How To Simplify Summer Cleaning

Girl on toy rocking horse.

How to simplify summer cleaning. Summertime, and the living is easy. If your kids are in year-round boarding school, that is.

If not, as moms everywhere know, living gets a lot wilder and dirtier with our little darlings at home all day. How will you (and your home) survive this constant onslaught of mud, fingerpaints, and toys?

Simple. Set your ground rules for summer now. And stick to them. Here is how to simplify summer cleaning in five easy steps.

1.  How To Simplify Summer Cleaning - Keep It (Them) Outside

When the weather is gorgeous, kids should be outside.  We're not raising moles here. No TV or video games during the day.

That rule alone should minimize toys strewn around the house and simplify summer cleaning, too.

2.  How To Simplify Summer Cleaning - Create A No-Shoes Zone

Stop dirt and sand at the door by having people remove their shoes before entering.
If that sounds a bit drastic, invest in a good door mat that's gentle on feet.

This rule will also minimize in and out traffic - especially if the kids are wearing sneakers they have to take time to lace up each time they want to come and go.

Inside, to make summer cleaning easier, place washable indoor rmats in high-traffic areas to prevent sand and dirt from being tracked from room to room. Even your little stomper can wipe shoes on entryway rugs or front door mats to protect floors and carpets.

3.  Enlist The Troops - It's How To Simplify Summer Cleaning

The major culprits in bedrooms, dining rooms, and living rooms are dust, tracked-in dirt, and clutter. Easy cleaning tasks for kids who can handle a vacuum and know where things go. Hand out chores for each kid. No weekend fun till chores are done.

4.  Tackle Cleaning As You Go

Forget cleaning day: Instead, try cleaning as you go; and further save time by breaking down big cleaning jobs into small tasks tackled daily. 

Trash on Monday; bathrooms on Tuesday; kitchens on Wednesday; laundry on Thursday; floors on Friday. And you're off for the weekend!

5.  Make A Month Of Menus

Figuring out what to cook for dinner occupies too much time and brain power. At the beginning of each month, ask each family member to write down his or her ten favorite dinners and his/her five favorite lunch and breakfast foods.

Get out your calendar and mark through the days when you're eating out. Then plug in your family's requests for the remaining days. Now you can shop by the week and make everyone happy - at least for a couple of meals a week. 

Practice prevention this summer when it comes to housecleaning and cleaning products. Show kids the safe way to use cleaning products when they go about their chores. Store your cleaning supplies safely out of reach of curious little hands.

Now that you know how to simplify summer cleaning, you can enjoy summer, too!







You Might Like These:

  • Is cleaning walls really necessary? After all, dust and soot fall to the floor, right? Most of it does, but the remnants warrant a yearly bath. Tips for cleaning walls.

    Tips for Cleaning Walls

    Is cleaning walls really necessary? After all, dust and soot fall to the floor, right? Most of it does, but the remnants warrant a yearly bath. Tips for cleaning walls.

  • The reason why we often get colds during the winter is not because of the weather. Being indoors plays a part. Here's how to prevent colds at home.

    How to Prevent Colds

    The reason why we often get colds during the winter is not because of the weather. Being indoors plays a part. Here's how to prevent colds at home.

  • Here's the dirt on cleaning to control allergy symptoms and prevent asthma and allergy triggers in your home so you and your family can breathe easier.

    Cleaning to Control Allergy Symptoms by Housecleaning

    Here's the dirt on cleaning to control allergy symptoms and prevent asthma and allergy triggers in your home so you and your family can breathe easier.

  • How to clean fitness trackers and smartwatches. Fitness trackers and smartwatches are designed to be worn for more extended periods. So, no surprise here, they get sweaty.

    How To Clean Fitness Trackers and Smartwatches

    How to clean fitness trackers and smartwatches. Fitness trackers and smartwatches are designed to be worn for more extended periods. So, no surprise here, they get sweaty.

  • When cleaning stainless steel pans, rinse your pieces under warm running water and mild soap. Resist the urge to submerge: Less is more here.

    Cleaning Stainless Steel Pans

    When cleaning stainless steel pans, rinse your pieces under warm running water and mild soap. Resist the urge to submerge: Less is more here.

  • If, despite all of your planning and motivating efforts, your kids don't get the job done, be ready with natural consequences for kids. Here are easy examples.

    Consequences for Kids Not Doing Chores

    If, despite all of your planning and motivating efforts, your kids don't get the job done, be ready with natural consequences for kids. Here are easy examples.

  • Allowance for kids chores: yes or no? There are many ways to motivate kids to help out around the house. Here are the basics to help you decide.

    Allowance for Kids Chores - Yes or No?

    Allowance for kids chores: yes or no? There are many ways to motivate kids to help out around the house. Here are the basics to help you decide.

  • Science can't explain it, but soft drinks, crumbs, and coffee are attracted to computer keyboards like magnets. Here's how to clean a computer.

    How to Clean A Computer

    Science can't explain it, but soft drinks, crumbs, and coffee are attracted to computer keyboards like magnets. Here's how to clean a computer.



Enjoy this page? Please pay it forward. Here's how...

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.