The latest from our Heart and Soul
Let me just put this out there - I hate to do laundry. Doesn’t everyone?
Sadly, laundry is one of those things that has to get done, and has to be done often. 
Add some kids, or perhaps a baby or two, and you may be living in the laundry room.
However, there are definitely some things that can be done to make the task easier – including involving the entire family in the process. Here is how I do the laundry for my family.
First off, there is a hamper in each bedroom so that the kids (and husband) know where to put their dirty clothes at the end of each day. (Putting them in a pile on the floor NEXT to the hamper doesn’t count, dearest Husband!)
Also, try to have set days to do the laundry – I definitely suggest at least twice a week, to make the laundry more manageable and a less daunting task.
Once everything is ready to go, here are some additional steps I take, to make the process easier:
- Separate clothes. Separate t-shirts from sweaters, and pants from underwear so that nothing gets missed.
- Separate colours. In the laundry room, separate the whites, darks and colors – I also always have a red/pink pile (the joys of having a girl).
- Turn-out clothes. Turn all the clothes right side out, including tops and socks – an annoying step, but will save tons of time in the folding stage.
- Alternate between dryer and line. Alternate loads between those that require the dryer and those that don’t, so that there is always a load in the dryer, while another is drying on the line outside, or on a rack inside.
- Involve the kids. After everything is dry, and ready to be sorted and folded, I have the kids help with the easier tasks – sorting and folding their underwear and PJs, and rolling their socks. It’s helpful, but more importantly, it teaches them responsibility and helps them understand how much time and effort it takes for Mommy to do the laundry each week. Appreciation is a beautiful thing.
- Get help. I also have four separate baskets, each labeled with our names, that once full, are put in each person’s bedroom, so that it can all be put away easily. The kids also help with this step as best as they can.
To do laundry can be painfully monotonous, yet a necessary process that cannot be avoided. However, with a little bit of organization and family involvement, the laundry process can run efficiently and smoothly.
- Do I feel on top of my household cleaning?
- Do the members of my family know how they can help out?
- Will I ever get to the point that I feel caught up?
| Download your FREE House Cleaning Checklist. You'll find it here >> |
Why Do I Need a House Cleaning Checklist?
Start using a house cleaning checklist (pdf) and start saying yes! Life is crazy, the kids make messes, and there is always much on the go. But are we too busy to keep up? No! The busier we are, the more we may need a written routine for the things we do every day. Taking a few minutes to do some of the little things can be enormously helpful in making sure things feel manageable at home.
Why Do I Need a Daily House Cleaning Checklist?
The easiest way to organize your household, keeping it clean and getting to all the jobs that need doing is to have a house cleaning checklist that allows you to see, at a glance, what quick things you can do during the day to stay on top of it all. It acts as a reminder and helps us suggest jobs for other family members.
Why Do I Need a Weekly House Cleaning Checklist?
On the weekend you can tackle some of the bigger jobs that elude you during the week. A reminder list for those chores is a good way to make sure you are getting things done, or a good way to help you delegate to others! Can you say job jar?
Make good use of a house cleaning checklist and you will start finding more and more time for the things you want to do…and you’ll be doing them in a tidier, cleaner house.
And, if you look closely, the EverythingMom Household Management (pdf) checklist prompts you to get a few simple things done morning and night, and then take a few minutes for yourself to breathe, stretch, read, meditate, pray, whatever.
Ah. Taking a few moments for myself? Now that’s MY kind of house cleaning checklist!
Chore time or family time? There’s only so many precious minutes in a weekend or evening, so do I spend them playing with the kids, or saving the kids from overflowing trashcans, crusty countertops, and tripping over mildewed laundry while they play hide-and-seek? Either way there’s a heap of mommy-guilt at the end of the day.
But here’s a new idea—family chore time. The fun of family time, the productivity of chore time--mostly. If you’d like to energize your kids to help around the house more and get more quality time with them as well, here’s some ideas that might make chore time less of, well, a chore.
Get Ready!
Pick the right time of day. I tend to favor mornings to get it out of the way, so we do our Saturday clean-up right after breakfast. This also avoids temper tantrums over interrupted playtime or movies. End times are as important as start times. Ending at a normal snack time, meal time, or other routine activity change can provide encouragement when interest starts flagging.
Pick the right tasks. You want quick and simple tasks so that kids don’t lose interest but still have a sense of accomplishment, and include as much movement as possible. Sorting laundry, emptying trashcans, matching socks, and dusting or wiping furniture seem to work well. Family-chore-time means it’s imperative that you all work together, so make sure everyone’s working in the same room.
Get Set!
Pick the tools. Kid-sized brooms, dustpans, buckets, and rakes or shovels come every color imaginable (or can be a fun project to paint and personalize). A set of pillowcases in your child’s favorite color or character can be turned into a personalized apron, bandana, and cleaning rags. Colored or scented dish soaps or trash bags can add interest to otherwise boring household business.
Pick the music. Pick something everyone agrees on, or rotate who gets to choose. We rotate our favorite radio stations with favorite movie soundtracks and children’s bible songs so everyone can sing along as we work. This is a great opportunity to fit in some fun teaching time too with letter or number songs.
Go!
Pick a theme. Younger kids love to pretend. Pick a theme and play along for the chore period. Music, voices, costumes, the whole nine yards. Cowboys/girls don’t empty trash cans; they muck stalls. Pirates don’t mop floors; they swab the decks.
Pick a game. Races are a favorite of mine. Keeping with the idea of fun family time we race as a team against our music, rather than against each other most of the time. Can we get the laundry sorted by the end of this song? Can we get the mirrors cleaned before the chorus? Can we get the trash to the garage and get back before this song is over?
And the Winner is…
Everyone deserves a reward for a job well done. Just remember a few pointers. First, chores are a reoccurring event so your reward or prize structure needs to be sustainable. Second, since everyone did the work, try to find a reward that includes everyone as well. I have found that the chance to play outside with mom or dad, a special art project, or story time work well—no mommy guilt included.
This article is so NOT from an expert because my kids are genetically imprinted to leave their things on every…flat…surface in the house (it’s from the paternal side). Backpack here. Sweater there. Toys and erasers and shoes everywhere! (I fear for the teen years quite frankly). However, there are some bribes, games, ultimatums er, I mean strategies for motivating kids to clean up.
MAKE THE BASICS A ROUTINE
After school, backpacks have to be put in the backpack spot. Jackets hung in the jacket spot. Lunch bags put in the lunch bag spot. (They put their backpacks, jackets and lunch bags in their respective places everyday at school so there is no reason to expect a parent to do it for them at home).
Nothing happens until these basics are done No snack. No fun time. No next activity. Basics first. Choose your own basics that make your everyday clean up routine and stick to the rule that these basics need your child’s attention. (The motivation? A full-stop on the day’s progress, until the basics are done, is motivation to get them over with to move on to the next activity).
TIDY UP SONGS
Great for toddlers and pre-schoolers – singing a tidy up song can be motivational and entertaining. The best song I’ve heard is sung to the melody of London Bridge is Falling Down:
“Now’s the time to tidy up, move your butts, move your butts
Now’s the time to tidy up, MOVE YOUR BUTTS.”
Ok – not eloquent but the first time my kids heard it (at a playdate) they burst into laughter as they cleaned with their friends. TIP: Google “Tidy Up Song” for more song choices.
TIME STARTS NOW!
Timing your kids to clean is a good tool to motivate. Kids love beating the clock. A sand timer or kitchen timer work well. A minute for every year (i.e. if your child is 7 years old – put 7 minutes on the clock).
PICK YOUR SURFACE
Cleaning a whole bedroom can be daunting to kids. Give them some motivation by having them choose just ONE surface to clean today (i.e. the floor, the bookshelf, the desk, etc…). The motivation? One small area to clean is easier than the whole room.
JOB JAR
Write a series of kid cleaning jobs on individual papers and place them in a jar. Designate one day a week to the job jar. On that day, your child closes their eyes and picks a job – which they have to do no matter what – no give backs! Kid cleaning jobs can range from arranging shoes in the hallway to tidying up the toy box.
I’d love to hear your comments on how you motivate kids to clean up (really I would!). Everyone has a different way to do it but all ways should be respectful and positive (that includes no name calling. Read: No saying “You PIG!”). Cleaning up is a life skill kids need to learn. It also helps them learn decision-making, organization and priority setting. I’m no expert on kids cleaning…but I’m working on it.
First, some ground rules. This isn’t as enormous a job as it might seem. Go systematically through the checklist and keep these spring cleaning tips in mind:
Start from the top – of the room and of the house – and work your way down. You don’t want to set yourself back because you mopped before you took on the task of dusting.- Start in the rooms that won’t see a return before you’re done; save utility, laundry, kitchen and bathrooms for last. You might be in and out of them, replenishing mop water, so you don’t want to have to clean them twice.
- Start with the really wet stuff first, like painting and laundering, then move onto the dry jobs like dusting, polishing and waxing.
- Vaccum and mop last, once each room is spotless. Then shampoo the carpets. It’s the final touch.
- Once the inside is done, it’s time to tackle the outside, like garages, the yard and your porch. Unless you luck into having some helpers. Then, by all means, hit both places at once!
- Wash blankets, duvets and pillows, swapping them for their seasonal counterparts, if necessary. While you’re at it, launder your curtains, as per the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- Rid your closets of clothes that no longer fit, and those that are in disrepair – mend, tailor or donate them. If you haven’t worn something for two years, sorry honey, but it’s bound to be useful to someone else. Swap out winter clothes for spring and summer, and store them as you need to.
- Rid the areas where we tend to toss clutter of items that you no longer use, need, enjoy and those that need repair - decide whether to donate, repair or turf the piles from each room. Decluttering can be a great zen feeling, as can knowing that you’re donating valuable goods to someone who would use it, and sometimes, donating can earn you a tax break.
- Vacuum or dust books, CDs, movies and shelves, as well as any displayed art, lampshades, photos and nick-nacks. Don’t forget the blinds, too! And wash fixtures, containers, surfaces and other items that might have gathered dust or dirt.
- Wash the ceilings and walls of each room after you’ve vacuumed up any cobwebs. If you’re keen, wash doors, and inside cupboards and drawers, too.
- Clean underneath the stuff that never moves (and probably collects the scariest amount of dust and dirt), like furniture and appliances.
- Wash the windows.
- Dust and polish wooden furniture.
- Sweep and mop or vacuum the floors after all of the dust has settled to the ground. If you’ll be shampooing rugs, have at ‘er!
