The leaves are changing and the weather is getting cold. Your kids are dreading that horrible moment when they need to pick up a bucket and a rake. That's right folks it's time for fall cleaning. Some of you may be setting aside a weekend to do some fall cleaning. Others may just want to get into a more eco-friendly cleaning habit. Cleaning doesn't have to be a brutal chore; you can make it fun and eco-friendly for your entire household.
Little Ones Love Cleaning: By making cleaning fun, you can find yourself with a handy cleaning partner. Little kids love to clean the house. This gives them a sense of responsibility and importance in the family. It is never too young to start. Have small chores at first such as checking for loose trash and scraps of paper or dumping all of the trash bins in the house. Then you can move onto things like recycling and sorting laundry. Although your house may not be as clean as quickly if the little one is still in their toddler years, as they get older the work will be done quicker and more efficiently. There are plenty of "play" vacuums or housekeeping sets sold at toy stores that work just like the real thing and can help your little one learn to clean. One of the main reasons kids hate chores is because they are looked at as a chore and not something that's fun and benefits the entire household. Make cleaning time fun by turning it into a game. Take turns assigning someone the task of being the DJ and let them blast their favorite tunes during cleaning time. Set up a reward system to teach children that with hard work come rewards.
Dump it: Walk around your house with a notepad in hand. Look at everything and ask yourself; has anyone used this in the past year? If not it's time to let it go. Don't be a hoarder! That shirt that you haven't worn in two years could really benefit someone else. Shelters are always in need of donations. Everything from appliances to clothes can be donated or sold on sites like Craigslist.com and Ebay.com for money. Just make sure the clothes don't have any stains or rips. It's also a great idea to go through the medicine cabinet. Many households have medicine that they no longer use or that humidity has ruined. Check for expired expiration dates and for prescriptions that are unused and no longer needed. Flush unused meds that you no longer need down the toilet and stock up on medicines for colds and the flu. All of this should be done twice a year.
Mr. Fix It: Are you sure your house is insulated? If not you could be wasting a lot of money on heating bills. Audit your home. You can hire a professional or do it the old-fashioned way yourself. Take a candle and go around to all of the windows; if the flame wavers, there is cold air coming through. You can use tape, or caulk to insulate (make sure you use a putty knife to remove old caulk). Or you can use your kitchen plastic wrap stretched across the area that needs to be insulated and stuck in place with the heat of a blow dryer. You don't need to hire a professional to clean the gutters after all the leaves have fallen. Take a bucket, trowel, and gloves to protect your hands; just make sure someone is holding the bottom of the ladder at all times for safety. It's a good idea to clean the bug screens that protect your windows and doors to make sure your home has clean air. You can use the dust brush attachment on your vacuum to get the dust off.
Products to Use: There are so many toxins in so many cleaning products that people use in their homes everyday that aren't safe. Just because it makes your house clean doesn't mean that it's a good chemical to have in or around your body. Less than a quarter of the cleaning products on the market have been tested for safe use in the home. Keep your cleaning products in a shelf that is far from reach for the little ones and away from the heat of a stove or radiator. There are a few items that are safer for your home and clean just as well as the toxins. Believe it or not, you can use baking soda to clean everything from your teeth to the oven (a known a fact); just add water. Cornstarch is great for cleaning windows, polishing furniture, and shampooing carpets and rugs. Although the smell is, strong vinegar is one of the best eco-friendly cleaning products you can use. It cleans fast and cuts through tough stains and mildew. Just be sure to make your vinegar cleaning solution with water, lemon juice and half of the solution vinegar.
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