7 Tips to Keep the House Clean When School Is Back In Session

It’s back to school time, which means your home will get messier than ever before. From dirty school clothes to crazy crafting projects, it can be hard to keep your house clean. Here are seven simple tips to keeping your house clean and organized while school is back in session.

#1: Organizing Stations
Have one designated place in your home for your kids to keep their backpacks and shoes. Every night, make sure bags are packed and put where they belong. No more early morning panic over bags or shoes.

#2 Plastic Tablecloths for Art
When your kids are busting out the glitter, glue and paint, prepare for easy cleanup by lining their workstation with plastic garbage liners, or invest in some plastic tablecloths. When the project is complete, throw the plastic away.

#3 The In and Out Box
Keep the back to school papers organized with an in and out box. Have your kids drop off documents that need to be signed. When you’ve signed them, put them in the outbox and let your kids pick them up.

#4 Double Doormat
When school is in session, kids are in and out of the house a lot more which means your floor takes a beating.

Putting a second doormat inside your door as well as outside can keep your floor surprisingly cleaner without any extra work for you.

#5 Clean Hands
Your kids’ hands get dirty at school. Even older kids get their hands covered in graphite, dirt, ink and more throughout the day.

Have your children wash their hands when they come home from school. Clean hands will reduce smudge prints and help your kids stay healthy.

#6 Chore Catch Up Day
Kids are much busier when they’re back in school, and sometimes they neglect their chores. Friday afternoon and Saturday morning are great times to designate as “chore catch-up”. Kids will want to get to their weekend fun, so they’ll get their chores done quickly.

#7 Extra Jobs for Extra Cash
Kids want extra money for extra things at school. Help them earn that money by offering payment for extra chores. Your children will be motivated, and the additional jobs will get done.

#8 Treat Yourself & the Kids To A Vacation!
It’s always nice to give incentive and sometimes it could be a small vacation that gets you all out of the house.  It can be as simple as renting a cabin and letting the kids run around in nature to motivate them to help at home.