Most of us tend to flinch when we hear house cleaning, especially if we’re used to doing it all on our own.
With so much to do in terms of effort and little time available to get it all done, it’s no wonder that house cleaning is one of the most dreaded chores homeowners face. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
The best solution is to find a dependable company to keep your living space clean and tidy at all times.
However, if this is not an option or for some reason is off the table this month, there is no reason why one person should bear the brunt for the whole family.
In today’s article, we break down smart ways to involve all members of the household and share the burden of house cleaning.
Not only will turning it into a collaborative effort make the whole process much more manageable, but it will also turn an activity everyone wants to avoid into a bonding opportunity.
How to get the family to help clean?
Have you spent the whole weekend cleaning your home when you could have gone out and had some fun? House cleaning is a task too demanding to fall on one person’s shoulders.
As the saying goes, many hands make light work, and it’s no different with housekeeping chores.
The secret is to make the process feel less tiresome and more like a shared and, at times, fun activity where everyone does their bit and benefits from a sense of accomplishment. Here are 6 ways you can make it work:
1. Be positive
The most important thing when you’re approaching a task you’d rather delay or avoid is to stay positive and lead by example. With a positive attitude, everything becomes that much easier.
Before you get started, try to explain why keeping the home clean is everyone’s responsibility and how you can all benefit from embracing the challenge head-on.
2. Inject a bit of fun into it
There is no getting around it, house cleaning is dull. With its repetitive nature and elbow grease needed to pull it off, house cleaning is hardly fun but there are ways to make it more entertaining and make time pass faster.
You can play upbeat music or a podcast the whole family likes to take your mind off cleaning. If music isn’t your thing, you can try turning it into a game and challenging your loved ones to beat the timer.
3. Assign age-appropriate tasks
When you’re delegating tasks, it’s crucial that you take into account everyone’s age. Since house cleaning is composed of numerous smaller tasks, there is a chore for everyone.
Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can expect from your little ones and at what age:
Toddlers aged 2-4: At this age, kids become frustrated and lose concentration easily, so it’s important that you keep them engaged with simple tasks like picking up toys, putting their clothes back in their place, picking up the trash, or wiping smooth surfaces with a microfiber cloth.
Young children aged 5-9: This is the perfect age to let your kids take on more responsibility. Tasks like dusting, setting the table, making the beds, fluffing the pillows, placing the dishes in the washer, and taking care of pet areas don’t require too much physical effort and are a perfect stepping stone for future house cleaning routines.
Preteens and teens aged 10-16: Older kids can take on more complex and demanding tasks, including vacuuming, doing the laundry, cleaning the tiles, damp mopping, or cleaning the inside of the refrigerator. It’s also smart to ask them to pick out their tasks themselves because kids usually start craving autonomy at that age.In the case of too much laundry, you might opt for a laundry service with commercial dryers and have your teens fold the clothes after.
4. Set a schedule
Creating a weekly or daily cleaning schedule that integrates seamlessly into the family’s lifestyle is a good way to establish a family routine.
Consistency and predictability will prevent an overwhelming mess from piling up and give everyone a chance to make plans ahead.
5. Establish a reward system
Depending on what your family likes, involving incentives is always a shortcut to making everyone more interested in house cleaning.
While praise and acknowledgment can work the first time around, you’ll likely have to raise the stakes to keep kids involved in the future.
You can consider incentives like family movie nights, ordering their favorite food like pizza or burgers, treating them to their favorite sweets or snacks, or extending their video game time by an hour or two.
6. Celebrate progress together
Besides rewards, taking a moment to admire the results as a family is a good way to appreciate the job well done and reinforce the value of teamwork.
Since house cleaning goes much faster and becomes more enjoyable when everyone pitches in, fostering a team-oriented mindset will strengthen the family bond and teach the value of cooperation.
