2012 Third Quick Tip Week: Removing Ink Stains

October 15, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Darren Sacks)

Quick Tip Week continues! Hope this week of shorter posts highlighting one tip in each category helps you in using time wisely. For series already in progress, I will continue with the next segment following our Quick Tip Week. Embrace this week, add your tips in the comments, and continue using time wisely!

Quick Tip #2: Removing Ink Stains

As my 2-year-old waved around an uncapped ink pen, my shirt met the blue ink resulting in a stain. Thinking I would just soak the shirt, Paul suggested drawing out the ink using hairspray.

With the hairspray bottle in hand, I sprayed the soiled section, waited a few moments to activate, and then I pressed down paper towels on the spot. With each treatment, the stain became less visible until it disappeared after the fourth round.

Though I’m sure the OxiClean would have worked, I liked the immediate result of using hairspray when removing ink stains. Upon laundering, I found my shirt without ink or any residue from the hairspray. 🙂

In using time wisely, I spent less than 5 minutes removing ink stains from my shirt. If you find a stray ink mark on your clothing from a 2-year-old, test out the hairspray trick to save you money, energy, and time. Happy stain lifting!

Question: How do you remove ink stains?

Scheduling: Start with Your Nemesis

October 22, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

When my life gets out of control (and yes, that happens), I go back to the drawing board.

For me, the drawing board is a legal pad of paper. You see, my To Do list runs into multiple pages, but it releases my mind to focus 100% on one priority at a time.

As I assign the items on my To Do list to a day, I start with my nemesis. The thing I really care not to do but know needs to be done is at the top of my list.

The reasons I start with my nemesis, which is usually cleaning our bathrooms, include the following:

Saves Time Dreading my Nemesis

When I know that my 3 bathrooms need cleaning, I feel a weight on my shoulders. I waste time thinking about how much I really do not want to clean the bathroom, and how I will keep a little one entertained while I scrub away. But, when I start my cleaning with the bathrooms, then I am free to make progress without dreading my nemesis.

Spends my Energy Wisely

At the start of my To Do list, I have more energy to exert. Beginning with my bathrooms that need lots of attention, I work hard to get the tough job done first. As I get tired and worn out, I like having my bathrooms done because the other items on my list usually require less effort.

Spurs my Momentum

With the hard part accomplished, I can take on the other tasks like paying bills, sorting laundry, dusting, organizing my pantry, and vacuuming. These other items are finishing touches after my nemesis is complete. I get to the point where if I can get my nemesis complete, then I can surely do the next thing on the list. 😉

As you find life piling up around you and needing to get something accomplished, start with your nemesis. This process saves time dreading the nemesis, spends your energy wisely, and spurs your momentum. Take a break as needed, but then get moving. Happy accomplishing!

Question: What is your nemesis?

How to Make Cleaning Fun for Children – Part 1a of 3

October 29, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

I am not great at delegating. Whew . . . I said it. When it comes to working with children, I am learning how to teach my children while delegating responsibilities to them.

Sometimes allowing them to help is more work than just doing it myself, but I need to teach them to contribute.

In my family, the key is to make cleaning fun. From my many experiments, I will share in this series some strategies that work in my household.

Please share in the comments what you have found to work in yours as I’m learning and love the extra help.

How to Make Cleaning Fun for Children

Create a Game – Part 1a and 1b

Provide a Tool – Part 2

Give Non-monetary Rewards – Part 3

Part 1: Create a Game

My children love to play games. From matching to Candy Land to Sorry!, my children thrive on the goal of reaching the finish line. Moving this natural desire for accomplishment from a board to our house not only shows them how to apply their knowledge in one area to another, but also how to confidently take on new tasks.

Though any task can convert to a game, we play the following games while keeping our house organized and cleaned up:

Who Makes the Most Points?

With our top-loading washing machine, I love the extra help adding clothes to the washer. With the open washer acting as a basketball goal and backboard, my son and older daughter see how many items they can accurately “shoot” into the washing machine.

Though the tasks takes a bit longer than if I just loaded the clothes, those moments are filled with laughter, giggling, and “scores.”

A benefit for me is letting my children exert their energy while I monitor the process. They have a blast and enjoy helping. As they discover that household tasks are fun, they want to help more. 🙂

For a variation, allow children to pickup their dirty clothes and another clothes or towels around the house and “shoot” them into the laundry hamper or basket.

Where’s the Match?

My older daughter loves patterns, games, and puzzles. She sees patterns in everyday life, and I enjoy finding ways to encourage her and strengthen her desire to learn. A game she loves to play is matching the socks. When the basket of clean laundry arrives via Dad, brother, or Mom, she runs to find the socks.

At the beginning, I had her put them all in a pile. I then checked that all the socks were inside-out, then she began matching them. As she has grown, she is beginning to correct the socks before matching. This game has become her own in our house because “how dare anyone take her socks.” 🙂

In using time wisely, games like Who makes the most points? and Where’s the match? help to make cleaning fun for children. Empowered with the rules and the goal, they can seize the task and accomplish it while having fun.

In next week’s installment, I will share two additional games my children enjoy which helps me save energy and time. Happy playing while accomplishing!

Question: What tasks do your children find fun?

How to Make Cleaning Fun for Children – Part 1b of 3

November 5, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: iClipart

With cleaning and maintaining our homes, these tasks do not need to carry a “boring” or “dreaded” tagline. As my children enjoy a clean and organized home, Paul and I work really hard to help them own our home with us. We all pitch in to help keep our house clean and clutter-free.

Last week, I began this series on how to make cleaning fun for children by sharing two games we use while doing laundry.

These games can be adjusted to other items around your house because one way to spice up cleaning is by creating a game.

Part 1: Create a Game

The Who makes the most points? and the Where’s the match? games add variety and fun. In addition to these two games, our family also plays the following two games while doing a general pickup of our home:

Bucket in the Middle

With this game, we place a container (e.g., laundry basket, box, bucket, etc.) in the center of the room. Then we pickup all objects not in their place and place or toss them into the container.

The goal of the game is a general pickup. I can then distribute the items to each child for delivery to their rightful place.

For a variation on this game, we have everyone pickup 10 items and see who gets done first. Another change is to assign sections of the room to each family member and see which area has more items in the container. This game provides lots of fun options resulting in a cleaned, or at least picked up, space.

Stop. Set. Go.

This game is great for those few minutes before dinner is ready, right before bedtime, or when you need a few uninterrupted moments. (You know you need a little non-interrupted time within your day, don’t you. :-))

Just have everyone stop what they are doing. You choose the room that needs cleanup, set the timer, and go. Watch your children tidy a room to beat the clock. For small messes, I set the timer to 2 minutes. For larger messes, I start at 5 minutes. Usually, the project is done with time to spare.

Whether you choose to create a game of your own or try the Bucket in the Middle or Stop.Set.Go, get your family involved while making it fun for everyone. My children always want to help, and I continue to learn ways to encourage their willingness and teach them how to clean while making it fun. Happy playing!

Question: What games do you play to encourage your children’s help?

How to Make Cleaning Fun for Children – Part 2 of 3

November 12, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

During busy seasons, just giving my house a once-over is good enough to keep the dust bunnies away. When I know that I cannot get to the deep cleaning, I relax.

No need to worry and stress over a spic-and-span house since it just isn’t going to happen right now. However, I can enlist helpers to assist in a quick cleaning.

In part 1 of this 3-part series, I shared how to make cleaning fun for children by creating a game. Games are fun, but if the older child is winning every time, then the younger ones get discouraged.

To add variety to our household, we give our children a cleaning tool.

Part 2: Provide a Tool

To assist in cleaning our home, I keep a broom, mop, Scrubbing Bubbles, sponges, steam cleaner, buckets, disinfecting wipes, and numerous other items. These tools increase my efficiency which helps in using time wisely.

To make cleaning fun for children, I empower them with a cleaning tool and a responsibility. Armed with their tool, they own their job and enjoy getting our home looking nice. Three of the tools my children use are duster, magic eraser, and vacuum cleaner.

Duster

I keep 3 Swiffer dusters in my cleaning closet. Usually if one of my three children wants to dust, so do the others. To eliminate the “I asked Mom first,” I just keep three. When all three are dusting, I either assign them to a room or to a task.

If assigned by room, then they are not to invade each other’s space. If assigned by task, then they need to work together. My toddler loves to dust the baseboards. She can reach all of them and enjoys getting behind the furniture and under the tables.

Giving my toddler a task and my older two a room, the job gets done quicker. However, my toddler does not always hang in there as long as the other two. By combining the options, I have more flexibility. My choice one day will differ from another day depending on how my children are working together.

In keeping the cleaning fun, Paul jumps in to dust the ceiling fans as he reaches just fine. I, on the other hand, would need a chair. 🙂 I usually manage the cleaning routine and help as needed during the entire process.

Magic Eraser

My favorite cleaning tool ever is the Mr. Clean magic eraser! When I get that broom scuff on the wall or the crayon scribble on the table, the magic eraser restores the wall and table back to normal.

Though a bit tough to scrub, I allow my children to clean up the messes that require the magic eraser. My girls do a great job using this sponge to eliminate the crayon from their desks and craft table.

Vacuum Cleaner

Where my toddler runs from the “loud” vacuum cleaner, my older children love to vacuum the floors. With an upstairs vacuum and a downstairs vacuum, I can accommodate both of them. Of course, there is no quiet for my 2-year-old, but she survives. 😉

With a special tool like a duster, magic eraser, or vacuum cleaner, children want to help clean. For them, the use of a special tool is cool.

Now, my children are young, so these tools are big deals. If you have older children, then maybe a pressure washer, steam cleaner, or Swiffer mop might encourage them to do their chores while having fun (though they probably won’t admit it :-)).

As you work smarter rather than harder, make cleaning fun for your children, and they will ask for more ways to help. In using time wisely, a little planning for fun really pays off. Enjoy these times with your family while maintaining your home. Happy playing!

Question: What cleaning tools do your children want to use?

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