Housecleaning

Early one Sunday morning I found my 4-year old in the kitchen emptying the dishwasher. He had most everything put away with some things left on the counter because he couldn't reach the cabinet with his stool. I was shocked, and then I realized our good fortune. I have two new housecleaners to help.

My theory on housecleaning is a 3 step process:

1. Take a half hour at the end of each day to do surface cleaning. Pick up toys, papers, dishes, etc and wipe surfaces with disinfecting wipes. 

Practicing with their vacuum.

2. Deep clean once a week, which means vacuum, dust, sweep, etc. 

3. Every 3 months dejunk. It's easier to get rid of stuff than find a bigger house. 

Now that my sons are old enough to help I have found jobs for each of them in each of the three steps. The boys pick up their toys at the end of each day, and they are learning to make their beds. It's better to teach them young, so it's something that they will remember always doing. It's like brushing their teeth. When it's time to deep clean the boys dust. They help me vacuum, but only after I already have a turn. The dejunking is a little tougher because they don't want to get rid of any of their toys. Instead we have tubs that we put toys away in and then switch them with other toys from the basement. 

"A place for everything and everything in its place." Benjamin Franklin