Spring Cleaning with Kids
They Can Help Too!
|by Sandy Kreps
It may feel like you’re trying to clean during an
active hurricane, but getting the whole family
involved with Spring Cleaning can teach kids responsibility and give them pride in a worthwhile
accomplishment.
• While your kids scrub the floor, stay within
sight and clean off the dining table. You
want to give them space to clean, but you
also want to be sure they don’t flood the
kitchen!
In the Kitchen:
In the Bathroom:
• Give your child a spray bottle of water with
one drop of dish soap (or a bottle of nontoxic cleaner) and a rag to clean the lower
kitchen cabinet doors and drawer fronts
while you clean the upper cabinets.
• Spray down the tub/shower with a mix of
warm white vinegar and dish soap. Let sit
overnight or for at least an hour while you
tackle the rest of the home.
• Clear off and wipe down counters before
returning only the necessary items back on
the counter top.
• All those crumbs that just got brushed onto
the floor? Grab a kid-size broom and let
your child sweep them up. Use masking
tape to make a square on the floor for her to
gather all the crumbs into for easy pick up
with a dustpan or vacuum.
• While your child sweeps, clear out old food
from the fridge, wipe it out, and wash a
load of dirty dishes.
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• Fill a large bowl with warm, soapy water
and give your child a scrub brush or sponge
to scrub the kitchen floor, then give him a
large beach towel to wiggle all around to
dry up the excess water.
• Clear the clutter off the counter, fill the sink
with warm, soapy water, and let kids scrub
away those dried toothpaste blobs! Once
they’ve scrubbed the inside of the sink,
d