Saturday, August 23, 2008

Homemaking Tip: Instructions for kids on how to clean your kitchen after dinner. (For real this time.)

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...an awesome weekly carnival that inspires one to complete that one pesky project sitting on the back burner. For more tackle-its, click the pic!

I have finally tackled coming up with a step-by-step instruction set for my kids to use when they clean the kitchen. This prevents me from having to say..."Did you clean out the sink? Did you sweep the floor? Did you wipe off the stove?" They can simply go to this post and follow it step-by-step. This may or may now work for your family as we are all different, but you could certainly devise a plan like this that works for you. If you have any suggestions for improving the routine, by all means, please post a comment! Also, I would like to give a special thanks to Claire, age 6, for being the model in our photo shoots. Not only did she cheerfully cooperate, she cleaned the entire kitchen as she went! (less one half bottle of Dawn dish soap). Thanks, Little Lady of mine!

Step 1: Put away any dishes that might have been left out to dry in the dishrack on the counter.



Step 2: If there are any dishes in the sink, put them on the counter by the sink, but opposite the dishwasher.

Step 3: Fill both sides of the sink with warm, soapy water. (Remember that just two or three drops of dish soap will do the trick!)



Step 4: Clear off a space large enough for a hand towel on the counter above the dishwasher. Place a dry, clean hand towel in this space because you will later be placing the dishes you've handwashed here.



Step 5: Clear off the table, making sure to put the food in plastic containers or ziploc bags. Scrape the food left on the dishes into the trashcan, then place them carefully in the sink filled with soapy water on the side furthest from the dishwasher.



Step 6: With a clean rag, wipe down the table, using your hand, a dish or the trashcan to catch crumbs and food particles.



Step 7: Clear off the counter, following the same details as in Step 6.



Step 8: Spritz the counters and stove with water so that any stuck-on food can begin to soften for easier cleaning.



Step 9: Begin rinsing the dishes by grabbing a dish, rinsing it with a rag or scrubby sponge in the side of the sink closest to the dishwasher, and placing the dishes neatly in the dishwasher. It's best if you can focus on putting all the plates and other items that go on the the bottom in first, then you are not having to open and close the top rack so many times. Next, load the glasses and other top-rack items, then the silverware.




Step 10: Hand wash any dishes that won't fit in the dishwasher and leave them upside down on the hand towel or dish rack. If the food is too stuck-on, you may fill the dish with water and leave it to soak for a while.

Step 11: Wipe down the counters and the stove with a rag, or, if necessary, a scrubby sponge.



Step 12: Quickly wipe down the outside of the fridge, dishwasher, microwave and oven with a damp rag.



Step 13: Clean the sink, making sure to get behind the sink next to the wall, the faucet and around the rim of the sink, where it touches the countertops.



Step 14: Sweep the floor, making sure to get under the trashcan and under the kitchen chairs.



Step 15: Put dishwasher soap in the dishwasher and turn it on.

Step 16: Mop the floor, again making sure to get under the trashcan and under the chairs. Start from the corner furthest away from the kitchen's exit and back out as you mop. This way, you don't have to walk over the newly-mopped floor.



Step 17: Stand at the entrance, admire your work, come tell me you are done and be happy, like Claire, because you did a great job!





THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP! :)

25 comments:

laurice. said...

Thank you for being so supportive!

Elena said...

My goodness Claire is such a big girl now, she has grown so much since last time I saw her! Oh and by the way, I LOVE your kitchen!!

Globe Trotters said...

Send me your email address and I will be sure to forward the 4th of july pictures your way--- and do you have kristen's email address as well?

Amanda said...

Claire is getting so big. She is very pretty. You have inspired me to get my kids helping around the house more. I cannot wait untill they get home so I can put them to work!

Amanda B. said...

Wow...I'm impressed! You wash your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher? Mine actually seldom get rinsed beforehand. She did an awesome job! Your kitchen looks great! :)

Jed said...

Wow! I wish I could get my kids(any of them!) to be able to remember just the first three steps. My wife is always at her wits end because of the mess my kids leave when they "clean"

BarbaraJo said...

Cute Claire!!

Mom2my10 @ 11th Heaven said...

To Elena, actually, I used my mom's kitchen for this post, but her's is pretty, too! Mine is still in construction. I think it will be for the rest of our lives....

Your Pal Pinki said...

Very nice! : )

Anonymous said...

Yeah, why DO you wash the dishes twice?

Mom2my10 @ 11th Heaven said...

To Anonymous,
That is a good question. I should have clarified and mentioned that Claire is not actually scrubbing the dishes clean, she is just quickly getting the crumbs and grime off to prepare them for their trip into the dishwasher. We have a really cheap dishwasher that just WILL NOT get the dishes clean unless they are rinsed! Maybe one day I will be able to aquire one that will get them clean no matter WHAT my family dishes up! (No pun intended)

happyathome said...

Print it to a book and sell it! Once my daughter is old enough, I will have her use it. Great tackle!
Stop by my tackle which is similar to the mountain we climbed in Maine last week!
http://www.lifeislikechampagneblog.com/

Brenda said...

What an awesome helper you have! Great tackling! P.S. I love your red fruit plate!

Searching For Simplicity said...

What a fantastic idea! I may try this myself.

Kim @ Homesteader's Heart said...

Is she for hire lol..Great job!

Anonymous said...

What a great plan. It will save a lot of aggravation. The pictures are great. Such cute kiddos.

Kristi said...

Way to go! Great tackle.

Anonymous said...

Ummmm.... I think I need to show my daughter the pictures of your daughter cleaning the kitchen and hope that she takes a hint....

Tammy and Parker said...

Okay. Claire is SO hired. Send her and her sweet cuteness on over. hee,hee

Tami @ This Mom's Delight said...

I have been wanting to write out detailed instructions for the housework, so that the kiddos could help me without me having to tell them over and over. THIS IS GREAT! Thanks for sharing.

Lorissa J. Longfellow said...

wow, your daughter makes me feel inefficient.
Great instructions and wonderful helper you have there.

Sherry @ Lamp Unto My Feet said...

Great instructions! Thank you for sharing!

Audra Krell said...

I hear ya, they don't make dishwashers like they used to, and I have a middle of the road one. You do have to practically wash them first to put them in the dishwasher to be sanitized! Great tackle!

Anonymous said...

Great step-by-step post.

About rinsing the dishes: That's the only way I think a dish is clean if using a dishwasher... no matter what kind of dishwasher it is!

To be honest I actually handwash them first otherwise I wouldn't be able to use the dishes again (OCD much?)

So I don't have a dishwasher at home (I guess you can see why! hahaha). I don't even know how to use one! hahaha

When I'm at someone's place and I help them with the dishes I rinse them (well, wash them) and hand them over to the house owner so they'll deal with the dishwasher.

Ok, I'm weird, I know!

I love your blog!

Hugs!

Anonymous said...

I love the pictures along the way.