needles.
- You can also check craft community websites, such as Pinterest, for more ideas.
Step 3. Take the course
You can learn a lot by teaching yourself, but sometimes, the best way to learn a new skill or improve on an old one is to take an actual course. Look for inexpensive courses in your area or sign up for online courses.
