Looking for cleaning tips. I am the worst house keeper ever. Easily distracted into organizing and making one?

Allie

New member
tiny spot really clean where the rest of the house suffers.Do you have any tricks besides the 15min trick to help me get my house sparkling like I dream of? By the way, I have 4 kids 17, 15 and twins 11 that can help minimally (school, sports etc.)Thanks!
 

Mandy

New member
I would assign chores and if they don't do them take away their privileges. It is their responsibility too and you are not punishing them by doing this, you are actually helping them be responsible adults and teaching them.
 
*mix some baking soda with a little water to make a paste for cleaning wash hand bowls.mix vinegar and warm water for cleaning windows and glass,inside wardrobes and polished surfaces.pour vinegar down sinks to remove grease follow up with bicarb to freshen.
 

Amber

New member
we have the same kids... number and ages only not twin here... the cleaning tips will follow shortly.
 

Tamra

New member
Yes it´s not easy when you have to run here and there. But if you get the kid´s to give their own room´s a good clean, when they have no extra sports, dancing classes and so on this will help you a lot. I always put my washing machine on at night , the clothes ready to hang out first thing in the morning . I also try and clean the bathroom´s before going to bed , as I am the last to use the shower& the first to get in, I like to have it clean, Lot less to clean the next day. Alway´s do the ironing altogether on the one day . Not this I need this ironed, No, Sure the 17 yrold 15 yr old and even the 11 yr old can iron´. If not time to learn, I naught my lot when they were 8 yrs old , so there is no need to depend on me if they need something ironed. I think if you get the kid´s involed helping you out with a few chores, you will have time to do thing´s you really want doing. I get on very well doing my 15 min´s , along with everybody helping out
 

Maryjane

New member
The 15 minute trick can work, but don't do it the Flylady way where you're required to work on a specific area each day and you have all this extra morning routine, evening routine, sink cleaning and all that to do. Work on the area that's bothering YOU, not the area that is important to Flylady. (She is amazing, by the way, but after flunking her system 4 times I realized that system doesn't work for me.)The kids can also do 15 minutes a day-each, at least 4 to 5 times a week in order to earn allowance or special priveleges. All of your kids are old enough to do a lot in 15 minutes. Right there between you and each child you're doing an hour and 15 minutes worth of work.Either assign each child an area that is their 15 minute place until it's clean or let them pick the place that is bothering THEM the most. If they don't pick, you pick. You can teach them not to hate it by setting a timer and REQUIRING that they quit when the timer goes off. They will WANT to quit, but as soon as they realize they are not allowed to work any longer their attitude toward cleaning will change... just as yours will. You won't see results the first day, but you'll see a lot of results in 2 months. Here are two helpful books:http://www.amazon.com/dp/0937100005?tag=kassarts&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0937100005&adid=1C40BY8MEADHJJ5VPMZD&http://www.amazon.com/dp/0761129235?tag=kassarts&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0761129235&adid=0C7C0EEQG6CGZW50H0M4&
 

xxBabygirlxx

New member
get them involved for instance have a score sheet of how long it took and how clean they did it. also bribe them and say youll take them somewhere in the weekend. tell the 17 year old to help now with the housework as he old enough or youll treat him/her likr the others
 

Amber

New member
I understand I clean offices and houses and by the time I get to mine I do not feel like doing mine. Just take one room @ a time. Start from top to bottom. Get a good sweeper that reaches. I have a simplicity and it has all the attachments right on the sweeper. I try to use non toxic cleaners I go as natural as possible. Make the kids help when they can, like keeping there stuff cleaned up. Your children are old enough to keep their bedrooms up. I only have one child but I am the fourth child out of 4 and my mother made us keep our own rooms clean. Sometimes we could not do it to please her but now that I clean I did learn a lot from her. Also if I know I need the house clean for a special event which I do on occassions I try to clean my house not in one day I do it in two.
 

Kara

New member
laundry baskets! Lots of them! Get one for each kid, one for you and hubby and one extra.Clean the house by going thru and throwing everyone's stuff into their respective laundry basket. Then, line the baskets up on the stairs so nobody can get by without taking their upstairs.(if you don't have an upstairs, then put them in front o f their bedroom doors. Tell them to empty it and put it outside their bedroom door. Then the mess is in their room.....not the rest of the house. Shut the door and pretend they are paying guests. Take the extra basket and put anything in it that is not where it belongs. Start in one room do one room at a time. When you get to a new room, check the basket to see if there is anything there that belong in that room and put it away first. Then pick up the stuff that doesn't belong in that room and put it in the basket. Don't do anything else, just deal with picking up stuff and putting stuff away. That should take care of all the "stuff".I'm sorry, but no matter how busy they are, those kids can find time to do SOMETHING around the house. With four of them, you are just as busy if not MORE so. So they need to chip in. ?Assign each of them one task they have to do every day and one task they have to do every week. That's not a lot. IF they don't do it, then take away their computer privledges or cell phone until it gets done. It only takes 3 minutes to scrub out a toilet and wipe down the seat. I'm sure that they are not that busy that they can't at least do that once a week. Buy products that require little effort. they are worth the extra money. Get Clorox cleaning wipes for the bathroom and kitchen. Get the Windex wipes for the shiny parts, mirrors and windows. Buy a Swiffer Flicker for the carpets to use inbetween vacuuming. (they work best on low nap rugs an floors), a regular swiffer for the floor (buy cheap thin washcloths instead of the swiffer pads. you can wash and reuse them. if you spray them with Endust, they work even better anyway) If you have products that are easy to use, the kids will be more likely to do the work. If find that our house is the worst on Thursdays. It's what I call the Thursday phenomenon. I don't know why but by that day, everything seems to be a mess. So we try and do the laundry basket thing Wednesday nights before bed. That make the mess seem a lot less. Don't expect the whole house to be clean all at once. It never happens. Keep the common areas clean (kitchen, den, bathroom) and deal with the private areas when you have time. Once in a while (once a month if you can afford it) have someone come in and clean your house for you, top to bottom. It is so worth the money! Ask around and find someone that comes recommended. I thing local people are better. The big companies don't do as good of a job because they don't care about referrals. And finally, don't beat yourself up so much. If the house is relatively clean who cares? Who are you trying to impress? If you are comfortable, that's all that matters. If you're NOT, then get those kids in action and get cleaning! :)
 
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