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Every mom with young children knows it’s important to Spring clean your house once in a while if you don’t want to wake up one day and realize something really gross is lurking under your refrigerator. For us moms, it can feel impossible to find the time or focus to get it done.
However, there are tips for moms with young children that will help you get your Spring cleaning done in record time, and with your sanity intact. You can learn to make it easy with the right shortcuts, tools, and products. For example, just wait till you learn all the things that are safe to clean in the dishwasher, and how a single appliance can practically clean your whole house! This is going to amaze you.
Make It Easy and You Won’t Put It Off
The big secret to making Spring cleaning manageable is to regularly clean in short spurts so that the annual job doesn’t hang over you like a ton of bricks.
Use a checklist
I know it might seem exhausting to make lists, but it really helps you save your brainpower for other things. If you have a list of the items that need to be completed weekly, monthly, and each Spring, you’ll be able to get started quickly, without having to remember everything that needs to be done.
Keep cleaning supplies handy, and clean while you’re in the room anyway
If you have a cleaning caddy under each bathroom sink, which includes a basic cleanser and wipes or microfiber cloths, you’re more likely to wipe down the surfaces and clean the mirror while your toddler sits on the potty, or takes a bath.
Chunk it out
Doing small chunks every day will make everything easier. It won’t feel overwhelming to get started if you know you only have to do it for ten minutes. I find it helps to set an alarm to remind myself to start, and one for ten minutes later, so I know I’ve reached my goal.
Obviously, Spring cleaning takes more than ten minutes to accomplish. But if you’ve been cleaning for ten minutes every day, all year long, Spring cleaning will not be a burden, even if you’re a mom with really young kids trying to unbalance your focus.
These Tools Will Change Your Cleaning Game Forever
Let a robot clean while you sleep
The RoboVac 11S (Slim) is the best little robot ever. It cleans hard floors to medium-pile carpets. It’s quiet and powerful with sensors that help it avoid obstacles, and falls. But the best part is that it automatically recharges so it’s always ready to clean. Over 42,000 people have given it high marks on Amazon.
Get a steam mop
It will change your life. You can use it all over the house and it runs on water. No need for toxic products. The PurSteam 10-in-1 Steam Mop with Detachable Hand-held unit is amazing. It works as a “floor mop, carpet cleaner, steam cleaner, handheld garment steamer, window, mirror & glass cleaner & much more.” It has over 30,000 top rated reviews on Amazon. That many people can’t be wrong.
Get an extendable duster for all the high and hard-to-reach places
The EVERSPROUT 5-to-14 Foot Flexible Microfiber Ceiling & Fan Duster just makes life easier. The washable microfiber sleeve attracts dust easily, the whole thing bends to fit any fan shape, and the extension pole keeps you safely on the ground.
Use the dishwasher for everything
Well, ok, not everything. But you won’t believe the things you can clean by sticking them in the dishwasher
- Remove the hard water and grime from your showerhead (if it’s removable)
- Clean the shelves and drawers from your fridge
- Sterilize the turntable glass plate from the microwave
- Strip the grease from the drip pans, grates, oven racks, and knobs of your stove or grill
- Sanitize the dish drain and sink baskets
- Clean the metal filter in the range hood
- Deep clean the pet bowls, toys, and placemats***
(***These items need to be cleaned with Bleach to destroy all the bacteria. So don’t rely on the dishwasher alone to disinfect them***)
For the super greasy items, you might want to pre-scrub them. It’s also important to place them on the top rack, so the steam can loosen up the grease and the water spray can reach all the cracks and crannies.
Use Safe, Cheap, and Natural Products To Clean
Another great tip is to use natural cleaning methods and products. The following items, which most people have on hand, are all you need to DIY your cleaning supplies.
White vinegar (if you hate the smell of vinegar, use concentrated Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds liquid soap); baking soda; rubbing alcohol; lemons and/or lemon juice; salt; Dawn dish detergent; and distilled water
You can accomplish most cleaning tasks with a homemade household cleaner. Here’s how to make it. Add ½ cup of white vinegar and two tablespoons of baking soda to a clean spray bottle and fill with water. If you want to make it smell nice and add extra disinfectant properties, add ten drops each of eucalyptus and tea tree oil. Shake and it’s ready to use.
One important note, don’t use vinegar on stone, granite, marble, cast iron, aluminum, or waxed surfaces. It may damage the surface. You can clean these surfaces with rubbing alcohol, water, and a little dish soap.
Of course, it’s cheaper to use pantry staples to clean–have you checked the price of household cleaners? It may also save a trip to the store at the last minute. But it will definitely make your home safer to make your own cleaners without all the chemicals you find in commercial cleaning products.
Here are some fun hacks that don’t require any commercial cleaners.
- Steam clean the microwave by placing a glass bowl of water and lemon juice or vinegar in the microwave and turning it on high for five minutes. Then simply wipe the surfaces inside. It works like a charm.
- Clean your windows with vinegar in one to four ratios with water. Wipe with coffee filters for a streak-free clean.
- Use a hot iron over a damp cloth on the carpet to steam out stubborn stains.
- Baking soda, lemon juice, and a toothbrush will clean small grooves and hard-to-reach areas. Clean sink drains with baking soda and vinegar.
- The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (and thin sheets) require no weird cleaning fluids. Just wet, squeeze and erase to clean the kitchen, bathroom, baseboards, and more.
- If you want the house to smell fresh, heat up something that smells good, or drop a cut-up lemon and some salt into your garbage disposal and turn it on while running water through it.
- Use rubbing alcohol to remove crayons and markers from walls.
So now that you have some quick tips in your toolbox, go forth and Spring clean. Just make up your mind that this is doable, even with little ones, and you’ll be fine. Turn on some favorite tunes (wearing only 1 earpiece in order to still listen for the baby while it’s sleeping), and rock out while getting all your cleaning done.