Introduction
As a parent, I want to make sure my home is a clean and safe environment for my children. However, finding the time and energy to deep clean while also caring for little ones can be a challenge. The good news is there are some easy cleaning hacks I can use to help maintain a kid-friendly home without spending all day scrubbing. Here are my top tips for cleaning with children in mind.
Use Baking Soda for Multiple Purposes
Baking soda is a versatile natural cleaning product that can be used all over the home. Here are some of the ways baking soda helps me keep things clean for my kids:
- Sprinkle it on carpets and let sit for a while before vacuuming to freshen and remove odors.
- Make a paste with water to scrub crayon marks off walls and other surfaces.
- Mix with dish soap to make a scrub for grimy bathtubs and sinks.
- Sprinkle it in smelly shoes or gym bags overnight to absorb odors.
Keeping a box of baking soda on hand is an easy way to tackle many kid-related messes.
Clean with Vinegar
Like baking soda, vinegar is another natural cleaning solution that I always keep stocked. I use it for things like:
- Mixing with water in a spray bottle to clean countertops, windows, and appliances.
- Adding to laundry to remove stains and odors from clothes and sheets.
- Mixing with liquid dish soap and warm water to mop vinyl floors. The vinegar helps remove grime and leaves floors shiny.
Vinegar is affordable, non-toxic, and helps eliminate strong odors from things like sweaty sports gear.
Use Magic Erasers to Remove Marks
Magic erasers are amazing for cleaning crayon, marker, and scuff marks off walls and other hard surfaces. Just get the eraser wet, wring it out so it’s damp, and start rubbing the stain. The marks disappear like magic!
Magic erasers also help me remove scuffs from baseboards, doors, and cabinets from kids’ shoes or toys bumping into them. I keep several handy for quick clean-ups.
Schedule Quick Daily Cleans
Trying to tackle all household chores in one big cleaning marathon is exhausting. I’ve found it’s much more manageable to do quick daily cleans.
For example, I might wipe down the bathroom sink and mirror while the kids brush their teeth at night. Or I’ll do a 10 minute tidy and declutter session after they go to bed.
Making cleaning little and often prevents piles of toys cluttering the living room and overflowing laundry hampers. It also limits deep stains setting into carpets and furniture that require more work to remove.
Enlist the Kids’ Help
Getting my children involved in age-appropriate cleaning tasks helps me maintain the home and also teaches them important life skills. I let my toddler use a small handheld vacuum to pick up crumbs under the kitchen table. My kindergartener has some daily chores like putting dirty clothes in the hamper and clearing her plate from the table after meals. We make cleaning fun by playing music and turning it into a game.
Teaching kids to clean up after themselves also means I don’t have to do as much picking up after them! Their help keeps our home tidy.
Conclusion
Keeping a clean home with children can be challenging but is very doable with the right strategies. Using natural cleaning solutions like baking soda and vinegar saves money on chemical cleaners and limits toxins in the house. Staying on top of daily cleans prevents bigger messes from accumulating. And getting the kids involved teaches them skills and responsibility. With these kid-friendly cleaning hacks, I can maintain a mostly spotless home that is safe and healthy for the whole family.
