Summer can be a magical time - sunny days at the beach, barbeques with friends, children running in and out from the garden with all sorts of treats in their hands.
It may be a wonderful season full of the unexpected, but it can also be the messiest time for your house.
Sand and grass get everywhere, constant showers after a hot day leave the bathroom in turmoil, and sticky ice-cream fingers are all over your good upholstery.
Here are some tips to help you stay on top of house cleaning, so you can enjoy more family time this summer.
Tidy as you go
It can really pay off in the long run to be well-organised, when it comes to clearing extra things away as you go. The last thing you may feel like doing after a long day at the beach with the family, is putting away the mountain of things that came with you. However, this will only take a few minutes and means you don’t have to worry about a messy house later in the week. Call all the kids and have everyone pitch in. Gather all the dirty clothes and sandy towels and organise them for washing; put away all the clean clothes and toiletries, and return the suitcases to storage if you’ve been away.
Summer sweeping
Your floors really get a right going over in the summer - sand, grass, mud, you name it. When in doubt, sweep. Running a brush over the floors every day will help you feel on top of the cleaning chores, and means that you’re not facing a much bigger job after leaving it for a week.
Use a chore chart
Keep a chore chart in an area that is visible by the entire family. In the morning, after breakfast, have everyone choose a chore and take care of it right away so you will have the rest of the day to play and enjoy summer. It might feel like a huge task pinning the kids down for even half an hour when the sun is shining, but they might even have fun with in after a while, and it’ll make all the difference to your home.
Organise the entryway
With the sun shining it’s inevitable that your kids will be in and out of the house many times during the day. Try to organise a space near your front door to have an area for all the items the kids might need for playing outside - a pair of easy slip on shoes, light coats for rainy spells, sunscreen. Make this the designated area for all outdoor gear, and maybe even get the kids to make a colourful sign to make it fun as well as organised.
Image via Pinterest.
