Schools out for summer and whether you are in the love it or hate it camp, those with children know it will definitely mean more of one thing, mess! You thought I was going to say noise? Or maybe love? Yes, there will be plenty of that too but the mess is relentless isn’t it? I know there is going to be a trail of destruction working it’s way through the house each day. Not to mention the washing! With all the lovely recent weather I reached the bottom of not one, but three washing baskets. I didn’t have enough room to put all the clean clothes away once I was done however, but it’s the little things! Every year I am surprised at how happy being able to hang a big load of washing up outside makes me. Is that an old thing or a Mum thing?
Recently we have been using Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent. With three kids and a sports loving fiancé (Yes I still love that word) we have been putting it through it’s paces. With it’s natural ingredients I wasn’t sure if it would be up to the challenge post boys playing football. But it has pleasantly surprised me. Not only that but it has been great for mine and Ava’s sensitive skin. I’ve noticed an improvement in the dryness to the tops of her arms since making the switch. So when I was asked if we would like to try more of their products I was probably more keen than I should have been.
Seventh Generation sent me a huge hamper which you can win too but I will come back to that in a bit.
I try and time save with my cleaning as much as possible. Unpacking the dishwasher when the kids have breakfast. Giving the bathroom a quick wipe around when they are playing in the bath. I now feel more confident doing that when they are in the same room as I know I’m not using harsh chemicals around them. The boys love spraying and wiping up the table for some strange reason and the multi purpose spray is completely safe for them to use. We have been teaming it with e-cloths for a much more environmentally friendly approach. The toilet cleaner is also working a treat on the boys stinky toilet without an overpowering bleach smell, which I usually hate. I thought having no fragrance wouldn’t work but somehow it does!
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Did you know that retailers by law don’t have to disclose what is in cleaning products? Check out the #comeclean campaign that Seventh Generation are running.
Disclosure – this is a collaborative post with Seventh Generation. We were sent the products photographed for the purpose of this review. All words, opinions and images are my own
105 Comments
Clean as you go especially when it comes to your kitchen and bathroom. While cooking, be sure to wipe surfaces as you go and place utensils and bowls used during prep in the sink. Cleaning spills on your stovetop as they happen will help prevent crusted-on stains to deal with after dinner. Similarly, make sure to wipe away any soap scum or toothpaste on your bathroom sink daily. Keep basic cleaning supplies throughout your home to help build this habit and for easy access.
Use baby wipes on stainless steel and dental floss to get behind cooker knobs
GET INTO A ROUNTINE SO THAT WHATEVER DAY IT IS YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR CLEAN TO DO
During the week I set the alarm 10 minutes early specifically to do a few cleaning chores, so that it doesn’t build up and hang over my head
always keep to a set routine especially with kids it will soon get out of control if u dont
Clean as you go or just spend a few minutes doing something during an advert break.
Let your dog lick the plates – it’s like a free pre-soaking.
do it little and often
best time saving tip is to get someone else to do it! Even though my dishwasher is my favourite friend, the best tip I have is to do a little a day, otherwise it all builds up!
have a designated day of the week for each task
Line the bottom of the microwave with 10 or so paper towels to protect the turntable. Take the top one off after each use.
I like to line baking trays etc with the reuseable oven liner sheets you can buy. Much easier and time saving to wash or put in dishwasher than having to scrub baked on spills.
Lining the bottom of the waste bin with a couple of sheets of paper kitchen towel is also a good idea as it absorbs any liquid , can be quickly removed and saves time having to wash out the bin A few drops of scented disinfectant on them keeps your bin smelling fresgh too
Do some every day so thigs don’t get on top of you
Save time by getting all the kinds involved !
Clean while you are on the phone
LEAVE THE SPRAY ON FOR A FEW MINUTES, LET IT SOAK IN THEN SCRUB !
Have everyone help out and clean as you go along and set a time limit to get the work done faster
I clean up after everyone, and I wash saucepans and utensils while waiting for my dinner to cool down for 5 minutes, I clean the shower while its all steamy after its been used so its easier too xxx
Roll up new bin bags and leave them in the bin under the current bin bag. It is easy to replace the old bin bag then without having to hunt for bin bags.
Bicarbonate of soda cleans most things and despises too cheap and effective
Use your washing powder as a general cleaner. It really cuts through dirt, grime and grease. Very good on shower trays, baths and sinks. Put some down the loo and watch the stains disappear, no need for other high priced cleaners.
Little and often and tidy as you go
Leave the cutlery at the bottom of the sink while you wash everything else, by the time you get to it, it hardly needs washing at all
START EARLY SO NO INTERFERENCE
Always keep on top of it
Make it a family task, by giving each family member chores
Get your husband to do it!
Don’t try and do everything at once, little and often is the key
Keep on top of it
Don’t leave things too long do a little everyday
Clean your blinds using an old sock over your hand…dipping it in a solution of equal parts water to vinegar and wiping swiftly.
clean as you go – dont let it build up. Then when its time for a ‘deep clean’ it wont be so bad
Share it out. We all have specific tasks in our household for which we are responsible day to day. That way it soesn’t seem so bad.
Clean as you go, do a bit each day. I often give the bathroom a quick clean after I’ve used it to save myself doing the whole house – same with the kitchen
Daily keep on top of things and do a proper clean once a week so won’t take so long
Have a routine and don’t get side tracked
I do a deep clean on a friday and then just a general daily clean which only takes around half an hour.
tidy up as you go
Make sure everyone cleans the bath or sink after they have used it.
Clean as you do so that it doesn’t build up
blitz the place the tidy up as you go
Get the whole family to help, so it’s not just left to one person.
clean up stains as soon as they are made as it`s only going to be worse to deal with if you leave it
Never leave anything till the next day! If you clear up as you go, you never get in a mess. I learned that the hard way lol.
Do a little every day so it doesn’t get overwhelming x
Don’t put off what you can do today or it will all mount up
do a bit each and every day never leave anything until the net day
Clean up as you go
give everyone in the family their own cleaning tasks
clean as you go, it makes it easier!
do it as you o along.
Do a big spring clean then do bits everyday so it doesn’t build up.
A quick cleaning tip for the bathroom is after showering or bathing always dry your tiles/panel/shower doors and bath! This will keep it shining and you won’t be left with messy water marks
Just to keep on top of your chores.
If you haven’t used something in 6 months, you don’t need it!
Get everyone in the household involved and stick some good music on. A good deep clean once a week and little and often during the week.
Do 1 room at time, music to keep you moving
Always leave your toilet brush overnight in the toilet in bleach
My best time saving tip is to dust/polish or wipe down the kitchen when you are on the phone, it’s amazing how much cleaning you can get done during a good gossip!
To keep your fridge fresh and a great oudoor cut a lemon in 2 and place on the top and bottom shelve. Replace fortnightly or monthly
dont let the dirt build up – best to clean a little and often
I’ve been trying to think of a good answer, and then told my partner about this competition and question. She laughed. She does it all, no wonder I can’t think of anything to put. Stupid MS, I really can’t do much at all now. How about – Don’t leave it all until it gets too big a challenge to cope with in one session.
Wipe it up before it sets hard
put some music on and be happy – time flies when I clean and dance at the same time
put some music on and be happy – be prepared – have everything you need to clean each room in its own little caddy
Leave a fabric conditioner sheet in the bottom of your bin, under the bag – it will collect any liquid and make the bin smell better.
I am a big fan of wipes (the eco friendly sort) and do little bits as I go so there is never that dreaded feeling of having to find the energy for a spring clean.
If you give things a wipe over every day, especially in the kitchen, you won’t get a build up and it will always be easy to clean.
First start by cleaning the top then work your way downward as the dust tend to go down. Vaccum the floor the very end.
Try and do some every day
Sounds simple but never let the cleaning list pile up! I try to keep on top of it by allocating a few hours a day for specific tasks so it doesn’t build up and get too overwhelming !
Wash sauce-pans directly after using, to stop them getting encrusted with any baked-on food, or if already encrusted, leave to soak for a while, before washing-up, to soften any baked-on food.
do a little bit at a time so it dont build up
Always clean top to bottom on a Saturday and pick up after myself during the week
Mines has to be don’t stress if you don’t get it all done in one day take your time.
Put dirty dishes and pans in to soak while you do other jobs.
best time saving tip is to allocate days for chores, then I dont forget. I usually do the chore first thing to give me the rest of the day to enjoy myself or I think about it all day and stew that I havent done it.
Get your wife to do it
Tidy up before going to bed than the house looks nice in a morning and you get get straight into big jobs
little and often – don’t set yourself too large a task!
i do it everyday
Invite people over – I get more done in a mad hour before guests turn up than I do at any other time 🙂
Best tip is to clean as you go along and teach your kids to – saves loads of time in the long run.
Set yourself manageable goals and don’t try to do it all at once.
Use the right tools, you shouldnt need to scrub at things if you have good equipment!
Get all the family joining in!
My best tip is to tidy away after yourself every day, so you don’t end up with tons of clutter and mess to deal with on your days off.
Lemon heated in the microwave is magical spills melt away.
Little and often so its not such hard work 🙂
Treat even a small spill/splash stain straight away, before it becomes set in the fabric or garment.
Do some every day
clean up as you go along then less mess later
Clean top to bottom then hover, so the dust is always going down.
Fabric Softener and water in a spray bottle, spray a little on each radiator and turn on the heating, your home smells beautiful and fresh!
Do a little bit every day.
always clean as you go makes cleaning so much easier
Use wipes for a quick clean and don’t let it build up
I button the top button of jeans and trousers before washing. It makes ironing so much easier.
My time-saving tip is to have loads of bin-liners for organising things as you pick them up.
Things to throw out, things to recycle, things to put away in this room, things to put away somewhere else, and most importantly: things you need to think what to do with.
As many categories as make sense to you, but the last is important because making those kinds of decisions requires, I find, a totally different mindset to the one for cleaning. If I try to do that *and* clean, I get stuck and everything takes 3 times as long.
And use white bin liners rather than black ones because you can see through them, so you won’t get them mixed up.
Get the kids to help out and set them challenges, with rewards for each task they’ve accomplished. Obviously they need to be small tasks – I’m thinking dusting the TV or polishing the coffee table, not mopping the kitchen floor! 🙂
i always keep on top of it also my lil ones earn pocket money helping
Baby Wipes! I use them for everything when im in a rush x
bribe the kids t0 do it
Do a bit every day and it never builds up
I try to do a bit every day around the kids and then have a big old clean once a month to do the bits that I never get around to doing. It’s always a struggle for time though and I really miss having a cleaner!