Housekeeping

I'm actually one of those organized people who, most of the time, enjoys housework. So, I've found myself in a bit of a quandry now that I'm living overseas and a full-time language student: we have a maid who comes once a week to clean the house from top to bottom. This doesn't complete my work since we live in a land filled with sand and dust, and, ofcourse, things like dishes and straightening up toys is never-ending, but it does help. I used to really enjoy (and relax) when I was scrubbing the house from top to bottom. But I simply don't have time to do that right now, and since house help is affordable where we live, we figure we are helping the local economy by employing a sweet national woman once a week :). Here's how I organize cleaning the rest of the things:

• Dishes: I do them after every meal so that they don't pile up. When Lydia was younger I would gather toys for her to play in the kitchen with me. Now, she sometimes will play in the kitchen or other times with toys in her room.


• Laundry: We have a front-loading washing machine (which is smaller than a top-loader) and no dryer. So, to keep up with the wash, and to ensure there is room on the line, I do one load of laundry everyday. Unless it is something that will bleed, I wash everything together. (I even throw clothes or towels in with cloth diapers.) The only item I wash separately is our sheets once a week. I wash them all together and I wash them separately from other items so I can wash them on hot. Everything else I wash on cold. As I hang them out on the line, Lydia will assist by handing clothes to me from the basket.


• Picking up toys: We do this throughout the day as we play, and Lydia helps. When she was younger I would have to model for her what I was saying, (ex: "Take ____ to your room") and I would do it after I said it so she could learn what I was saying. Now she always helps in clean up. I've also noticed that this helps control the messes she seems to make. For example, she used to take EVERYTHING out of her draw in the kitchen (filled with my kitchen things that are safe for her to play with) and strew them all over the floor. Now that she knows she is a part of pick up, she usually doesn't make such haphazard messes.


• Shoes and clothes: I've taught Lydia where to put her shoes when she comes in from outside and now I'll find her organizing all of our shoes. I keep her bibs, wash clothes, and towels in the bottom drawer and she helps put these items away as well as get them out when they're needed. I'll even find her taking Josh's socks to the dirty clothes bin if he left them in the living room the night before :). Lydia LOVES having these responsibilities, and I'm always looking for ways she can help as I'm doing house work.


• Folding clothes: I usually fold clothes where Lydia is playing so that I can play and talk with her at the same time. As I come across items she can put away (like her bibs and wash clothes) I will have her put them up. She knows where the laundry basket goes and loves to carry it back to the bathroom (it's almost as big as she is) and carries it with such pride!


• My advice: Involve everyone in the house! Housework may take a little longer, but I know in the long run it will save a lot of time by teaching Lydia from early on how to help out around the house. Josh also helps with dishes, picking up, and other things that need to be done.


• Clean as you go: I don't save any of the housework until after Lydia goes to bed - we do it all throughout the day. It's just a natural part of our day and she is involved with me. That way, at the end of the day I can relax too.

I recently got the book The Naturally Clean Home and it gives recipes for over 100 cleaning products - from carpets, bathrooms, laundry, kitchens, wood and more. I haven't had time to really dabble with it, but I know cleaners are so toxic and I'm excited to be able to start making home versions that are non-toxic. I'd love to hear if anyone has experience with this as well as what recipes you make and use!