Help Around the House
Many of our clients are retirees living alone who just can’t keep up with the housework. They want their house kept to a high standard, but chores aren’t easy to accomplish anymore. This week, one of our clients in Petworth put together a work list that her arthritic hands couldn’t quite manage: mending upholstery, replacing cushion covers and curtains, fitting new blinds in the kitchen, cleaning the carpet, polishing brass, and organizing her garden shed. One of our Angels, Katie, came to the house first thing with a car full of supplies and set on the task list. The armchair was patched with some spare fabric cut from the bottom of the seat. Katie took her sewing machine and beautiful Thai silk she sourced to match the existing cushions and curtains. The kitchen blinds were stuck down, and Katie found that a simple fix saved the existing blinds (and the cost of new ones). The client’s home is filled with furnishings from her travels to India, and many of the fittings needed polishing, so some elbow grease and Brasso brightened them up. A few stains in the carpet were sorted with the help of a steam cleaner. In the garden, an overflowing shed was cleaned and tidied so the client could access her patio furniture and garden tools without stumbling over tarpaulins. Not only did the client’s task list get accomplished beyond her expectations, but a woman who normally spends her days alone had some company and conversation throughout the day.
