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Do you ever feel like you live in a toy store? Most families have a hard time avoiding mountainous eruptions of toys that trickle throughout their homes. There are ways to find a happy medium, so you don't have to feel like your house is being taken over by monster trucks, dolls, children's books and flashing musical instruments. We may not be able to hide our children's tracks through our home entirely, (and who would want to, anyway?), but we can keep toys in check with these simple organizational tips.
Less is Less
Children are all for having "too much of a good thing," but we can teach them how to scale back to keep everyone's life more sane! For every new toy or book that comes into your home, one should be donated to charity or put into storage if you plan on saving them for a younger sibling. Convincing your little ones to adhere to your "out with the old, in with the new" policy shouldn't be too difficult. Most kids will happily part with an older toy, as long as it doesn't have sentimental value, to welcome a new addition to their toy box. *Top Tip: Also keep in mind that toys aren't the end all be all in childhood entertainment. Spending time outdoors, in parks and museums and partaking in family activities rounds out playtime and cuts back on the need for tons of toys.
Enlist Kids to Help with Clean-up
Teach your children from a very young age to put away their toys and books when they've finished playing with them. A fun way to encourage this habit is to purchase bins for each type of toy: plush toys, musical instruments, Legos, trucks, etc. Take a picture of each set of toys, perhaps as your child plays or poses with them, and then tape the photograph to the outside of the bin. This will enable your child to see exactly where his toys need to go during clean-up.
Book Smart
Purchase a small bookcase to house all of your children's books. Make sure it is topple proof and sturdy before acquainting your child with her reading niche. Teach her to put away her books when she's finished reading them. Kids love to sort and stack books, so this activity will give them pride in their book collection, and help nourish their love of the written word.
Decide What "Look" You're Going For
Some parents want to camouflage their children's toys and belongings, while others are happy to have them out in the open as part of their home decor. If you want to maintain a more sophisticated home appearance, there are a variety of sleek baskets and containers that will conceal toys when they're not in use. You may also store toy containers under a bed or in a closet, and only take them out at playtime. If you're lucky enough to have a designated play area in your home, opt for cute, child-friendly toy storage boxes so your kids may easily access their entertainment. *Top Tip: Don't buy storage containers or toy boxes that have heavy lids or hinges, as you want to avoid any injuries from lids slamming closed or hinges pinching your child's fingers.
Routine Round-Up
Staying on top of toy clean-up and organization is essential. Daily maintenance is required so things don't get out of hand and you aren't tripping on remote controlled cars on your way to make dinner. Sometimes toy clean-up is required several times a day, but it is worth the effort to maintain a sense of decorum, and safety in your home.
If you're a parent, you know that life will never be the same now that you have children. In the same vein, our homes will always be touched by their wonderful musings. Go easy on yourself and your children if your home is less than perfect! The above tips should help you find a comfortable way to live amongst all of your children's gear and reverie!
Did you know that dryers are typically the biggest energy zappers in our homes?
There’s no better time than the summer season to let your laundry air dry in the sunshine. Even if you don’t have a sprawling backyard and clothesline, you can still hang your clothes to dry indoors on a rack in your basement, garage or other dry area. By doing so, you’ll not only save money on your personal electricity bill, you’ll also pitch in and help save the planet from global warming.
Line drying is beneficial for clothing, and may even prolong the life of certain garments. Tumble dryers can be rough on clothing, while line drying poses no wear and tear. We’ve all scratched our heads over unbelievably wrinkled, scrunched up clothing sometimes pulled from the dryer. When you shake out clothing and pull it taut before hanging it to line dry, wrinkles are eliminated. Sunlight acts as a natural bleaching agent, so whites get even whiter on the line. For this reason, turn bright colored clothing inside out, or hang vibrant items to dry indoors. If you think your clothes aren’t as cuddly when dried on the line, simply add fabric softener during your wash cycle to soften the load.
As you know, I’m all about re-purposing household items, and those dryer sheets will need a new job while you hang your laundry out to dry on clotheslines.
Here are ten clever ways to use your dryer sheets outside of the dryer:
- To leave a fresh scent in odorous areas, place a dryer sheet in the bottom of the diaper pail, under the liner of the kitchen trashcan, at the bottom of the laundry basket, inside stinky shoes, in your gym bag and under the seat of your car
- Dust your blinds with a dryer sheet and watch the dirt stick
- Pin a dryer sheet to your shirt while in the great outdoors, and it will act as a mosquito repellent.
- Wipe your television screen with a dryer sheet to remove static and dust
- Use a dryer sheet to clean soap scum off shower doors
- Rub a dryer sheet across your clothing or fabric furniture to collect and remove pet hair
- Next time you spill flour, powder, or sawdust, easily wipe it up with a dryer sheet
- Clean scissor blades with a dryer sheet to restore smoothness
- Place a dryer sheet in your luggage and clothes will smell laundry fresh throughout your trip
- Rid an old or used book of a musty odor by enclosing a dryer sheet between its pages
Most of the above work with used dryer sheets as well, minus some of the fragrance.
Summertime is the season of spontaneity. But when that entails last minute guests and your house looks like a cyclone just went through it, a call heralding unexpected visitors will likely leave you all tangled up in your hammock.
Haste doesn’t make waste when it comes to speed cleaning. There are several savvy tips that will make sudden house callers think you’re the Queen of Clean. So take a deep breath and away we go!
Basket Toss
Grab your laundry basket and bolt through the house tossing all stray items and clutter into it. Store it out of sight in a closet.
Break it down
Only focus on the key areas guests will inhabit. That’s typically the living room, guest bathroom, and kitchen. Closed doors are your best friends in times like these. If a room is simply too messy to tackle, shut the door.
Skip to Your Loo
Empty the trashcan in your bathroom. Clean all surfaces with a sanitizing wipe, swipe the toilet brush through your toilet and flush. It is times like these when the Kaboom® NeverScub Refillable Self-Cleaning Toilet Kit is especially handy!
Wipe down the mirror, store personal care items and toiletries, stock toilet paper and hand soap, and hang a fresh, clean hand towel.
You Can Stand the Heat, Move on to the Kitchen
Dirty dishes piled up in the sink? Load them into the dishwasher. If you don’t have one, stack them on a tray and put them in the oven. Hey, we’re in a hurry here! Wipe down counters, and if you have the time, slice an apple, sprinkle with cinnamon, and place in a small pan on the stovetop. Add enough water to cover the apples and then set to a low simmer. This will make your home smell divine!
The Main Drag
Guests will most likely be settling in your living room, so fluff the throw pillows and couch cushions, open the windows and turn on a fan to blow fresh air through. Vacuum the carpet or dry mop the hardwood floor with your Orange Glo® Mop. If you have pets, run a lint brush over your furniture to remove hair and then spray with FRESH 'N CLEAN® Deodorizing Upholstery & Fabric Refresher.
Set the Mood
If it’s evening, dim the lights and place a few lit candles throughout the house. This will create a relaxed environment and take the spotlight off any housework that still needs to be done!
Snow White really knew what she was doing when she swung open her windows to invite the sunshine indoors before doing her housework. Sure, she may have had a dozen squirrels and a flock of bluebirds helping her tidy her cottage, but streaming sunlight can do wonders as a cleaning sidekick as well. Not only does the sun act as a spotlight on dust and grime, the use of natural light will help save electricity. Just remember to close the blinds after cleaning if a hot day is in the forecast; as doing so will help keep your home cooler. You may not feel like whistling while you work around the house, but recycling while you work should lift your spirits. You can help our ailing planet by incorporating everyday household items into your cleaning repertoire. There are countless cleaning accessories lying around our homes, and with a little imagination we can find ways to use and reuse our existing materials, thereby eliminating waste.
Here are several ways to repurpose household items and recycle while you work:
Start Spreading the News
- Newspapers are good for much more than headlines. Instead of using paper towels, crumple up a sheet of newspaper and clean windows and mirrors to achieve streak free results.
- Line your dining room table with newspaper for effortless clean up if you’re having BBQ ribs or a similarly messy dinner. Newspaper lining also works well to keep the table tidy while doing arts and crafts projects. Bonus if the kids can read the comics while they play or eat.
- One of my favorite ways to use newspaper is to store and protect fragile stemware and dishes. Wrap each item in a sheet before boxing.
- A rolled up newspaper also makes for a trusty fly swatter!
Workout T-shirt
We all own raggedy, stained old T-shirts we’ll surely never wear again. Cut or rip them up, and use them as absorbent, durable rags. They may be reused over and over again and may be laundered after particularly dirty jobs.
Not Just Tough on Morning Breath
Think it’s time to trash your used toothbrush? Not so fast. After cleaning it with soap and hot water, or running it through the dishwasher, it may be used in a variety of ways. Use a toothbrush to:
- scrub hard to reach areas behind sink faucets
- scour grouting between tiles
- polish your silver
- clear dirt and dust from sliding door tracks
- clean garlic out of a garlic press
Sock it to You
Are stray socks piling up in the corner of your husband’s dresser drawer, never to meet their match again? Put them over your hands, spray with the cleaner of your choice, and start dusting.
Think before you toss old household items such as the ones highlighted here. Ask yourself, “Can this item be repurposed or used again?” By recycling while we do the housework, we will clean more than our homes; we’ll clean our planet as well.
