Good Clean Fun

Top Ten Tips for Making Cleaning Day a Party

It’s sounds a little silly to think about cleaning as fun, but oh yes, silly is just right.

In perusing top ten lists for fun things to do, I found a lot of tempting suggestions, such as visit the Taj Mahal by moonlight, drink champagne in hot air balloon, or even start a sing-a-long on a public bus. In list after list, I never once read, “Mop my floor.” It’s sounds a little silly to think about cleaning as fun, but fun is all in the way you look it. Here’s our top ten countdown for turning boring ol’ cleaning day into a party.

Etsy.com has dozens of colorful, giggle-ful gloves to make cleaning day a heck of a lot more fun.

#10 Fun gloves. Even though Pro-tek is non-toxic, and you don’t really neeeeeeed gloves, any prolonged exposure to soap will dry out your skin, so gloves are a good idea. Who can resist these adorable beauties? If you can’t stop at gloves, go for the hilarious apron, too. Check out Amazon for aprons from the risque to ridiculous. (This apron is my favorite.)

#9 Create a cleaning schedule. I admit the word “schedule” doesn’t exactly inspire balloons and confetti, but part of what makes cleaning so stressful is how that stain on the carpet nags you, or the dirty floor looks at you with its evil grin, or how the moldy grout mocks you. Knowing you have a routine at the ready empowers you to laugh at them all. Their days are numbered. Mwahaha!

#8 Recruit the kids with games. For older kids, put cleaning tasks in a hat and have everyone draw one. For the younger ones, if you have a timer, you have an instant game. Who can put all the toys away before the ding? Who can scrub their side of the tub clean first? A towel makes a great cape for the Suuuuuuuuuper Scrubber! Mix up a Pro-tek solution of 120:1 in a kid-sized spray bottle, and let your little super hero vanquish dirty sliding glass doors. Pro-tek is non-toxic and safe for kids to use, but it isn’t lemonade. Be sure to practice common sense with any kind of cleaning products.

#7 Clean with a friend. When I was a kid growing up in Kentucky, we used to attend church suppers. The ladies would retire afterward to the kitchen to clean up, but what we were really doing was socializing, gossiping, laughing, and being silly. It’s fun to clean with a good friend by your side, and the work goes by faster. It can be as informal as saying yes when your guest offers to help wash up to officially organizing a cleaning swap with your friend.

Peering under the sink at a cute cleaning caddy is surprisingly satisfying.

#6 Upgrade your cleaning caddy. It’s demoralizing to peer under the sink to the chaotic junkyard of half-used bottles. Ugh. Treat yourself to a practical and adorable cleaning caddy with a handle, or even a sturdy wicker basket. The feeling of self-respect is surprisingly satisfying.

Glass spray bottles feel posh even though and you can get them cheap on Amazon.

#5 Cool spray bottles and fancy essential oils. Pro-tek is an incredible savings over store-bought cleaners, and you get the added fun of choosing your bottles and your scents when you mix your cleaning solutions. There’s something sassy about a thieves oil kitchen spray in a pretty glass bottle. Glass bottles are earth-friendly, too! That feels gooooood.

#4 Add music and podcasts. You never have time to listen to Radiolab or My Favorite Murder? Or maybe the kids groan in protest when you play vintage Aretha? Popping in those earbuds turns scrub time into YOU time. You need more of that.

#3 Attitude. Think of cleaning day as Home Appreciation Day, an opportunity to show love to your family and your pets. Let the dirty dishes be a reminder you have good food to eat. Laundry means you have growing kids. Stains on the couch and fingerprints on the frig mean your family is alive and well. Puts things into perspective.

Savor the beauty of your hard work! Your house looks great, smells fresh, and feels loved.

#2 Savor the before and after. You worked hard to scrub the coffee stains off the counter top and the chocolate milk out of your daughter’s smocking. You worked hard for that sparkle and shine. Take a bow. Well done, darling.

#1 Reward yourself! Cleaning is hard work and ta-da! You did it! Now, go get a manicure. Splurge on the fresh flowers or drink champagne in a hot air balloon. I promise not to tell it was you who started the sing-a-long.