Baking soda is good for more than just baking! Most people also use it to keep their fridge, freezer, and pantry fresh. BUT, there's another great use for it...unclogging drains!
We rarely keep Drano on hand anymore. It is so expensive for a bottle that doesn't last very long. Sooo, I googled natural drain cleaners to see about using things I already had on hand. I found a baking soda and vinegar combo that has worked great...and I'm about to use it again today. :)
1. Pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the clogged drain.
2. Pour 1/2 cup vinegar (white/distilled) down drain.
3. Cover drain opening quickly to keep the bubbling concoction from coming up. You want the bubbliness to stay down in the drain to work out the clog.
4. Wait 30 minutes. In meantime, put on a kettle full of water to boil.
5. After 30 minutes, pour boiling water down drain. Drain should be cleared. If not, repeat process.
Walgreens often has baking soda on sale 2 for $1.00 with their in-ad coupon, so you can definitely stock up on this for cheap and always have it on hand to use for those stubborn drains.
Forget about paying $5.00 or more for that container of chemicals. Use this natural unclogger and you don't have to worry about making sure the sink is free of any residue or leftovers because it's just baking soda and vinegar. So if the kids touch it or something falls in the sink and touches either of the ingredients...it's fine!
Showing posts with label household. Show all posts
Showing posts with label household. Show all posts
Friday, July 1, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
House Help: Less Stress Solutions
A few ideas to help get started with keeping up on housework:
FlyLady - this woman is amazing! She lays out a schedule for daily things to do around the house, weekly things to schedule, and ways to make work habitual.
Start slow. Find 3 things you want to make a daily habit. Write them down, write a time down that you want to be doing each one (before breakfast or 9AM or last thing before bed), so you know WHEN you should do them and can get into the habit of doing them at those times.
Find a friend. I am sure all women/mothers struggle with balancing housework with kids and life. Find a friend that you know will be an encouragement to get you going - someone you can call when you're not motivated, someone who will give you that kick in the butt when you need it. I think for me, this would be my sister. :) She doesn't know it, but she's a huge encouragement to me. I haven't asked her for that kick in the butt, but her attitude towards everything is a huge motivator for me!
LISTS! Make a daily list of what you want to get done - from things you already do (make your bed, take a shower) to the things you want to start to incorporate. Checking off the list works wonders for our mental states! :)
Lastly, be understanding. You won't be completing a list 100% of the time. There will be days you will not get things done. It's life. I have the hardest time letting this go. If I can get over my imperfection, I'd be perfect. :)
FlyLady - this woman is amazing! She lays out a schedule for daily things to do around the house, weekly things to schedule, and ways to make work habitual.
Start slow. Find 3 things you want to make a daily habit. Write them down, write a time down that you want to be doing each one (before breakfast or 9AM or last thing before bed), so you know WHEN you should do them and can get into the habit of doing them at those times.
Find a friend. I am sure all women/mothers struggle with balancing housework with kids and life. Find a friend that you know will be an encouragement to get you going - someone you can call when you're not motivated, someone who will give you that kick in the butt when you need it. I think for me, this would be my sister. :) She doesn't know it, but she's a huge encouragement to me. I haven't asked her for that kick in the butt, but her attitude towards everything is a huge motivator for me!
LISTS! Make a daily list of what you want to get done - from things you already do (make your bed, take a shower) to the things you want to start to incorporate. Checking off the list works wonders for our mental states! :)
Lastly, be understanding. You won't be completing a list 100% of the time. There will be days you will not get things done. It's life. I have the hardest time letting this go. If I can get over my imperfection, I'd be perfect. :)
Friday, June 17, 2011
House Help: Laundry Lament :)
Up until two weeks ago, I had planned on posting about how we should all do laundry on one day each week, so that it doesn't drag out over several days.
SINCE having a new baby in the house, I have found that washing clothes for 6 people is A LOT of clothing. :) Babies have a way of dirtying several outfits each day, as well as burp rags and blankets. Between spit up and poop, this little bundle of joy has created quite the mountain of laundry for me!
I designate every Monday as laundry day. I try not to schedule any doctor, dentist, or other appointments for Mondays. We tend to not run any errands and stick close to home, so that we can tackle all the dirty clothes in one day.
Lately, I have also been washing sheets, towels, bathroom rugs (little bottoms have been dirtying these with accidents or dirty shoes or dropping toothpaste!) and a load of socks and underwear later in the week, like Thursday or Friday. This week, I did 4 extra loads of laundry - yesterday I washed all the dirty sheets and the heavy blanket from our bed (it'd been awhile since it was washed) and today I did a load of socks and underwear as well as a load of rugs.
So, what kind of help can I offer with regard to laundry?....now that my whole opinion of it has changed. :) My advice is this: stay on top of it.
If you designate a day to laundry, DO the laundry that day. Start it first thing in the morning. Keep up with it when the cycles end. Switch the loads out right away. Fold and put away everything as it's done washing and drying. The more you leave in a pile or basket to do later, the less likely you are to sit down and do it. For me, it's all mental - if I have more than one clean load sitting there waiting to be folded and put away, I will see how large the pile is and keep putting it off. Right now, I have a basket with the load of socks and undies sitting here staring at me. The rugs load just ended in the dryer, so I really need to get this basket of laundry here folded!
If you need to do an extra load each day, do it! Throw it in first thing in the morning, rather than leave it for later in the day when you're bogged down with other activities and your energy level is depleted. :)
If you have to keep changing the routine or way you do it to find a way that works, DO IT! You won't find the best way for you to stay on top of it, if you give up and just settle with never being able to get it done.
On that note, I'm off to fold!
SINCE having a new baby in the house, I have found that washing clothes for 6 people is A LOT of clothing. :) Babies have a way of dirtying several outfits each day, as well as burp rags and blankets. Between spit up and poop, this little bundle of joy has created quite the mountain of laundry for me!
I designate every Monday as laundry day. I try not to schedule any doctor, dentist, or other appointments for Mondays. We tend to not run any errands and stick close to home, so that we can tackle all the dirty clothes in one day.
Lately, I have also been washing sheets, towels, bathroom rugs (little bottoms have been dirtying these with accidents or dirty shoes or dropping toothpaste!) and a load of socks and underwear later in the week, like Thursday or Friday. This week, I did 4 extra loads of laundry - yesterday I washed all the dirty sheets and the heavy blanket from our bed (it'd been awhile since it was washed) and today I did a load of socks and underwear as well as a load of rugs.
So, what kind of help can I offer with regard to laundry?....now that my whole opinion of it has changed. :) My advice is this: stay on top of it.
If you designate a day to laundry, DO the laundry that day. Start it first thing in the morning. Keep up with it when the cycles end. Switch the loads out right away. Fold and put away everything as it's done washing and drying. The more you leave in a pile or basket to do later, the less likely you are to sit down and do it. For me, it's all mental - if I have more than one clean load sitting there waiting to be folded and put away, I will see how large the pile is and keep putting it off. Right now, I have a basket with the load of socks and undies sitting here staring at me. The rugs load just ended in the dryer, so I really need to get this basket of laundry here folded!
If you need to do an extra load each day, do it! Throw it in first thing in the morning, rather than leave it for later in the day when you're bogged down with other activities and your energy level is depleted. :)
If you have to keep changing the routine or way you do it to find a way that works, DO IT! You won't find the best way for you to stay on top of it, if you give up and just settle with never being able to get it done.
On that note, I'm off to fold!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
House Help: Kid Chores
I am looking forward to the day when my kids can help more with cleaning and housework, though I think then I'd miss being needed as much by them. :)
For now, I will just be content with having my older girls help out with what they can and enjoy our time of working together on things.
My oldest is going to be 5 this month. I believe that even the youngest of kids (that can walk at least) can help out around the house. Iris has being "helping" since she was very little. She used to really enjoy helping me with laundry - finding matching socks or sorting clothes by the person or folding washcloths. Not so much anymore. She enjoys bigger jobs - dusting, wiping windows, helping vacuum. I let her do things when I remember, but I still have a few items she is responsible to do, with or without my reminders:
-Make her bed.
-Brush her own teeth.
-Put her dirty clothes in the hamper.
-Pick up after herself.
-Set the table for dinner.
-Take her dirty dishes to the sink.
-Help out with her siblings when I need her to.
She, as any child does from time to time, complains and tries to argue with me. :) But, for the most part, I think she understands why we expect these things - because she's the oldest and is capable of helping and every person in the family is expected to help out. And she knows that the sooner we get the chores done, the sooner we can enjoy play time or a movie or whatever.
Lily is 3 1/2. She likes to do what Iris does, but she is still limited slightly with her motor skills. She is an EXCELLENT washcloth and hand towel folder. :) She really likes to do it, too, thankfully! I let her sort the washcloths by the location they belong (bathrooms, kitchen) and she is able to fold and put them away. She also is responsible to take her dishes to the sink after meals, but she struggles some times with balancing her fork on her plate, so it does take her a bit longer than Iris. Regardless, she is expected to do the following:
-Make her bed (she is GREAT at this as well!).
-Brush her teeth.
-Put dirty clothes in hamper.
-Put dirty dishes in sink.
-Help set the table (usually just her spot and not usually carrying anything glass).
-Pick up after herself.
She doesn't quite understand WHY we give each person jobs to do, but she sees that Mom, Dad and Iris all has things they do regularly, so she joins in with her jobs. :) At least we're starting the habit of working around the house; she'll eventually understand and see why we all work around here.
Addy is 2. She is not quite able to actually HELP with much, but she likes to pull out matching socks from the laundry, sort washcloths from towels, and help me take the dog out. She is allowed to set her spot at the table, as long as I watch her carry the items from the kitchen over to her table spot (if unsupervised, she sometimes walks away to another area of the house with her fork and spoon!). Her "jobs" are:
-Put dirty clothes in hamper.
-Assist with brushing her teeth.
-Help with laundry when she wants (nothing required yet, for her).
-Help set her spot at table for dinner.
-Help pick up toys after play.
Of course, Baby Artie doesn't do anything yet. :) His job is to eat, sleep, and poo. So far, he's doing a fantastic job with that! LOL.
I used to give out allowance for the girls when they completed their chore charts, but I fell behind on it and eventually quit paying them altogether. For now, I'm just working on making habits with them to help out. We'll get to the money part probably in the next year or so, once they understand money's value and what to do with it. Iris, I think, understands to save money and give tithe, but I don't think she'll relate the working to the money yet so I'll hold off for now. I am torn with how to approach the relationship of money to chores.
I want my kids to do things because they want to be helpful for their family, but I also want to be able to show them that no one lives for free. They aren't going to get an allowance if they aren't going to do the work...but I don't want them to do the work ONLY to get the money. I guess I'll have to work on showing them we all do our share because we care about our family, and that certain things we'll do because we're a part of the family and certain other things we do in order to get "paid".
Both Arthur and myself we raised with a healthy view of money and work. I think we both have good work ethics and that we understand responsibility and work. I didn't get an allowance as a child; I was just expected to help out with certain things and whatever else my mother needed our help with. We all knew our place and that in order for the family to function we all had to do something around the house. My brothers were almost always responsible for the trash, and my sister and I did the dishwasher. We all shared the lawn mowing at some point (except my sister, who has allergies - LUCKY! lol.), and we all had to keep our own rooms clean and help with laundry. Arthur had to do his own laundry, started working while in high school, and was responsible to pay for his own college tuition.
I just pray that our kids understand why it's important to help out and also that people don't get paid to just sit around. :)
For now, I will just be content with having my older girls help out with what they can and enjoy our time of working together on things.
My oldest is going to be 5 this month. I believe that even the youngest of kids (that can walk at least) can help out around the house. Iris has being "helping" since she was very little. She used to really enjoy helping me with laundry - finding matching socks or sorting clothes by the person or folding washcloths. Not so much anymore. She enjoys bigger jobs - dusting, wiping windows, helping vacuum. I let her do things when I remember, but I still have a few items she is responsible to do, with or without my reminders:
-Make her bed.
-Brush her own teeth.
-Put her dirty clothes in the hamper.
-Pick up after herself.
-Set the table for dinner.
-Take her dirty dishes to the sink.
-Help out with her siblings when I need her to.
She, as any child does from time to time, complains and tries to argue with me. :) But, for the most part, I think she understands why we expect these things - because she's the oldest and is capable of helping and every person in the family is expected to help out. And she knows that the sooner we get the chores done, the sooner we can enjoy play time or a movie or whatever.
Lily is 3 1/2. She likes to do what Iris does, but she is still limited slightly with her motor skills. She is an EXCELLENT washcloth and hand towel folder. :) She really likes to do it, too, thankfully! I let her sort the washcloths by the location they belong (bathrooms, kitchen) and she is able to fold and put them away. She also is responsible to take her dishes to the sink after meals, but she struggles some times with balancing her fork on her plate, so it does take her a bit longer than Iris. Regardless, she is expected to do the following:
-Make her bed (she is GREAT at this as well!).
-Brush her teeth.
-Put dirty clothes in hamper.
-Put dirty dishes in sink.
-Help set the table (usually just her spot and not usually carrying anything glass).
-Pick up after herself.
She doesn't quite understand WHY we give each person jobs to do, but she sees that Mom, Dad and Iris all has things they do regularly, so she joins in with her jobs. :) At least we're starting the habit of working around the house; she'll eventually understand and see why we all work around here.
Addy is 2. She is not quite able to actually HELP with much, but she likes to pull out matching socks from the laundry, sort washcloths from towels, and help me take the dog out. She is allowed to set her spot at the table, as long as I watch her carry the items from the kitchen over to her table spot (if unsupervised, she sometimes walks away to another area of the house with her fork and spoon!). Her "jobs" are:
-Put dirty clothes in hamper.
-Assist with brushing her teeth.
-Help with laundry when she wants (nothing required yet, for her).
-Help set her spot at table for dinner.
-Help pick up toys after play.
Of course, Baby Artie doesn't do anything yet. :) His job is to eat, sleep, and poo. So far, he's doing a fantastic job with that! LOL.
I used to give out allowance for the girls when they completed their chore charts, but I fell behind on it and eventually quit paying them altogether. For now, I'm just working on making habits with them to help out. We'll get to the money part probably in the next year or so, once they understand money's value and what to do with it. Iris, I think, understands to save money and give tithe, but I don't think she'll relate the working to the money yet so I'll hold off for now. I am torn with how to approach the relationship of money to chores.
I want my kids to do things because they want to be helpful for their family, but I also want to be able to show them that no one lives for free. They aren't going to get an allowance if they aren't going to do the work...but I don't want them to do the work ONLY to get the money. I guess I'll have to work on showing them we all do our share because we care about our family, and that certain things we'll do because we're a part of the family and certain other things we do in order to get "paid".
Both Arthur and myself we raised with a healthy view of money and work. I think we both have good work ethics and that we understand responsibility and work. I didn't get an allowance as a child; I was just expected to help out with certain things and whatever else my mother needed our help with. We all knew our place and that in order for the family to function we all had to do something around the house. My brothers were almost always responsible for the trash, and my sister and I did the dishwasher. We all shared the lawn mowing at some point (except my sister, who has allergies - LUCKY! lol.), and we all had to keep our own rooms clean and help with laundry. Arthur had to do his own laundry, started working while in high school, and was responsible to pay for his own college tuition.
I just pray that our kids understand why it's important to help out and also that people don't get paid to just sit around. :)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
House Help: Daily Duties
Last Thursday, I wrote about creating lists for each person in the house for tasks that need to be completed each day/week.
Today, I am going to go over the daily items or tasks that I have listed for myself to do. These are things I strive to do every single day, regardless of scheduling or additional assigned items. When I miss doing these tasks, I really feel off. They help me maintain a routine around here, which is absolutely necessary with 3 1/2 little ones running around. :)
On my daily to do's, I have listed:
-Shower
-Dress/Makeup
-Make Beds
-Quick clean upstairs bathroom
-Empty dishwasher
-Quick clean downstairs bathroom
-Blog (ok, so this is a fun one for me, but chores can be fun, right? lol)
-15 minute tidy up (this happens around 5:30 or 5:45 right before my husband gets home)
-Run dishwasher
These are in addition to the obvious To Do's of breakfast, lunch, dinner, meal cleanup, and naps. I figured those would be understood as items we have every day. :)
As I explained last week, I am pretty particular about having clean bathrooms. My girls touch EVERYTHING, and I shudder at the thought of them touching dirty bathroom things. Ew! As for the other items, I do them because it helps us stay on top of things around here.
If I don't run the dishwasher before bed at night and empty it before breakfast in the morning, we are usually scrambling for a certain dish or utensil or cup, only to find it dirty and sitting in the washer. But, when we stay on top of running and emptying it, getting breakfast on the table in time for us all to sit down together is sooo much easier!
Making beds actually burns calories. I forget how many, though. I just know that doing it right when we get up actually helps us get some motivation to start our day. Same with showering, dressing, and doing makeup right away. I feel motivated to get my list done if I'm dressed with makeup on. And then when we need to leave the house later, I don't have to go back and put on makeup or find an outfit. It's already done. :)
So, my advice would be to think of the items that you would like to see done every day, that will help you stay on top of the clutter or dirty dishes or schedules. The littlest things, done daily, can help reduce stress when trying to get out the door for school or work or appointments.
My husband and I have a pretty nice routine in the morning and (if we stay on track) for the evening:
4:45/5:00 - he's up and out the door for his marathon training (running, swimming, whatever)
5:45 - i'm up and in the shower, getting dressed, doing makeup and making our bed; Arthur's back and starting the coffeemaker and pouring the girls' drinks for breakfast
6:00 - Arthur showers, while I start breakfast (I usually cook breakfast, so it takes a little while; some days we do cold cereals for a break)
6:15ish - Iris and Lily are up and SUPPOSED to be getting dressed...we struggle with that transition often. :)
6:30 - Arthur, Iris, Lily and I sit down to eat (Addy has been sleeping in lately, so we let her)
6:45/7:00 - breakfast cleanup, Arthur brushes teeth with the girls, i pack his lunch (usually leftovers, great time saver!)
7:00/7:10 - Arthur leaves for work; girls get cartoons; Addy wakes up and eats; I clean bathrooms
7:30 - Addy is dressed, and I finish breakfast cleanup
7:45 - I sit to blog, girls do whatever - read, play, or homework (if any); I pull out anything frozen we'll need for dinner
8:25 - we start to get ready to leave for school (Tues, Wed, Thurs) - everyone potties, jackets, bookbags, shoes, load in car
8:40 - leave for school
9:00 to 11:30 - school for girls, errands or housework for Addy and I
12:00 - lunch for the girls (planned out ahead of time, makes for easier service!)
12:30 - lunch cleanup
12:45 - potty and naps for the girls, I sit down to eat, blog, read/watch news, email, etc.
2:30/3:00 - girls are all up from naps usually; craft, movie, books, whatever we decide to do that day
4:30 - dinner prep
5:30/5:45 - 15 minute tidy up - girls have to pick up all toys and books in living room and their room and sit to relax until Arthur gets home (helps relax the hyper-ness they have!)
6:00ish - we sit to eat all together
6:30/6:45 - dinner cleanup for me, girls and Dad play together. :)
7:15(lately) - pajama time, teeth brushing, baths (every other day), kid devotions, bed for girls
9:30 - start dishwasher; bed for Arthur and I
_____________________________________________________________
In addition to the routine daily items, I do have certain tasks designated for each day. I wrote them in last week's post, but here they are again:
Monday - Laundry
Tuesday - Groceries, Garbage collection
Wednesday - Garbage day (out to curb), Change all beds' sheets
Thursday - Dust, Vacuum, Windows
Friday - Wipe down appliances (stove, microwave, dishwasher front, washer/dryer fronts and doors), kitchen and Bathroom floors
These tasks take longer than the little everyday items, so I try not to combine any of these on the same day or I start to feel overwhelmed. :) Plus, with my big pregnant belly, if I get behind and have to make them up on other days I am SUPER tired by the afternoon. So, having them divided up on different days really helps maintain my stress levels!
So, these are my routines and my schedules. Anyone want to share theirs?
Today, I am going to go over the daily items or tasks that I have listed for myself to do. These are things I strive to do every single day, regardless of scheduling or additional assigned items. When I miss doing these tasks, I really feel off. They help me maintain a routine around here, which is absolutely necessary with 3 1/2 little ones running around. :)
On my daily to do's, I have listed:
-Shower
-Dress/Makeup
-Make Beds
-Quick clean upstairs bathroom
-Empty dishwasher
-Quick clean downstairs bathroom
-Blog (ok, so this is a fun one for me, but chores can be fun, right? lol)
-15 minute tidy up (this happens around 5:30 or 5:45 right before my husband gets home)
-Run dishwasher
These are in addition to the obvious To Do's of breakfast, lunch, dinner, meal cleanup, and naps. I figured those would be understood as items we have every day. :)
As I explained last week, I am pretty particular about having clean bathrooms. My girls touch EVERYTHING, and I shudder at the thought of them touching dirty bathroom things. Ew! As for the other items, I do them because it helps us stay on top of things around here.
If I don't run the dishwasher before bed at night and empty it before breakfast in the morning, we are usually scrambling for a certain dish or utensil or cup, only to find it dirty and sitting in the washer. But, when we stay on top of running and emptying it, getting breakfast on the table in time for us all to sit down together is sooo much easier!
Making beds actually burns calories. I forget how many, though. I just know that doing it right when we get up actually helps us get some motivation to start our day. Same with showering, dressing, and doing makeup right away. I feel motivated to get my list done if I'm dressed with makeup on. And then when we need to leave the house later, I don't have to go back and put on makeup or find an outfit. It's already done. :)
So, my advice would be to think of the items that you would like to see done every day, that will help you stay on top of the clutter or dirty dishes or schedules. The littlest things, done daily, can help reduce stress when trying to get out the door for school or work or appointments.
My husband and I have a pretty nice routine in the morning and (if we stay on track) for the evening:
4:45/5:00 - he's up and out the door for his marathon training (running, swimming, whatever)
5:45 - i'm up and in the shower, getting dressed, doing makeup and making our bed; Arthur's back and starting the coffeemaker and pouring the girls' drinks for breakfast
6:00 - Arthur showers, while I start breakfast (I usually cook breakfast, so it takes a little while; some days we do cold cereals for a break)
6:15ish - Iris and Lily are up and SUPPOSED to be getting dressed...we struggle with that transition often. :)
6:30 - Arthur, Iris, Lily and I sit down to eat (Addy has been sleeping in lately, so we let her)
6:45/7:00 - breakfast cleanup, Arthur brushes teeth with the girls, i pack his lunch (usually leftovers, great time saver!)
7:00/7:10 - Arthur leaves for work; girls get cartoons; Addy wakes up and eats; I clean bathrooms
7:30 - Addy is dressed, and I finish breakfast cleanup
7:45 - I sit to blog, girls do whatever - read, play, or homework (if any); I pull out anything frozen we'll need for dinner
8:25 - we start to get ready to leave for school (Tues, Wed, Thurs) - everyone potties, jackets, bookbags, shoes, load in car
8:40 - leave for school
9:00 to 11:30 - school for girls, errands or housework for Addy and I
12:00 - lunch for the girls (planned out ahead of time, makes for easier service!)
12:30 - lunch cleanup
12:45 - potty and naps for the girls, I sit down to eat, blog, read/watch news, email, etc.
2:30/3:00 - girls are all up from naps usually; craft, movie, books, whatever we decide to do that day
4:30 - dinner prep
5:30/5:45 - 15 minute tidy up - girls have to pick up all toys and books in living room and their room and sit to relax until Arthur gets home (helps relax the hyper-ness they have!)
6:00ish - we sit to eat all together
6:30/6:45 - dinner cleanup for me, girls and Dad play together. :)
7:15(lately) - pajama time, teeth brushing, baths (every other day), kid devotions, bed for girls
9:30 - start dishwasher; bed for Arthur and I
_____________________________________________________________
In addition to the routine daily items, I do have certain tasks designated for each day. I wrote them in last week's post, but here they are again:
Monday - Laundry
Tuesday - Groceries, Garbage collection
Wednesday - Garbage day (out to curb), Change all beds' sheets
Thursday - Dust, Vacuum, Windows
Friday - Wipe down appliances (stove, microwave, dishwasher front, washer/dryer fronts and doors), kitchen and Bathroom floors
These tasks take longer than the little everyday items, so I try not to combine any of these on the same day or I start to feel overwhelmed. :) Plus, with my big pregnant belly, if I get behind and have to make them up on other days I am SUPER tired by the afternoon. So, having them divided up on different days really helps maintain my stress levels!
So, these are my routines and my schedules. Anyone want to share theirs?
Thursday, May 12, 2011
House Help: Creating Clean Habits
I absolutely LOVE having routines for housework. Designating days or people for certain tasks is what makes me feel secure. :) Yes, I'm slightly insane.
I have found that the best way to create a cleaning habit is to set a certain day, time or person for that task. For us, this is the ONLY way things get done.
This does take some time to become a habit, though, so assigning every task to a day and person doesn't just automatically make it all happen overnight. Writing it down, though, and posting it somewhere public in the house does help with making it happen sooner than later.
I was very good about chore charts for a while with the girls. The chart was posted at their eye level and we did well going over it every day and checking off the items they completed. Then we fell off the wagon and became lazy with marking the chart.
I make chore lists and daily to do lists for myself all the time. This I am very good at doing and completing regularly. So, here are my tips for getting a good cleaning schedule down:
1. Make a list of ALL the household chores/tasks that need to be completed each week. Don't worry about breaking it down into daily chores yet. Just make a giant list of everything that needs to get done - laundry, toilets, floors, windows, dishwasher filling/emptying, even coffee making. :)
2. List each person in the house that is physically capable of completing at least one of those chores. Leave plenty of blank space below each name to fill in their chores later.
3. Take your master list of chores and group them together, like with like. For example, toilets, bathroom floors, bathroom mirrors all go together because they're all in the same room. :) Changing sheets and laundry could be put together because they are similar. Or you could break down "changing sheets" to "parent bed sheets" and group it with "vacuuming parent bedroom". Whatever you think will make the most sense for you. Don't overthink it, though. You'll be here all day grouping things!
4. Decide which person can do which chores. My husband empties the clean dishes from the dishwasher first thing in the morning because he is the first one up and downstairs; this gives us all clean dishes for breakfast, so it just seemed natural that he be assigned that chore. Maybe the last one to take a shower in the morning could be responsible to tidy up the bathroom? Or the first one up could set the coffeemaker to start? Whatever flows easiest for everyone; don't have everyone go out of their way to do these things. You want it to be a natural reaction after a few weeks of doing it.
5. Break down each person's chores for each day of the week. Monday through Friday is the typical range of days for chores to be completed, with the weekend off. HOWEVER, if you have a different type of working schedule, maybe different days for chores and off days would work. Do what will work best for everyone's schedules.
6. Type up a cleaning chart for each person and post it somewhere in the house that each person will see it and be reminded each day - bedroom, fridge, bathroom mirror, wherever.
Here's my own personal chore list:
Monday - Laundry
Tuesday - Groceries, gather all garbage into kitchen can for garbage day(Wed.)
Wednesday - Change everyone's bed sheets
Thursday - dust and vacuum and clean windows
Friday - floors (kitchen and bathrooms), wipe down appliances
I am in the habit of cleaning the toilets, sinks and mirrors in both bathrooms DAILY. This is something I like to do because we have 5 people using the toilets every day, 2 little ones that use the bathroom on their own (and aren't necessarily the cleanest bathroom users!), and 1 that is potty training and holds onto any part of the toilet she can reach (ew!). Sooo, I have found that I feel less disgusted by it all if I wipe down the mirrors, sinks and toilets (and swish the toilet brush and some cleaner on the inside of the bowl) each morning. That's my personal feeling about bathrooms, though. Don't feel you need to adopt it. :)
Once you can write out everyone's chores, go over them all with each person. Be sure they know what supplies to use and how to complete the task. Be prepared to remind kids (and husbands!) for a while to complete their list, but don't feel obligated to complete any tasks that they don't. If you leave a sink dirty for long enough, it might just click that the person assigned to it really should do it because they are the one responsible for it. Trust me, kids are gross sometimes, but they will notice when things are stuck to the sink and will take action. :) Husbands might be a little more difficult....they might even complain about something being dirty, even if it's theirs to clean. I'm still working on molding mine! :)
I have found that the best way to create a cleaning habit is to set a certain day, time or person for that task. For us, this is the ONLY way things get done.
This does take some time to become a habit, though, so assigning every task to a day and person doesn't just automatically make it all happen overnight. Writing it down, though, and posting it somewhere public in the house does help with making it happen sooner than later.
I was very good about chore charts for a while with the girls. The chart was posted at their eye level and we did well going over it every day and checking off the items they completed. Then we fell off the wagon and became lazy with marking the chart.
I make chore lists and daily to do lists for myself all the time. This I am very good at doing and completing regularly. So, here are my tips for getting a good cleaning schedule down:
1. Make a list of ALL the household chores/tasks that need to be completed each week. Don't worry about breaking it down into daily chores yet. Just make a giant list of everything that needs to get done - laundry, toilets, floors, windows, dishwasher filling/emptying, even coffee making. :)
2. List each person in the house that is physically capable of completing at least one of those chores. Leave plenty of blank space below each name to fill in their chores later.
3. Take your master list of chores and group them together, like with like. For example, toilets, bathroom floors, bathroom mirrors all go together because they're all in the same room. :) Changing sheets and laundry could be put together because they are similar. Or you could break down "changing sheets" to "parent bed sheets" and group it with "vacuuming parent bedroom". Whatever you think will make the most sense for you. Don't overthink it, though. You'll be here all day grouping things!
4. Decide which person can do which chores. My husband empties the clean dishes from the dishwasher first thing in the morning because he is the first one up and downstairs; this gives us all clean dishes for breakfast, so it just seemed natural that he be assigned that chore. Maybe the last one to take a shower in the morning could be responsible to tidy up the bathroom? Or the first one up could set the coffeemaker to start? Whatever flows easiest for everyone; don't have everyone go out of their way to do these things. You want it to be a natural reaction after a few weeks of doing it.
5. Break down each person's chores for each day of the week. Monday through Friday is the typical range of days for chores to be completed, with the weekend off. HOWEVER, if you have a different type of working schedule, maybe different days for chores and off days would work. Do what will work best for everyone's schedules.
6. Type up a cleaning chart for each person and post it somewhere in the house that each person will see it and be reminded each day - bedroom, fridge, bathroom mirror, wherever.
Here's my own personal chore list:
Monday - Laundry
Tuesday - Groceries, gather all garbage into kitchen can for garbage day(Wed.)
Wednesday - Change everyone's bed sheets
Thursday - dust and vacuum and clean windows
Friday - floors (kitchen and bathrooms), wipe down appliances
I am in the habit of cleaning the toilets, sinks and mirrors in both bathrooms DAILY. This is something I like to do because we have 5 people using the toilets every day, 2 little ones that use the bathroom on their own (and aren't necessarily the cleanest bathroom users!), and 1 that is potty training and holds onto any part of the toilet she can reach (ew!). Sooo, I have found that I feel less disgusted by it all if I wipe down the mirrors, sinks and toilets (and swish the toilet brush and some cleaner on the inside of the bowl) each morning. That's my personal feeling about bathrooms, though. Don't feel you need to adopt it. :)
Once you can write out everyone's chores, go over them all with each person. Be sure they know what supplies to use and how to complete the task. Be prepared to remind kids (and husbands!) for a while to complete their list, but don't feel obligated to complete any tasks that they don't. If you leave a sink dirty for long enough, it might just click that the person assigned to it really should do it because they are the one responsible for it. Trust me, kids are gross sometimes, but they will notice when things are stuck to the sink and will take action. :) Husbands might be a little more difficult....they might even complain about something being dirty, even if it's theirs to clean. I'm still working on molding mine! :)
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