Housekeeping Mom Tips

[Anonymous]

How do you manage your wood floors, particularly with dogs?

We run a roomba every day on the main level where the dogs stay, but I haven't figured out a quick and easy mopping method.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you manage your wood floors, particularly with dogs?

We run a roomba every day on the main level where the dogs stay, but I haven't figured out a quick and easy mopping method.

The Rubbermaid Reveal mop. Love it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bought a cordless stick vacuum. Between sand from my kids shoes (playground) and dog hair my house was always trashed and I hate lugging out the big vacuum. I find hitting the high traffic areas with a stick vaccuum each day (Ok, some days) makes a huge difference. Plus its so lightweight, my preschooler can use it (and will actually go get it after he plays with playdoh).

My son has to clean up his toys each night. If not, I pack them up in a box and put them in the basement (only had to do it once). Wish my husband and I were as good about this as him.

I've been teaching my son that if he makes a mess, he cleans it up. He actually does it without urging sometimes.

I've started keeping some sort of cleaning wipe (some green product) in the bathroom to clean up after my son brushes his teeth.

I clean in increments. I hate cleaning the whole house. So I break it up into pieces (dust upstairs, dust downstairs, vaccuum upstairs, vaccuum downstairs, clean bathroom). The most effective times are when I just make it a habit to do a certain peice on a certain day, but I've gotten out of the habit).

At what age did you start having your son clean up his toys?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bought a cordless stick vacuum. Between sand from my kids shoes (playground) and dog hair my house was always trashed and I hate lugging out the big vacuum. I find hitting the high traffic areas with a stick vaccuum each day (Ok, some days) makes a huge difference. Plus its so lightweight, my preschooler can use it (and will actually go get it after he plays with playdoh).

My son has to clean up his toys each night. If not, I pack them up in a box and put them in the basement (only had to do it once). Wish my husband and I were as good about this as him.

I've been teaching my son that if he makes a mess, he cleans it up. He actually does it without urging sometimes.

I've started keeping some sort of cleaning wipe (some green product) in the bathroom to clean up after my son brushes his teeth.

I clean in increments. I hate cleaning the whole house. So I break it up into pieces (dust upstairs, dust downstairs, vaccuum upstairs, vaccuum downstairs, clean bathroom). The most effective times are when I just make it a habit to do a certain peice on a certain day, but I've gotten out of the habit).

At what age did you start having your son clean up his toys?

We started very young making a big production of it was time to put toys away - this was before he could walk. One day (in his early walking stage), he put the very last toy away and was so proud. So then we moved on to having him help. At age 4, we still "assist" as needed (which is needed when there are too many toys out and he gets overwhelmed) but make a certain portion of the toys his responsibility (aka - if he doesn't pick up the cars in the living room, they get taken away). He also has to be activly helping (if I find him playing, he gets a warning). If there are only a few toys out, he will do them all. We are working on putting toys away as we play, but some days that falls apart, especially with playdates. I do think the key is everything has to have a specific home that is easy for the kid to understand. We also let him help choose the homes of new toys, but we need to help - as he thinks "on the couch" is a good option.

The only day it fell apart was one day he wasn't putting something away. I gave him a warning and then had to start taking toys away. He was hysterical, wouldn't put the one toy down or away and wouldn't help. I kept saying "you have to put toys away". He cried harder and almost couldn't breathe. So I stopped to calm him down. It turns out that since the toy he was holding was new, he didn't know where to put it, so he froze - and then was afraid to put it down because mommy would take it. Since his hands were full, he couldn't put the rest of the toys away. Lesson learned for me. If he stops helping, remind and make sure he knows where to put the toy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe more of an organizing tip than cleaning, but when I fold sheets I fold them and use one of the pillowcases as a bag. Never hunting down a set of sheets again.

Was it you I got this tip from? If so, thank you. I started doing this and it has made my life so much easier! Well - that one small part of my life.

So glad so many of you like this tip. I have shared it before on another thread, so probably me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an anti-clutter FREAK and my husband is...let's say...not one! One thing that has really helped is a standing rule that when you leave one room, you look around to see if you should bring anything with you. For example: if my husband would look before he left the family room, he would realize that the empty cereal bowl and beer bottle should be brought up. Or, the day old newspapers left in the kitchen would be brought down to the recycling bins. Or, the shoes left in the foyer (a huge pet peeve of mine!) would be placed by the stairs so we know to take them up when its time to go upstairs. It literally takes 2 secnds but it prevents things from piling up!

We, and our husbands, must be clones!

I stack things that need to go up or down stairs right by the stairs, that way as someone is walking up or down, they should never be empty-handed. Of course, Dh can walk by a huge pile of things that need to be taken up or down.

I also keep a vinegar solution spray bottle and a pile of clean rags under every sink for quick cleans as needed.

[Anonymous]

To keep hardwood floors clean, I use a broom instead of a vacuum. Broom gets into corners better and I can also run it along the baseboards to dust those without bending over. I then use a Bissel steam mop to mop the floors on a regular basis. Quick and easy and no chemicals.

[Anonymous]

I've tried everything for wood floors and I've found the best thing for dog hair is a good old broom - use it every night. And maybe a swiffer (the secret is pushing with the swiffer so that anything that doesn't stick gets in a pile).

I occassionally "mop" with Method Hardwood floor cleaner, but our dog isn't that dirty, just sheds a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To keep hardwood floors clean, I use a broom instead of a vacuum. Broom gets into corners better and I can also run it along the baseboards to dust those without bending over. I then use a Bissel steam mop to mop the floors on a regular basis. Quick and easy and no chemicals.

I've been thinking about getting a steam mop. Are you happy with your Bissel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To keep hardwood floors clean, I use a broom instead of a vacuum. Broom gets into corners better and I can also run it along the baseboards to dust those without bending over. I then use a Bissel steam mop to mop the floors on a regular basis. Quick and easy and no chemicals.

I've been thinking about getting a steam mop. Are you happy with your Bissel?

LOVE IT! My MIL wants to get one and found that they are on sale at Target this week. There was also a $10 rebate coupon in the Sunday circulars over the weekend. I paid $80 for mine 2 years ago and she's getting a better model for $59.

I think it comes with two of the mop cloths and I bought extras for a total of 4 so I always have clean ones on hand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe more of an organizing tip than cleaning, but when I fold sheets I fold them and use one of the pillowcases as a bag. Never hunting down a set of sheets again.

If I knew you, I would kiss you.

Me too! This one is genius. Total genius.

[Anonymous]

Not a housekeeping tip, but a great tip nonetheless -- hide the candy and snacks in the Cream of Wheat (or other adult) cereal box.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a housekeeping tip, but a great tip nonetheless -- hide the candy and snacks in the Cream of Wheat (or other adult) cereal box.

YES! (mine are in an empty 'grits' container!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use those netted washer bags for socks - the kind that you use for bras and pantyhose. It keeps the socks all together in the wash and the dryer.

Wait! You don't have to hand wash your bras? That is like the bane of my existence!

[Anonymous]

Does the Bissell steam cleaner really clean, with no soap? How can just water get the floors clean?