Spring is around the corner, and now is the perfect time to start teaching your children the importance of cleanliness and organization. You might want to teach them how to clean out their closets to make room for new items.
Regardless of what kind of spring-cleaning tricks and tips you have up your sleeve, the best time to get prepared is now, since winter is more than half over. Here are some helpful ways to get your children involved in spring-cleaning, so you’re all well-prepared when the time comes to start whipping your house into shape.
Make Sure Everything Has a Place
Making sure everything you (and your children) own is tucked away in a specific place makes it easier to clean and allows for less clutter. If you can’t determine where certain pieces of clothing should live, consider items that will make it easier to keep things organized like bins, baskets and shelves, and perhaps labels.
That way, your children will be able to easily help you clean with purpose on cleaning day. Additionally, they also won’t have the opportunity to be lazy about it by just dumping things anywhere they see fit. So, make sure every toy, book and article of clothing has a home.
Separate Items into Piles
One of the best ways to make room for new items during spring cleaning is to throw away what you don’t need or donate it to charity. If the items you no longer need aren’t of use to you or anyone else, throw them away. But if someone else could benefit from their use, it’s better to donate them.
Thus, when sorting through your belongings, make “keep,” “trash” and “donate piles.” That way, while you’re sorting through items in your children’s room, you can easily get through the day without wasting time worrying about which items should be kept and which should be thrown or given away.
Put Year-Round Items in the Front of the Closet
Once you’ve decided what’s going and what’s staying, teach your children to put year-round items in the front of their closets, so they don’t have to go searching for clothing they wear most often. This includes items like flannel shirts, which are the perfect article of clothing to stay warm in the winter. These styles of shirts are a worthwhile investment and definitely worth getting front and center closet space, along with undershirts and light sweaters.
Make it Fun for Everyone
Before spring-cleaning day, try to come up with ways to make it fun for everyone. Whether you decide to put on your favorite music while you clean, turn it into a game or offer your children rewards for a job well done, make sure that it’s well worth it by the time you’re finished.
To turn spring cleaning into a game, hide Easter eggs in your children’s rooms, so that they have to pick up their clothes before finding their treasure. For older children, a financial reward might be more appropriate, so why not try offering them gift cards to their favorite stores or even cold hard cash? Both are always crowd-pleasers.
Getting Started
Getting ahead of spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a chore. Using the above tips, you can be well on your way to a successful day of spring cleaning and teaching your children the value and importance of getting the house clean and organized for the coming seasons. It just takes a little bit of planning and preparation ahead of time. So, get what you need, whether it’s baskets, bins or shelves (or that new label maker), to make cleaning day a little bit easier.
