Back to school cleaning hacks for busy parents

High five, parents, for making it through another summer in one piece. Now that your little angels are back in school, it is time to reclaim your home and bring it back to “school’s in-service” condition. Who’s with me? Let’s reclaim right now!

Set the mood with some tunes

Get yourself some upbeat background music – you know, something your kids roll their eyes at because they aren’t here to judge you. Turn it up and enjoy it all shamelessly.

Mass exodus of unnecessary things

There is probably a lot of summertime toy debris throughout the house from the kids migrating from one room to another as they entertained themselves. Grab a laundry basket and swoop through each room, adding all displaced items to the laundry basket.

Bonus points: Bring out a couple of baskets, one for each rightful owner of what you retrieve, so they can find the proper homes for their belongings when they get home. Feel free to hold the wi-fi password hostage until they are finished.

Unstick all of the sticky

I recall when my son was elementary-age (and younger) how sticky spots bred and multiplied throughout the house the longer he and his friends hung around. After a full summer at home, it was a losing battle. When school was back, I was back in control over all things sticky and gooey!  A rag (or heavy-duty paper towel) soaked with warm water and Dawn dishwashing liquid gets up most sticky and greasy things. My other favorite is a concentration of vinegar with orange peels as an excellent degreaser. The kids save them throughout the summer and deposit the peelings into the jug of vinegar as they go. After a month of curing under the sink, it’s ready to be diluted and used as needed.

Wipe it all away

No household should ever be without wipeys, whether they are sanitary ones with special cleansers or just baby wipes if you have very young ones (or already learned the golden value of these beyond baby bottoms). Run through all smooth surfaces with the wipey, removing smudges and fingerprints. If you need extra muscle, have a magic eraser in your other hand to address those tough smudges.

Create a school zone

Look around and identify a designated spot for kids to park their school gear. It can be as simple or complex as you like. It would be best if you had places for their backpacks, books, and gear. Another spot for papers is a great idea, too. The goal is to keep it from spreading across the living room, which increases the risk of lost and eaten homework. You could even add a box for shoes (and hats, scarves, and mittens in the coming months).

Mop and vacuum

Take a moment and look around you at what you have accomplished. Your final task is to finish off with a mop and vacuum the rugs and carpet because there is something about clean floors that makes everyone happy.

Back to school is a great time to clean the carpets after a summer of tracking dirt in and out from the kiddos. Pure Carpet Cleaners not only leaves you a clean home that is safe enough for your pets and babies to crawl over but leaves a beautiful fresh scent throughout. What are you waiting for? Book your cleaning in just a couple of minutes for the finishing touch to reclaiming your home!