How to Get Your Kid to Clean the Whole House

– Posted in: Chronic Pain, Cleaning, Green Living, Things To Do with Kids, Worst Mom Reviews

Once upon a time, I was a really good housekeeper. You could pretty much eat off of my floors. I did things like clean the refrigerator even if something hadn’t spilled in it. I’d wonder to myself how people lived with dirty baseboards.

Then I had kids.

That was about ten years ago. Coincidentally, also around ten years ago, I developed “atypical facial pain” — it’s this nerve pain in your nose, cheek, and ear that sort of burns all the time and makes you feel like you’re inhaling Vicks VapoRub. The other little side affect of this nasty little disorder is that certain harsh or flowery scents actually hurt. Sit me next to some church lady wearing too much perfume or in a nice “clean” room scrubbed with strong chemicals or bleach and I’m not pleased.

For that reason — and because I don’t want to kill polar bears every time I clean a counter — I started going green. One of my latest faves is Method All-Purpose Cleaner in pink grapefruit. I’m a big citrus fan. Flowers are trying to kill me. Oranges and lemons just want to make my house smell pretty.

But like I said, scents really, really bother me, so I have to be careful. I can’t believe I’m using this word (it makes me feel like Kathy Lee Gifford or something), but the pink grapefruit spray actually smells “yummy.” And it works well. And you don’t feel like you’re going to die if you touch it.

Last night, I even had the girl using it. I’ve been sort of feeling like hell, so I try to get the kids to do more around the house.

Elfie Cleans the stove with Method

 She was just supposed to clean the stove, but once she gets going, she’s weird like her mother and won’t stop.

Elfie cleans bathroom counter with Method

And even her brother thought it smelled divine…

Kids smelling Method cleaner

Anyway, they have a bunch of other scents that you can check out here, including more citrus and even some evil flowers (not that there’s anything wrong with that…). Let me know what your favorite flavor would be. Especially if, say, I gave you an online coupon for a whole dollar off! I know, not huge. But hey, every little bit counts.

You can get the discount here when you enter APCBLOG at checkout (the stuff I saw on the site seems pretty discounted, and it looks like they ship for free if you spend 25 bucks).

And who knows — maybe you’ll get lucky and your completely insane child will like it so much that she’ll clean your whole house, too.

*The lovely people at Method sponsored this post, but I have their stuff all over my house already, so I sort of consider this karmic payback. And by the way, 10% of the meeellions of dollars I’m earning are going to Kiva, an international program that combats poverty by making small loans to individuals.

 

10 Comments… add one

Susanne Nelson February 5, 2013, 6:10 pm

I’m allergic to fragrance and four pages of chemicals. I so feel your pain!

Tammy February 5, 2013, 7:35 pm

Ugh! Susanne! I swear, every time I start to feel like the world is too much, I need to come get a reality check from you. “Buck up damn it!” xo

Kelly DeBie February 5, 2013, 6:49 pm

I adore the Method products for this reason. 🙂

Tammy February 5, 2013, 7:31 pm

The slave labor is a bonus. And you have twice as much, so that’s nice. Of course, they also make twice the disaster.

Ginger February 6, 2013, 7:10 am

I think you may have a convert…I switched to vinegar and water years ago, while pg with my first (couldn’t even go into my kitchen the smell bugged me so much, spent hours scrubbing in between morning sickness)…hate the house smelling like salad dressing, but like you, my kindred sister, smells especially flowery scents bug me…

Tammy February 6, 2013, 10:42 am

Of course flowery scents bug you, oh kindred one…

I totally hear you on the vinegar thing. I use it on various stuff, but it’s just not as fun. And it sort of reminds me of cleaning up after the dog.

Verity February 6, 2013, 10:30 am

Send Elfie over to our house please…..when I ask my girls, “hey, do you want to help mommy clean?!!” They answer, “no thanks” At least they are polite about it.

Tammy February 6, 2013, 10:42 am

Maybe we can get them to have some kooky cleaning party. We’ll get them little aprons.

Verity February 6, 2013, 10:32 am

…and I want to try clementine. Although the lime with sea salt seems interesting. Can we eat it with chips?

Tammy February 6, 2013, 10:43 am

Mmmmm, I have clementine soap in my bathroom. This sounds completely lame, but I smell it when I wash my hands. I’m a little weird. And yes, the lime and sea salt definitely has me interested.

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