Enlist the whole family to help clean and organize the house. Follow this easy plan for Spring Cleaning Success.
What’s your family cleaning style? Is it a group project or do you roll solo? If the very thought of enlisting your troupe to tackle Spring Cleaning tasks sends chills down your spine, I’ve got five simple strategies to get you started — including tips for getting the kids excited about helping.
1. Be a Team Player
Sometimes, the very thought of delegating tasks can create a roadblock. Even if you fear it will take your four year old 15 minutes to fold a pair of socks, its still worth trying.
For a long time, I attempted to shoulder most of the cleaning chores at our house, but as my business grew it became completely overwhelming. Enlisting consistent help from my partner was key in getting our family into a consistent cleaning plan. Turns out my husband is a ninja at cleaning the kitchen counters and stovetop and will happily wash and fold several loads of laundry (my most dreaded chores) while watching sports. As the kids have gotten older, we’ve enlisted them in the Spring Cleaning chores as well. Even preschoolers can help clear the dishes and wipe the table after meals and getting them into a consistent clean-up habit teaches responsibility and self-sufficiency.
As my business has grown, we eventually hired a cleaning service to help us tackle the big chores (I’m lookin at you toilets). But even with the extra manpower, having consistent help from the entire family on a daily basis has been the most essential part of keeping our house clean on the regular.
2. Collect the Clutter
Once you’ve got your gang on board, your very first Spring Cleaning task is to collect the clutter. Make sure that you have a designated spot for everything: A tray for your mail, hooks for your backpacks, a system for your recycling, a bin for the Legos (all. the. Legos.), books and toys. You’re still going to have to remind everyone to pick up, but the task will be so much simpler if they already know where everything should GO. If your kids are readers, adding labels can be extra helpful (great for Grandparents and caregivers too). If you’re a type-A parent with a houseful of pre-readers, it might be worth your time to create picture labels.
3. Get the Right Gear
Spring Cleaning goes much faster when you have all the necessary gear gathered together at your fingertips. It can be as simple as a bucket filled with all your cleaning supplies, but when you’re ready for an upgrade I absolutely love this complete Cleaning Set I received from Satto. The set includes a storage bucket, collapsible cleaning handle and 10 attachments designed to tackle almost any cleaning job, from sweeping to dusting to tub scrubbing. Even better (and giving a nod to my first tip), the entire set stores right in the bucket for easy transport and storage.
When the cleaning set arrived in the mail, I was surprised by how excited Lillian got about using the tools. The set made it so easy for her to change out the handles, I’ve had her dusting and sweeping on the regular ever since. Hand-to-God, she has actually asked to help clean since we received this set from Satto!
4. Assign Little Tasks to Little People
Still freaked by the thought of your three-year-old tackling toilets? Me too! Let’s face it — despite the fact that they’re probably the most enthusiastic of our helpers, preschoolers can only do so much before everyone ends up in tears.
The good news is there are still plenty of Spring Cleaning chores they can tackle. Start small with simple chores like wiping down the kitchen table after mealtime or using a hand sweeper to chase down cookie crumbs. You can even assign them their own “special” cleaning gear. You may be surprised just how excited they get about having their own blue reusable cleaning cloth or mini dustpan set (speaking from experience here).
5. Reward Hard Work
Spring Cleaning may start in the spring, but that doesn’t mean it has to end there. Consider establishing a reward system to entice your team to keep the clean going.
Admittedly, I am the worst about remembering these things, so to keep my gang on track, I created simple chore charts using wipe off boards and magnets. No need to break the bank with your reward system — think about what your kiddos’ love most and go from there. It could be anything from a dollar store dinosaur to a movie movie date to extra screen time. Whatever works for you.
It may take some extra planning and patience to get the Spring Cleaning sash started, but seeing your sparkling clean house, not to mention your family’s pride when they complete their chores (and not having to do it all as a mom) is definitely worth the effort.
I love the smiling faces doing clean-up!!ššš„°