calling all clean freaks!

[megs4413]

help me be more like you!!!!

i'm not "naturally" very clean, but i have a strong desire to maintain my house well and raise my children to have the cleaning skills and tendencies that i don't (my parents are those people you see on tv who have to have big crews come in to decrap their house).

i can keep the house picked up and dusted, etc. but i know that i need to be doing more deep cleaning than i am....like i noticed how dirty under the fridge was today....there must be other stuff like that that i'm missing....any tips?

[inmypjs]

I am a clean freak, and sometimes it is a problem! I need to learn to relax a little...

But since you asked, one of the best things I did was to begin making natural cleaning products because then kids can clean with you! My 2 1/2 year old son loves to help me squirt the cleaners. Before he could never be involved because I wouldn't want him around all those chemicals. He has his own rag, toy vacuum, etc. He even uses the big vacuum when I'm not! One of his favorite things to do is dust, seriously. So, that has really helped me, because I don't have to wait until they are not around to do it, we just integrate cleaning into playing. Of course I get more done when they're not around :). My daughter is not yet old enough to particpate but hopefully she'll be into it to.

Another thing that works well for us is that at the end of the day, after dinner and before bedtime, my son has to go all around the house and pick up his toys. He then gets a magnet on the M&D responsibility chart we have. He really likes picking out his magnet! (Sometimes if we've made a really big mess earlier in the day, I'll ask him to pick up then instead of waiting and remind him that he needs to do this to get his magnet.) This helps keep the house picked up, and it sure is nice to wake up to the next morning.

HTH! But do remember, a clean house isn't everything...

[inmypjs]

Forgot another tip, I love the Queen of Clean books. They have tons of cleaning ideas. She does not use natural cleaners though, but she talks a lot about what cleaning to do when. I have a hardback book that has all of her books bound into one, got it at B&N.

[gatorsmom]

I am not a clean freak but my mother was. First off, just let me say, that you shouldn't let it consume you like it did my mom. Her house was so clean that you could walk around in white socks all day long and at the end of the day they were still white on the bottom- not even a tinge dirty. But she cleaned like a maniac every day. Later on in life, after my brother and I had moved out, she gave me the wise advice of not being like her. She wasted a lot of time cleaning instead of playing with us, she said.

Ok, that said, here is a tip you might already be doing but I"m always amazed to find out some of my friends don't do this, it's the simplest thing- only let your kids eat at the table- no snacks dragged through out the house. And always wipe off your children's hands before they get down from the table with a clean washrag and a little soap. Don't ask them to go wash their hands because (never fail) they'll touch every surface from the table to the bathroom. That'll help keep your furniture clean.

That's my contribution. HTH :)

Lisa
Mom to Gator July 2003
And Cha-Cha July 2005
and surprise! twins due 11/07!

[Laurel]

I'm not really a clean freak, but I try.

The new Martha Stewart Housekeeping book (pricey, but they had some at costco a while back) has great tips on what to clean, how often and how to clean without chemicals.

HTH!

[wimama]

Have you heard about the Flylady?

I am trying to get back into my Flylady routines.

www.Flylady.net

[sobers3]

OMG, Flylady is the BEST! You don't have to think about what to do. All you have to do is read your email and do the things she says to do that day. It's so simple and my house is company ready all the time instead of what sshe calls CHAOS (Can't have anyone over syndrome). Give it a try. Mary

[sobers3]

Oh I forgot, she has a program that involves the kids called The House Fairy. It teaches them all the examples I missed when I was young and it makes it fun also.