Summer Cleaning Hacks for Families

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Messes don’t take a break, especially as spring turns into summer and pollen is everywhere. However, we don’t want to spend all of our time cleaning. The key is to keep the house (inside and out) tidy as we go and then it is easy to clean the house to set the stage for an amazing summer party.  Today I’ve partnered with Clorox to give you some tips!

So, we implemented some summer cleaning hacks that get everyone involved and cut the cleaning time in half.  The best part? We have a lot of fun doing them and there are very few kid-complaints because they know at the end, we get to enjoy a fun family activity together.

Did you know that when our homes are clean, we feel happier?   When we are happier, we are more likely to invite friends over, host a gathering (summer BBQ anyone?) or just get together with friends.

Clorox conducted research to validate the true impact of clean beyond getting rid of dirt and mess. The findings reveal cleaning and clean spaces make us happier, more productive and less stressed out.  And that impact actually goes beyond our own feelings to how we engage with others and our communities. The real power of clean is that it leads to greater empathy and strengthens our connections and willingness to help others in our communities.

The research findings also underscore the importance of clean for children. Not only do clean spaces help children be more productive, cleaning teaches children critical empathy, compassion and connection skills.  Personally, I want our children to see me cleaning and know that I am doing it because I am taking care of my family. I want them to see that I take pride in the things that I own and that I work to take care of those things.  This teaches hard work-ethic and it shows them that when we spend time taking care of our home, we can enjoy time together afterward. Cleaning sets the stage for our family to enjoy movie nights, dinners, and summer barbecues.

Here are five of our favorite summer cleaning tips.

Bathrooms

The bathroom is key to a clean home.  Remember that almost everyone that enters your house for a or get-together will have to use the bathroom at some point.  My tip is to clean the bathroom daily with Disinfecting Wipes (just a quick wipe-down is enough to keep it clean until your weekly deeper-cleaning.). Wipe the countertop, the bathroom seat, and under the toilet seat.   This will keep the weekly chores down to just a few minutes of time. Then, once a week, I clean the bathroom with more of a “deep cleaning” attitude with the Clorox®Scentiva™ Bathroom Disinfecting Foamer Spray.

TIP:  Scents play on emotions, a lot, so to bring out a happy feeling of being in a Pacific Coconut Paradise, I have been using the newest Clorox®Scentiva™ scent:  Pacific Breeze & Coconut ™.   It helps you clean, deodorize and disinfect so you can transform your bathroom into a mini oasis, perfect for summertime.

Clean the Porch

With bathing suits and sunscreen on, let the kids wash the chairs with washcloths and water (to get the pollen off).  Then I just take Clorox® Regular Bleach with CLOROMAX™ technology and clean them once more.  It keeps the porch free of mold and mildew, so it always looks nice and welcoming. Since we live on a cul-de-sac, most of the guests end up sitting here to watch their kids play, so it is important that I keep it looking nice and welcoming so everyone can relax and enjoy.

3.  Window Washing Race

The cooler months bring plenty of indoor window washing, but the summer is a great time to clean the outside.  With a spray bottle of vinegar and water, let the kids spray down the windows that they can reach. Have timed races to see who can finish all of their windows first. By turning it into a game, there’s far less complaining.  

TIP: Crumble newspaper into a ball in place of paper towels.  It works so well and leaves no residue!

Bike Wash Stations

I don’t know about your kids, but ours love to ride their bikes when the weather is nice.  A great way to keep them clean by setting up a Bike Wash Station (think car wash for bikes!) in the driveway. Have buckets, dishcloths, and sponges for washing and rinsing, as well as vinegar and water spray bottles for shining up the chrome.  Grab some dollar-store toothbrushes (get 6 for $1) so they can get around the bike spokes.The bonus is that the driveway gets hosed off and cleaned, too!

TIP: Have them wash the car after they wash their bikes! Our kids LOVE to wash the car! 😉

Timed Tidying

Like the window washing races, another idea that we do in our house is a 5-minute pick-up OUTSIDE. With a timer set to five minutes, we straighten up the patio and porch, put away toys, store bikes, and put shoes away.  When we all work together, our outdoor space is clean in no time. I love our back screened-in-porch, but when it is cluttered with toys or shoes, it drives me CRAZY. This literally takes 3-5 minutes to clean, at the most, so it’s no big deal to do this once or twice a day.

If we “beat the clock” and have everything done before the timer goes off, we have a few extra minutes for a board game or to watch a show that we all love (like a kid’s cooking show).

Cleaning doesn’t have to be a something that the kids dread if you turn it into a game.  The quicker and more efficient you are in getting things done, the more time you’ll have to spend with the ones you love doing the things you want to do.

Happy summer cleaning!

Ps- join my declutter list and I’ll send you a declutter challenge (free) and send you my free cleaning printables. 🙂