Cleaning your home should be something the whole family can do. After all, everyone contributes to the mess; therefore, everyone should help clean! With these productive cleaning hacks and kids’ cleaning products, young children can help around the house without using harsh chemicals!
Motivating your kids to clean is a process, but I’ve found that using fun, kid-friendly products helps.
These are my favorite products to get my kids to help clean.
Blue Shower Spray
I make a mixture of white vinegar and Dawn dish soap (use the blue kind) in a spray bottle to make an all-purpose cleaner that’s especially great for cleaning the shower. This bathroom cleaner is not only safe for kids to use, but my kids love spraying it around their bathtub.
We read books for 30 minutes while we wait for the spray to remove the soap scum, and then they each grab a sponge and help me scrub the tub.
I especially like these kitchen scrubbers from e-cloth to use on the bathtub. One swipe and the bathroom tile and tub are sparkling!
Dust Mitts
My kids love these dust mitts. They make dusting fun, and the kids love crawling around, sweeping the baseboards or low coffee tables. They’re washable, so you can throw them in with your laundry after each dusting session.
These little helper mitts are also great for washing the car. We keep one in each car, too – perfect for dusting the dashboard when you’re stuck in traffic or stopped by a train.
Microfiber Cloths
I use these e-cloth microfiber clothes for everything – from washing windows, mirrors, and glass surfaces, to dusting to cleaning bathroom surfaces. They’re better than paper towels because they’re washable, and they remove 99% of bacteria from surfaces. Also, I love using them as window cleaners because you don’t need to use glass cleaner. The microfiber cloths clean with water, so there’s no need for harmful chemicals.
Swiffer
Kids love to sweep the floors, but they don’t always do the best job. Sweeping is one of my son’s chores, but he would constantly pick up the broom, leaving little piles of crud everywhere.
The Swiffer changed that. The crumbs stick to the pad, so even if he stops and moves to another section, I don’t have to go behind him and sweep up little piles.
In addition to the regular Swiffer mop, I also like the Swiffer dusters. I personally use them to dust the ceiling fans and light fixtures, but I also let the kids use them to dust the baseboards. They’re fuzzy enough to be fun.
And if the kids get to jump on the beds to “help” while I try to reach the ceiling fans? They’re all in!
Mini Mop
This mini mop is one of my favorite natural cleaning products. It’s a great way to clean surfaces with just water, and it’s the perfect size to clean in small areas, like around the bathroom, without using toxic chemicals or conventional cleaners.
Handheld Broom
For quick cleanups, like under the high chairs in the kitchen, a handheld broom has been a game changer.
For some reason, my kids have not grasped the concept of leaning over their plates to eat, so our kitchen floor is always covered with crumbs. The new rule has been that they have to sweep up their own crumbs after each meal. While the broom is a little too fun for them to start leaning over, at least my floor is cleaner!
Kiddie Vacuum
No, this vacuum doesn’t actually clean (although it would be nice if it did), but it keeps my toddler entertained while I vacuum. She can vacuum alongside me and I don’t have to worry that she’s getting into something (like markers) while I clean.
Even if you don’t have a kiddie vacuum, giving young kids something they can use to help clean is a wonderful way to teach responsibility (and get some help, even if it’s not perfect).
Additional Baby Safe Cleaning Products
Mrs. Meyers
Seventh Generation
Grove offers non-toxic cleaning products with natural ingredients and plant-based products. They also offer great skincare products – perfect for sensitive skin and new parents looking for baby safe ingredients.