Unlike most of what we cover here on Droolicious, there's nothing to buy in association with this item, but since we're at the start of a long weekend and you're likely looking for a way to stay busy before everyone gets drunk and starts handling live explosives, why not put the family to work doing something useful? A few weeks back, the nice folks at The Maids Home Services sent us some clever tips on housecleaning with kids, and frankly, we haven't had the slightest idea what to do with their list until now. Luckily for you, our light bulb just went off:
* Don’t expect kids to use adult tools to clean; instead, create supplies that are kid-friendly. Use an ice-cream pail for mopping chores, or shorten an old mop handle or broom to make it kid-sized.
* Fill a squirt gun from a solution of a gallon of water and a drop of dish soap. Let kids squirt windows and mirrors and wipe dry with paper towels. Leaves glass clean and streak-free!
* Cover kids’ hands and arms with dad’s old athletic socks, then squirt the socks until lightly damp with a safe solution of vinegar and water. Send them off to dust around the house.
* Got a pile of blocks or action figures strewn on the floor? Scoop up toys in a few swoops using a kid-sized leaf rake to form a pile for easy pick-up.
* Make cleaning a game: Give young kids grill tongs and challenge them to pick up toys and put them in a toy box or bin only using the utensils. Keep score and see who wins!
* Don’t forget the fun music to help your kids get a groove on as they boogie around the house cleaning.
In the likely event the kids leave some dirt behind, the Maids team offers a whole range of premium housecleaning services: Visit their site or call 1-800-THE-MAIDS for a free estimate. And if you've got any tips of your own, feel free to share 'em in the comments.
