Brought to you by Sabco.
Confession: I’m a messy, creative person. I leave things where they shouldn’t be. There’s always one stray pair of shoes of mine in the house, or to be more honest, in every room. You can tell where I’ve been.
BUT while I may be messy, I am clean. A clean freak even. I like things to be very, very clean. So, it’s with stupidly eager excitement I bring you this VERY thorough spring cleaning guide thanks to my friends at Sabco. It has everything in it; from the checklist, to the tips, to the products, the musical playlist, the job incentives for kids, AND a giveaway.
This is a spring cleaning guide that only takes one day, not even a whole day. It’s the speediest of the cleaning guides, and it involves the kids… because it can be a fun thing to do with kids. In my experience kids love getting involved in it all, especially when you make it fun. I used some Sabco kid-sized gear for the kids, and it made them clean all the things, and of course I let them.
THE PRODUCTS
Let’s talk products; the girls used the below Sabco products. Sabco doesn’t officially have a kids-size range, but were kind enough to send me a specially made kids kit to help you get the kids involved (scroll down to see how you can enter to win a kit for your own kids!). There’s a mini microfibre dusting glove {it requires zero elbow grease and traps the dust – this one Sabco made exclusively for the kids, but they can easily use the regular size one}; a microfibre kitchen cloth {I just use water, or water and vinegar so there’s no problem with chemicals on their hands, I picked up these from Spotlight}, the mini broom {this is actually just the small broom from this set} and a window squeegee. Aren’t they cute? {Psst, you’ll be able to win some tiny Sabco products at the bottom of this blog post}.
And for me, there’s the microfibre dusting glove, microfibre kitchen cloths, 3-in-1 spray squeegee for mirrors and windows, the angle broom, a vacuum, and some old towels for drying.
THE SPRING CLEANING CHECKLIST
Click here to print out the checklist
TO GET READY: The quickest way to get through a spring clean is to be prepared. Get all your products ready in a caddy or bucket. Print out the checklist and let the kids tick it off.
THE MOTIVATION
I know we’d like to think that our kids don’t need any motivation to clean, and they just want to join in or should just join in and help out. There are jobs that I expect my kids to do, and then sometimes I like to use a motivator, and pocket money is one of those things that helps get things done.
I’ve been using this job chart idea for a little while, and GUYS IT WORKS SO WELL. Yes, I had to yell, because it’s amazing. Within 3 minutes of me putting the jobs up, Lacey had run around and collected all of the dirty laundry from around the house. I think seeing the money, rather than just hearing a promise of money, is a great motivation. Well, it totally worked anyway.
Of course when you create your own chart you can adjust the payments to be more or less, depending on how your household works, and also change the tasks depending on the age of your kids too. Lacey refuses to grab the ‘clean out the car’ task because she’s not sure what she’d find in there, but she loves to pick up the dog poo {go figure!}.
THE PLAYLIST
And… you always need good music to get cleaning to. I’ve created a Spotify playlist so that you can listen to kid-friendly music {not a swear word in sight} while you clean. Check it out here.
THE PRIZE
Now that you’re all ready to get the kids involved and get cleaning, I’ve got some beautiful prizes for you to win. Enter for the chance to win 1 of 3 Sabco Kids Cleaning Kits! Check them out below…
They’re SO darn cute. Lulu has been sweeping up a storm, and dusting everything. I’m not complaining! Up for grabs in this competition is all of the products pictured above; one small angle broom, one child-size dusting glove, one set of kitchen cloths, and a squeegee.
To enter to win, simply answer the following question: What’s your best cleaning tip for spring?
Make sure you head over and follow Sabco on Facebook and Instagram for more fun cleaning tips.
Competition is open to Australian residents only. One entry per person. Competition closes on 5th October, 2017 at midnight AEDST.
I am all for getting kids to help out. Over the weekend I gave my teenagers a list of jobs that needed doing- lawns, their bathroom, pool, dishwasher, their rooms- and I just said ” these need to be done before you leave the house or before 2pm & then I left them to it. One kid had his share done within an hour because he had plans, the other got his done at the last minute. I’ve learnt over the years that nagging & yelling don’t work but if I say that the wifi will be shut off it really gets them going!
I’m also going to buy a dust glove for every member of my family, even the littlest 2, so every one caveman their own blinds. That job drives me nuts, so if those gloves work it’ll be a life ( & sanity ) saver!
I like to make a list of the chores that need doing. I break the chores down into manageable tasks. I do at least one every day, but find I usually do quite a few. I think that crossing off tasks as DONE is addictive.
I agree! I love writing list and crossing each thing off 🙂
My spring cleaning tip is to do a little everyday so that you are not bogged down for the entire day of cleaning. I also get my child and husband to clean up after herself.
I am a procrastinator to the death. So my cleaning happend when the chores start to dance on my head, I quickly clean up all the stash here and there and clean the floor upfront. Bottomline: there is no tip.
But I would to love get this cleaning prize for my 4 yr old because he loved to help me out. So if he gets this I’m sure that we both will have a great time cleaning our home instead of procrastinating.
Get the kids involved! My son loves the vacuum, broom, helping me clean windows. He just loves to be involved. I hate vacuuming so am quite happy to let him run around with it 🙂
Pick a room per week, to add to your regular cleaning. Get the kids involved. Bribery goes a long way.
Don’t leave a mess that can be quickly cleaned up for the next day. Sort items into keep, donate and bin.
Always finish the job you started before you start another one. Just one thing at a time, otherwisecit can become too overwhelming.
Call me crazy but reading posts about spring cleaning always gets me motivated to clean. I always like to diffuse an essential oil like lemongrass or lime so the house smells fresh and clean as I work.
I take a washing basket around with me as I clean the house, with my bucket of cleaning supplies in it. Then as I’m cleaning each room everything I pick up that belongs in another room goes into the basket and put back into the correct room as I work my way around the house.
Works well each night as well to do a quick pick up before bed and put everything back to where it belongs.
We make cleaning fun by having dance breaks after every few task we tick off our list , mr 6 loves to get down , so it’s great motivation to help me clean .
A power clean – give yourself a time limit 15-30 min and you clean/tidy like a crazy woman as if your MIL is dropping by and you need to look like you have your sh*t together. Its amazing what you can get done in a short time. ?
Loving the playlist idea! Who doesn’t find music helps?! Our fave tip is to go hard for 20mins, then rest for 10…get something to eat, drink, shoot a few hoops, dance, check your insta, anything you like but once that 10mins is done, straight back into it!
Make a list for the week and plan to tackle 1-2 jobs per day over a weekly period. Block out the time you’re going to do it and set yourself a time to beat. Example – I’m going to clean and organise the plastics cupboard within 30min. Put music on, and any distractions, like the phone, away from you so you aren’t tempted to check FB half way through (or is that just me that gets distracted? lol). I’ve been doing this for a while now and though you’re only trying to tackle 1-2 tasks per day, by the time the weekend rolls round you feel like you’ve accomplished something and can have more time to do other things on the weekend.
Hello! Congratulations, you’re the winner of this competition. Let me know your postal address and I’ll get your prize to you. x
Loving the playlist ?
Have a spring cleaning checklist and share the load
So as not to become disheartened, create a list and tackle and cross off one area at a time as part of the household cleaning routine.
I like to wait for a nice sunny day and sit outside with a glass of wine…..and watch hubby vacuuming, through the clean sparkly windows he’s just cleaned.
Like Santa Claus I like to make a list and check it twice, then hopefully by Christmas the “Spring” cleaning will be done. As things are cleaned and sorted I get the satisfaction of crossing them off the list and making it shorter. My rule of thumb is, if it hasn’t been used in 18 months it’s gone because it’s clutter.
Minimise the ‘damage’ left for spring cleaning by doing a good clean once a month so that no task becomes too large or overwhelming. We try to keep to a regular routine with Master 7 and Miss 5 given cleaning jobs they consider ‘fun’ (the poor misguided little weirdos…), and we get through it remarkably fast!
Clean carpets and upholstery. Fabrics that have absorbed a winter’s worth of dirt, body oil, and germs will need a deep cleaning. Get them cleaned for another years of use.
Finish your floors. To protect the floors in your kitchen from another year of wear and tear, wax, varnish or apply a sealer.
Clean ceiling fixtures. Remove dust and dirt from ceiling fans and air-conditioner vents with a cloth and a vacuum with a soft nozzle attachment.
My best spring cleaning tip – don’t leave it until Spring! A little bit done each month year round makes the job so much easier!
Best cleaning tip for spring is to do a little bit each day so that it doesn’t amount to an overwhelming nightmare cleaning frenzy
hang you hangers backwards for all clothes, after 6 months if you haven’t use the clothing donate it
Clean regularly because then you aren’t stuck with a major clean up job that would take you hours of hard labour!
keep it simple, one task a day – so the job gets done and fun can get in the way
My best Spring cleaning tip is to do a MAJOR declutter of your house first. I have lived in the same rather small house with no storage for almost 16 years. Over the years it has driven me crazy, I have always felt like I am getting nowhere with my cleaning. This past year though, I have been ruthlessly decluttering and pairing everything right back. I have had an early start to my Spring cleaning and it finally feels like it’s worth it, to not have to work around so much clutter. Everything is feeling so fresh and clean, just the way I like it 🙂
Always light your favourite candle while doing your cleaning. It tends to amplify the freshness of a good clean up!
‘When in doubt, throw it out’ – anything not used or worn since last Spring, goes in the bin or gets donated to charity (naturally using common sense, and not turfing a good Winter coat or a slow cooker etc).
Soak your oven racks in nappysan … works a treat!
My best cleaning tip is to put fluffy mops on the paws of your dog to help sweep up the mess inside the house
I always go room by room and take everything will need in with me, bin bags, window cleaner, cloths etc and try to do a room a day
Getting the whole family involved always makes it so much easier. And it doesn’t hurt if you reward yourselves with a takeaway dinner or a family movie night afterwards! 🙂
I love just power cleaning when the motivation hits and see how much I can get done in like 20 minutes.. And definately have a big list for crossing off.
Cleaning with homemade natural cleaning products is more fun than cleaning with chemicals! My kids would love this Sabco Kids Cleaning kit, because it’s cute!
I like to just focus on one area per day rather than the huge task of spring cleaning the whole house, so for us tomorrow is clean out kitchen cupboard day!
I am actually addicted to lists! So I have a Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Seasonal Cleaning list that I have created so I know exactly what to do when and we can keep on top of it!
De gunking my microwave is a must. I like to use a bowl with a couple of tablespoons of vinegar . pop on high for a few minutes , then allow to cool. its amazing!!!
Start with the most used part of the house, then go to the least used! That way, you know exactly what to throw out and what to declutter, then gradually go to the bedrooms, as they will take the longest!
My kids love ‘helping’ me clean, so to make sure it’s safe for them, I use vinegar and bi carb instead of harsh chemicals to clean my house.
A chupa-chup tied to the end of a stick to dangle in their line of view and get the kids to do it.
Write my list and then plug through during the week and then bring it home on the weekend with a morning of fun, dance and cleaning – we even makes videos of ourselves so we can play them in the fast motion to get a laugh! I love the idea of the money in the bags for the chores, might give it a try 🙂
Bribe the kids to clean,
Watch where they have been,
Only clean where dirt can be seen,
Just give up if you have a teen.
Use an old toilet brush (not the one you use for the toilet) or scrubbing brush, make sure it’s clean and dry, to loosen the dirt and fluff at the base of skirting boards, cupboards, furniture etc. It makes vacuuming around so much easier and way more effective.
The biggest tip is “clean it now, never do it later”.
I love to use lemons! Not only for cooking but use them as a natural acid cleaning agent. Lemon juice can dissolve soap scum, mould, water stain, and much more. The fresh scent and Eco-friendly are bonus.
Another tip is letting the kids wear Dust mop slippers so that they can clean the floor while dancing or walking around!
My best cleaning tip for spring is to clean the cleaner. The dishwasher needs to be cleaned every now and then and the best way to do it is to remove all the bits on the bottom and then run the dishwasher on a cycle with a special cleanser made for your dishwasher, roughly once a month.
Do a little every day, youll have the house spotless by the end of Spring.