The best ways to clean a children's room (by getting them to help you)
The children's bedroom is often one of the most challenging rooms to clean: bringing back order among the toys and clothes scattered everywhere and then cleaning and sanitising the various surfaces for the good of our little ones certainly requires a special commitment, and not it is always an idea that we face willingly.
It can be useful, therefore, to transform it into a playful challenge in which to get help from children with games and competitions, in order to finish first and make them responsible for the correct maintenance of their room. Games, music and prizes can greatly motivate both children and adults, and doing the housework becomes a little less onerous for everyone.
Music and planning
Cheerful music is always the best antidote to boredom and listlessness, so look for the funniest albums and playlists that are also loved by children. Whether they are the soundtracks of the favorite films and animated series of the whole family, to be sung together, or some beloved song that you have handed down to your little ones: as long as they are rhythmic and nice, they help everyone to do things with the right sprint . Maybe avoid slow or melancholy songs and if necessary help yourself with playlists from streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and the like.
Plan some rewards, for you and for the children: to work hard knowing that, at the end of the job, something pleasant awaits us is always an excellent incentive for everyone. With a similar motivation everyone will want to hurry faster to complete their task: it could be a waiting play session, watching a movie all together, eating some goodies ... It depends on what you and your children want to do more that day. The important thing, however, is not to rush too much and do a superficial job only to finish more quickly.
Even if we don't realise it, making a list of all the tasks to complete before starting helps a lot: decide which are the things to prioritize, and distinguish even the most difficult tasks (which you will take care of yourself) from those that, on the other hand, can be easily carried out even by children. To make it a more playful affair, you can also write it down on a board or blackboard, which is there for all to see. Thus, as the various completed jobs tick, everyone will have a sense of fulfilling gratification. And maybe you can also think of some mini prizes in stages, or some playful and fun breaks before starting to tidy up again. If it takes too long to do everything in one day, and the kids can't keep up with the pace of a single cleaning session, split it up over several days during the week. Calculate well how to divide the workload, so that you can stick to the schedule.
Games to involve children in cleaning
Turning cleaning into a game is another great way to find the urge to clean the room, and actively involve children. There are various games to play, depending on the type of task that you have to complete: a time limit within which to finish everything, assign the victory to whoever gathers more objects in a certain period of time, do
Here are some games you could try with children:
- The Time Trial: This is the easiest game to make. Schedule a time limit within which to complete the task. It can be a game to be played once a week and try to improve performance or it can become a competition between children, perhaps to be traced with a scoreboard of the various records.
- You can also determine the winner based on who can store more items in their quarters in less time, and adults can supervise everything and also indicate how much time is left at regular intervals, a bit like coaches, to make the game even more fun. .
- Laundry sprint: you against the children, or a competition between siblings. When you have finished ironing and folding the laundry, entrust the little ones with the task of putting everything in the right closet, whoever finishes first wins.
- The role-playing game: acting a little while on cleaning is an idea that everyone likes a little. Together with the children you can impersonate characters such as the butler, Cinderella or any other figure you want. Memorable photos and videos could even come out!
- The drawing of lots with dice: are there any chores that nobody wants to do? Use some method of drawing lots, such as dice. Associate each number with the relative matter, so as to help you wash, dust and tidy up.
- The game with music: since you will probably have background music, use it to play the beautiful figurines. You will be in control of the music, and when you pause it, everyone will have to freeze in the position they were in. The result will be some hilarious poses, all to be immortalized. The cutest pose could be rewarded in the end.
- Hidden rewards: in the case of a longer and more demanding cleaning session, you might hide some pleasant surprises in the points to be tidied up, a bit like a treasure hunt.
Where to start?
The cleaning order of any room is always more efficient if you start from the top. You start, therefore, to dust and then clean the most remote points of the room, gradually proceeding towards the floor.
Then remove everything on the bed, possibly even removing the sheets if necessary, washing them, and making the bed so that it is well-ordered. That alone always makes it seem like you've finished half the work.
Put the clothes in order on the floor and scattered around: put away the clean ones, folding them well and throw in a basket that you will have placed in the center of the room those that will end up in the washing machine. Generally, if they have spent some time on the floor, it is always better to clean them twice rather than putting something dirty in the cupboards and drawers. Before starting the washing machine, make sure you have finished cleaning the whole room, socks and other clothes may always come out to add to the laundry.
If there are dirty dishes or toys to wash, take them to the kitchen: there should never be any food residues that attract ants and insects, nor can you leave around toys often handled by children without washing them every now and then, so as to ensure adequate hygiene .
Bring the rubbish baskets into the room or immediately outside, especially the one for collecting paper and cardboard, so as to immediately differentiate all the garbage that is generated by cleaning the bedroom. Remember to check under the bed and the various furniture, as well as around and inside the bedside tables and drawers.
How to order
After clearing the room, and before cleaning, put away everything you find around according to what has already been said. Always start with larger objects and move on to smaller ones and put together all similar ones that you do not know where to store, perhaps providing a surface on which to gather them or a box in the center of the room. You will then sort them out at the end, so as to avoid wasting time.
In any room, even the children's room, it is always nice to leave the most significant things in sight: ornaments, toys, prizes that are in plain sight are a way to personalize the space.The important thing is to avoid every shelf and shelf being overcrowded of objects.
When you make a sorting of this kind, then, you also realize any broken pieces, to be fixed, now useless or superfluous: it can therefore be an opportunity to decide whether to throw away something or donate something else.
Cleaning
The first thing to do is to dust, always starting from the top in order to gradually accumulate the dirt at the bottom and avoid going twice in the same spot. Remove the bulk by hand yourself with dust-proof cloths or microfibre cloths, and then vacuum: if it is a handy tool, children could help you pass it on the ground. If you have a fan, turn it off before you start dusting.
Then comes the time to wash the surfaces: use products suitable for the type of material, for example avoiding vinegar on waxed or lacquered wood. Also pay close attention to the substances with which children can come into contact: unless they are all delicate and the children are not old enough, this phase will be done without them, and better if wearing gloves.
In fact, in the children's room it is better to use disinfectants: vinegar, bleach, hydrogen peroxide or even disinfectant wipes (perhaps the do-it-yourself reusable ones, more environmentally friendly), so as to maintain a healthy environment for our little ones. Ventilate the room well during cleaning, opening windows and curtains to change the air and let in the light.
Don't forget to sanitise knobs, handles, and switches, which are some of the most germ- and bacteria-ridden surfaces in any room and should be sanitized once a week. Then move on to the windows and any mirrors, so as to make them shine again as new, and periodically also take care of the fixtures: the door and window frames are filled with dust and maybe even some encrustations of dirt to be removed with sponges or old toothbrushes .
Finally wash on the floor and let it dry, avoiding entering the room until all traces of humidity from the floor have disappeared. Now is the time to enjoy your well-deserved reward!
