Call in the troops for Spring Cleaning

So you think that that last bit a melting snow means it time to get out that great cocanut smelling sun tan oil and start planning your summer list for those lazy afternoons at the community pool? . Wrong it time for the dreaded and much avoided spring cleaning.

Here are some helpful tips from an admittedly lazy house wife. My first tip . Recruit help. Bribe your teenagers and make a game of it for the younger ones. Promise a family day of fun at the movies or bowling alley soon after the dreaded spring cleaning task is done.

Then get organized. Who can do what as least as well as you can?. Make everyone a task list and list of what supplies they will need. Then to save money I hit the local dollar store. It is worth it that no one has to find the window cleaner or duster because they have inexpensively been provided their own. I find the easiest way to divide house work is by room. Make a list for each reluctant drafted cleaning crew member. This is Spring Cleaning not Spring Lightly go over.

First is the get rid of it rule. If you have not worn it or used it in six monthes it goes unless it is of sentimental value. Then it can be appropiately stored in the old school art file that you will make for each child. Have your kids make two piles. One of stuff that goes to the trash and stuff that goes to good will. Each child will need some guidance over the final contents of the pile ,but this need to happen before cleaning ensues. For household piles of junk;you must make the final decisions Let your 13 year old in charge of the living room closet the initial piles.

Make a must be done in all rooms list. Make sure each child has a broom . Make sure they understand they are not to playfully bat each other or the family cat with it. Show them what a cob web is and tell them to eliminate them. Use some of the old clothes from the pitch piles to make rages. Cotton shirts and clean old cotton underwear work well. Have the kids make cleaning rages. Each child should have a rag for different cleaners. Make sure they understand funiture polish is not for windows and visa versa. Using their bargain window cleaner they should do all indoor windows in their designated room. Next, have them take turns taking down blinds and giving them a dip in the tub. This is by far the easist way to clean blinds. They can leave them dry over the shower rod and return them. Again take in their age and height and their ablitity to safely stand on a ladder.

Be flexiblie on techique. My kids learned to move knicknacks to dust. If it is really valuable remove it yourself; otherwise let them move the knicknacks to the carpeted floor and dust. Make sure the vacumm after they dust . If you want to increase the chance of perfection make it a contest. Give your kids a pizza gift certicate for the best cleaned room. Give ,consolation prizes ,like pop or candy for good hearted attempts. Make it fun.

You are doing more than getting help with a difficult job ;you are teaching them how to. If your children do not normally do laundry teaching them to wash the throw rugs during Spring cleaning is a great opportuinity to teach this skill. Done right your kids will learn a lot of routine skills and the satifaction of a job well done.

If it seems helpful do “before and after shots’ on your digital camera. This will give the kids a visual of what they accomplished. Also if you can part with your old ceremic frog collection ;let the kids sell it on ebay or use it is the family garage sale. You need to show them the upside of getting rid of things.