If you have a house full of little people like me, you probably feel like you are walking uphill both ways–in the snow—with no shoes. Or something like that. The point is, it kind of feels like a never ending battle and it kind of is. (You can download this printable at the bottom of the page).
Okay, so mess is inevitable. But it also is manageable. And while we all might be okay with tolerating a floor full of Legos, a TV stand with Skylanders lined up on it and think nothing of stepping over a castle made of blocks, we probably cringe at actual filth– pile of dishes, garbage, and germs. After all, there is a difference between picking up a mess and cleaning.
Around here a lot of cleaning happens when the kids are sleeping. At nap time and after bedtime we load the dishwasher and wipe down the countertops. It is super tempting to not do these things, but staying on top of it sure beats trying to dig yourself out. Besides, it really only takes 10 minutes tops. I recommend investing in an all-purpose cleaner like Clorox Green Works® All-Purpose Cleaner so you can quickly wipe down counters, appliances, the sink and any other surfaces that might need some love. If you need help with a plan, I the husband created this printable for you. This cleaning checklist is designed to last you a whole month.
I am pretty sure it is quite possible to be buried alive by paper here in America. Make sure junk mail goes straight to recycling. Go through paper’s daily. Create a system for dealing with paper. A place for papers that need filing, need action (bills, RSVP), need to be noted (invitations, etc.). I lined the inside of a cupboard door with cork to pin up things that need to be noted like invitations and doctor reminder cards.
For laundry, we try to run a load a day. With a family of five, including a baby who spits up, drools and poops on everything, there is always laundry to be done. I hate laundry. Our laundry is in the basement and seems like I can never find time to slip away to the basement to do laundry. I’m sure my lack of motivations is a big part of that. What we have found that works is Ross will throw in a load when he gets home. By the time the kids are in bed the laundry is ready to be folded. We then fold the laundry while watching one of our many TV shows.
When it comes to straightening up I like to make it easy for the kids. This does not mean the kids are always cleaning up after themselves, but they can and do often. I like to make things easy to access for both play and clean up. I do this with bins, basket, and labels.
Bins with kid-friendly labels (they cannot read yet), large baskets for corralling the mess, and easy access for quick clean up.
That house full of little people that create that disaster on the daily are a pretty good reason to make sure you do your best to be green. While most people want to help out the environment, they seem to only take action if it’s convenient! Clorox® realizes that being kinder to the environment can result in an additional item on your to do list. That’s why they have made their line of Green Works® products to help everyone do their part with ease! You can check out their products here:
Cleaning Checklist Printable
Children Chalkboard Printable
This post is sponsored by Green Works®. You don’t have to compromise on clean to be green.
Sharing this project with: Thirty Handmade Days: Pity Party, Thrifty Decor Chick: Before and After Party, Link Party Palooza
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