Spring Cleaning with Kids

Well guys, Spring has finally sprung. There is just something about the sunshine and birds chirping that is so refreshing, especially after a long, cold winter. A clean home is just as refreshing. That spring cleaning checklist can be overwhelming though, am I right? To lighten the load, and just as a general rule, I try to get the kids involved. They seriously love to "help". Don't get me wrong, they definitely don't enjoy helping with everything on my spring cleaning list; but there are some things the kids seem to find exciting. Teaching my kids what it takes to take good care of a home is something I strive to do. Spring cleaning is a great opportunity to teach them things they may not see you do on the day to day basis. Sometimes  it's the simple things that are the most fun! Here are some easy things the kids can help you with this spring.

Washing Windows

We love to use this recipe to wash windows:

1 Cup Vinegar

1/4 Cup Dawn Dish Soap

1 Liter (ish) Warm Water 

 All you need is this mixture, a bucket, a washcloth, a towel, & a squeegee. Our kids love to scrub the windows with the soapy washcloth, and using the squeegee is their fave! They can also help measure the washing mixture & pour it into the bucket. 

Cleaning Mattresses

Sprinkle some baking soda on the mattress and get that vacuum out! The kids think its super fun vacuuming the mattress. Not sure why, but I think it is because vacuuming a mattress just seems silly, and out of the norm. 

Shower and Bath 

We have super hard water here in Eastern Washington, its awful! On our glass shower doors we use vinegar mixed with Dawn Dish Soap, heated up and sprayed on to be left overnight. The kids love spraying ANYTHING, and I let them put their bathing suits on and get in while the water is running to help scrub it all off. Don't forget the squeegee at the end! 

Baseboards/walls

Our baseboards, as well as the majority of our walls are white. We use a Magic Eraser to get all the scuffs and spots off. Honestly, I think the only reason my kiddos love this is because they get to use a "MAGIC" Eraser. Hey, if they're helping I'll call it a win! I just give them one and we tackle each room together. Before we use the eraser I usually use a microfiber cloth and some dusting spray. PRO TIP: Don't get the knock off brand Magic Eraser! They don't work and you will end up using twice as many! 

Dusting 

This one is pretty self explanatory. In the spring I usually take down all of my home decor on my shelving and dust those hard to reach places. The kids love to spray the dusting spray as well as help to wipe it off. One thing I let my daughter do this year, is take a picture of how the shelf was arranged before we took everything off. She loves to take pictures, and enjoyed telling me where to put everything back when we were done.

Hope this helps to get you into the spring cleaning mood. Thank you so much for reading! I'll be posting my favorite spring cleaning playlist soon on my insta page so keep an eye out! Happy cleaning! 

-Kaci