Get your home ready for the upcoming school year with these simple back to school cleaning tips. If you have school-aged kids, you know that the shift from summer vacation to the school year impacts all your routines–especially your cleaning routines. Everyone’s schedules get a little more hectic, which leaves less time for cleaning. With just a little preparation, however, you can bring some order to the chaos and keep your home clean and organized throughout the school year.
Get Rid of Too-Small and Rarely-Worn Clothes
Set yourself up for back to school cleaning success by minimizing clutter right from the start. Prioritize storage space for the clothes your kids can and will actually wear. Sit down with your kids and go through their closets and drawers to help them identify what fits and what doesn’t, as well as what they just don’t wear at all.
Set Up an Entryway Station for Shoes, Coats, and Backpacks
Once school starts, Seattle weather inevitably turns rainy. Prepare for muddy boots, wet rain jackets, and haphazardly dropped backpacks by creating a designated space for all of those items right in your entryway. This will stop dirt and mud from being tracked through your home. It also protects your hardwood floors and extends their life. You can check all eighteen of our entryway organization tips here.
Set Your Kids Up for Success with a Chore Chart
Back to school cleaning works best when the whole family is putting in the effort. Give your kids the best tools to contribute by setting up a chore chart with them before the school year begins, so they can get comfortable with the daily or weekly routine of cleaning chores. Check out this link for some cute chore chart ideas, with chore suggestions appropriate for all age groups.
Take Time to Relax
Don’t burn yourself out over the long school year. You don’t need to clean up immediately all the time. Let the dishes soak in warm soapy water in the sink after dinner while you and the family unwind with a favorite show or game. They’ll actually be easier to clean after a good soak, and you’ll have a built-in window of downtime every evening.
Make Back to School Cleaning Fun
Whether you’re cleaning with the kids or by yourself while the kids are at school, it’s important to keep cleaning as fun as possible. Cleaning is a necessary task, but we shouldn’t dread doing it! We recommend playing your favorite upbeat music and singing (and possibly dancing) along as you work. Another way to make cleaning more pleasant is to buy cleaning products with scents you really like–you’ll look forward to using them, and you’ll love relaxing in your home once the cleaning is done.
Get a Back to School Cleaning Reset for your home from Clean and Simple
If things got out of control over the summer, and you’re really not sure where to start with your back to school cleaning, let Clean and Simple Cleaning™ help! We offer customizable deep cleaning packages that will get your home clean and sparkling, and make it easier to maintain during the school year. Of course, we can help with maintenance cleaning, too, and save you even more time and peace of mind during the upcoming school year.
