The Summer Family Cleaning Routine by: Tara Aronson

This summer, with work, kids, and outdoor pursuits all competing for your attention, cleaning house understandably may not be a priority.

Yet with the kids home for the summer, chances are you'll have more messes to clean than usual in the months ahead. 

How can you keep the peace and some semblance or order in the dog days ahead?

Life runs more smoothly when there is shared responsibility for the housework. Simple efforts like putting dirty clothes in the hamper can shave precious hours off your weekly cleaning time. 

Best of all, almost everyone in the home can contribute in some way to make life simpler during the carefree days ahead.

Head Off Housework This Summer

-- Keep clutter to a minimum. Having lots of stuff around leaves plenty of places for dust and allergens to collect. Encourage kids as young as preschoolers (ages 3-4) to put dirty clothes in the hamper and put away playthings after use.

They can also help keep their rooms neat and, with supervision, remove unbreakable and blunt-edge items from the dishwasher.

By making cleanup the precursor to a fun activity, such as a day at the beach or lake, and by helping your child master the tasks, you can make cleaning an enjoyable, confidence-building activity.

-- Wash up. Have everyone in the family wash hands with soap and warm water regularly to help stay healthy and keep dirt and germs off household surfaces.

-- Stop dirt at the door. Even your little stomper can wipe shoes on entryway rugs or mats to protect floors and carpets, and to catch dirt, dust, pollen and other allergens brought in from outsides.

-- Dry out. Leave shower doors and curtains open after use so shower walls can air dry. Older kids and adults can use a daily shower spray on walls and shower curtains to keep mildew from growing. If mildew can't get a toehold, you won't spend a single sunny day scrubbing it away.

-- Quick cleanup. Promptly clean up crumbs and other food scraps after preparing or eating food. You'll need to help your littlest family members, but grade-school-age kids, preteens and teens can do wipe duty on their own.

-- Don't buy it. Resist the urge to reward your kids for their housekeeping help - compensation tells kids a task is above and beyond the call of duty.

Instead, let younger children know specifically which chores you expect them to do, and let the satisfaction of a job well done provide its own reward. Let teenagers know they are contributing more to the family and learning skills that will help them in life.

-- Treat clothing stains promptly.