The little darlings are back in school and while your house might be eerily quiet, how many sticky spots are you stepping in, and have you bothered to take a look at your cabinet facings and door knobs… Brace yourself. It’s not pretty. All the remnants of lemonade stands and popsicle parties are glaringly obvious now that it’s just me here all day.
Here are a few tips to help get your house back under control in no time!
Clean in small bursts. We know you have more to do in a day than to clean and no one wants to spend a whole weekend making the house spotless, only to see it in ruined by Monday morning. We LIVE in houses, and living in something means it will get messy and dirty. Clean a little bit each day.
Protect and Keep those carpets in tip top shape. Vacuum heavy traffic areas 2 to 3 times a week, and the rest of your carpet once a week. Use an indoor/outdoor mat at your doors leading in from the outside, to cut down on dirt getting in your house. I like the idea of everyone removing their shoes at the door, but we can’t ever seem to remember to do that.
Dishwash switch plates and outlet covers. Kind of like door knobs, my light switch plates tend to get pretty grimy and dust typically covers the backsides of switch plates and outlet covers, which doesn’t help allergy sufferers. Unscrew and place plates and covers in the dishwasher, which will clean and sanitize them. While those are washing, you can move on to your next chore. Multi tasking at it’s finest!
Everything has a place, and everything in it’s place. This is a big rule for us. 3 kids equals a lot of stuff. Shoes, backpacks, school supplies, etc. Designate areas for the items that seem to never be able to find a home. Create a sock or shoe basket. Find a spot and install some hooks for those back packs every afternoon. If everyone knows their items have a home, they’re more likely to get it to the right spot rather than dumping it in the middle of the floor. (In theory, anyway.)
Basket system. Much like the above with finding a home for their items … Keep a laundry basket or decorative basket in the family room. Throughout the day, place those items in it. At the end of the day, all items need to be back where they go. Otherwise, they risk being donated. Kids will listen when they hear that part!
Sort and Toss on the Spot. Don’t let mail and school papers pile up. If it’s junk mail, toss it immediately in the recycle bin. Same with school papers. Look through those worksheets and tests, give high fives for the good scores and toss it. Anything that needs to be saved, file appropriately. Everyone in our house has a file box with their name on it. School schedules, forms and papers that need to be kept go there. Make sure to check it weekly and discard as needed.
What tips do you have for reclaiming your home now that the tiny humans have gone back to school?
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