The Maid's Day Off. . . Or Maybe Not: Tips For Getting Your House Cleaned With Children
Posted on: 9 February 2015
If you have young children, you know the constant battle of trying to keep your house clean. In addition to basic chores such as laundry, dishes, and vacuuming, there is also the constant trail of toys, crumbs, and destruction that inevitably follows little people. You spend all day trying to clean one room, only to walk into the next and find a disaster area. Then, you have to start the whole process over again. You may be wondering if hiring a house cleaning service is even a feasible option. Here are some ideas for getting your house cleaned and still allowing your children to live there.
1. Make sure that your children are not home when the housekeeper arrives. If it is the first time for you to have your house professionally cleaned, make arrangements for your children to be away while you walk the housekeeper through what needs to be done. For subsequent appointments, you are generally welcome to be gone as well. Go on a play date, take them shopping, or take a walk in the park. Whatever you do, just get them out of the house.
2. Enlist your children's help in preparing for the weekly cleaning. Even young children can take some responsibility for picking up their own toys. By encouraging them to take part in the process, they are more likely to help you keep things a little neater in between cleanings. You can also develop a system for making sure that they are helping by setting aside a box, and having the housekeeper put any toys that are not in designated areas into the box. For your child to earn these toys back, they have to do a better job of picking up the following week.
3. Have the housekeeper focus on the weekly things. As a parent, you know that there are certain tasks that simply cannot wait a week to be done, such as sweeping, vacuuming, and laundry. Choosing to have the housekeeper focus on things like dusting, mopping, and bathrooms will free up your time and give you the opportunity to feel better about the cleanliness of your home.
4. Keep your weekly appointment. By making the weekly house cleaning a habit, you can help your children to get into a routine of keeping it that way. As your family gets used to having a clean house, they may even decide that they like it that way!
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