Springtime Hints and Household Helps

Spring Cleaning is a ritual that most families fear but it always seems to get done. Well, maybe not in Spring but by Labor Day at least.
Here are a few tips that just might help your quest for that squeaky clean house so that you can enjoy the Summer time weather at the beach right along with the rest of the family. These were learned "in the trenches" and worked so they are "tried and true".
Most households keep the cabinet under the sink for cleaning supplies, unless you have little children. Then keeping this cabinet locked is a must, but with older children or no children - glue some wooden clothespins onto the inner door. These can hold sponges, rubber gloves, and window cloths. They don't get moldy because they are not bunched on the bottom floor of the cabinet, and they stay just as fresh as you need them. Talking about soap, most people get dirty digging, clipping, and working outdoors. It you use a soap on a rope technique (it doesn't have to be expensive soap, just use any hand strong soap and attach to a nylon rope), you can make sure that everyone washes their hands right there by your outside faucet. Kids love it because it is washing in a whole different realm and dads love it because their hands are clean before picking up little ones or leaving smudge marks on back doors or screen doors.
Attach a Key Board (home made or bought at a craft store to the "inside" cabinet door right by the door. This keeps the keys out of sight, they are organized, and they are not just thrown on the counter never to be seen when you need them. Most key boards are thin enough not to interfere with shelving inside the cabinet, or you can simply attach it where you have a wider space between shelves.
Mops, brooms, and dustpans are the mainstay of spring cleaning. Little ones can feel like they help, and a bit older chidren can use "children" size cleaning gear much easier than the adult size. In your broom closet or wherever you store cleaning musts, attach a bar about the height of your child on the inside of the door, then attach hooks for a child-size mop, broom, and dustpan or any other "cleaning" wonder that your child might enjoy. They even have little-size vacuums, and for the outside, this works well for shovels, pails, and rakes.
Remember enjoying blowing bubbles when you were small? That iridescent liquid produced those billowing bubbles that kept your attention until they disappeared into another world. If you have very small children, let them join in the fun with the older ones, with your supervision of course. Use a paper clip and form it into a bubble maker just like the regular slze ones that come with the bottles. Pour a bit of bubble liquid into the cap of the bottle and help your little one enjoy petite size bubbles that may soar just as high as the bigger versions of his/her brothers/sisters. It is fun and it is a chance for quality time with your children. Also, bubbles work best on a day after it just rained. It seems the humidity and moistures helps create bigger and better bubbles. Next time you are in a dollar store, buy a spare fly swatter with the hundred little holes. Give this to your older child and let them enjoy a cloud burst of hundreds of bubbles. Pour the liquid into a baking pan and let them place the swatter into the liquid. Different and a real "attention" keeper.
When it comes to craft time, your child finds waiting for the old-standby white craft glue to slowly come to the tip. If you use a plastic two liter bottle and cut it off about 3 inches from the top, you can fit the plastic glue bottle into the top of the cut off bottle and the glue will always be "ready." No more waiting and it doesn't tip over while the "crafting" is taking place.
Hope a few of these tips give you ideas for enjoying more time when you clean, and more fun time with your children.
Something to think about
©Arleen M. Kaptur February, 2009