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Back-To-School Tips to Make Your Parenting Life Easier

back-to-school

By the end of the summer, most parents are ready to send their kids back to school, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a little difficult to get back into the swing of things. We’ve compiled the ten best back-to-school tips that will help ease the transition from summer time to school time in no time!

Back-To-School Tip #1: Stock Up on Supplies

Most schools have a back to school supply list that we all take in on the first day or to Meet the Teacher night. It is a really good idea to have a surplus of these supplies from the start.

This prior preparation will help you avoid the bedtime panic when your child tells you they forgot something they need to take to school the next day. You’ll be able to reassure them that you already have extra loose leaf paper. They can grab some and put it in their backpack, then head to bed for a good night’s rest.

Back-To-School Tip #2: Post the Daily Routine

This is especially helpful for younger children who are still getting used to the school routine in general. It may be helpful to put the routine on paper with pictures, and hang it up in their bathroom or bedroom, or by their backpacks. This way they know exactly what to expect all day long. It won’t surprise them to know they have soccer practice, or bedtime is earlier now than it was over the summer.

Back-To-School Tip #3: Pick Out Clothes For the Week

This is especially helpful if your little one that has favorite outfits they like to wear. It will assure them that these clothes are clean and ready to wear when they want them. It will also save you the stress of having to send kids back upstairs to put on something that matches in the morning.

Getting a shoe organizer and labeling it with the days of the week will really help ease some of the morning tension over what everyone is going to wear.

Back-To-School Tip #4: Change Your Routine Ahead of Time

Everyone always worries about the first week of school being hectic. However, that is not always the case. Sometimes the first week of school is so full of adrenaline and excitement that the mornings are pretty easy and everyone is ready to go. The second week of school, on the other hand, might not go as swimmingly.

For that reason, it might be a good idea to start the school year routine the week or two before the school year actually starts. This is especially pertinent if your kids like to sleep in and stay up late. This will get them on the new schedule and hopefully avoid any bedtime and wake up meltdowns.

Back-To-School Tip #5: Chat About Upcoming Events

If you notice that your child has some anxiety about the upcoming school year, it might be nice to take some time at breakfast or at dinner to talk about the upcoming day. Let your children know what afterschool activities are planned for them. Ask them about any testing that’s on the horizon, what they will do at recess, or what special events they have that day.

This casual conversation offers them the opportunity to discuss any anxiety they might have about upcoming events, and it gives you the chance to assuage their fears and help them work through their emotions.

Back-To-School Tip #6: Don’t Skimp On Nutrition

In the summer we all tend to get a little lazier about providing nutritious meals. After all, we’re outside a lot, swimming in the pool, and just generally more active during the summer. However, it is a proven fact that when children enjoy a nutritious meal for breakfast before school, it can help them to focus more in class and give them the energy they need to get through their day.

Make sure you start the school year right with healthy back-to-school breakfasts that include a protein for extra energy for your kids’ day.

Back-To-School Tip #7: Find a Sleep Routine

Just as getting up in the morning is difficult, going to bed at an earlier hour can be hard, too. This is especially true if your school is in session in early August when daylight lingers fairly late. Try these tips to make your bedtime routine a bit easier:

  • Invest in blackout blinds for your children’s rooms so that they can have a cool, dark place to get to bed, especially if their bedtime is before the sun is completely down.
  • Use calming essential oils if your child has some bedtime anxiety
  • Stick to the same bedtime every night so that your children know it is not an optional or moveable time. Their bodies will automatically start to get tired after a few weeks of the same bedtime.
  • It may help your child to have a soft night light, a diffuser, or a noisemaker to lull them to sleep at night.

Back-To-School Tip #8: Provide a Homework Routine/Space

Most kids thrive on routine and knowing what to expect. If you can, try to set up a time when they always do their homework. For some kids, it might be best to get it out of the way right when they get home. Some children might need to decompress, and getting it done before or after dinner is better.

Try a few different times to see what works best for your children. It is also helpful to have a space dedicated to homework where they won’t be distracted by the television or other people within the household.

Back-To-School Tip #9: Schedule Some Free Time

Once children go back to school it seems there is a never-ending schedule of wake up, eat, get dressed, go to school, do homework, go to lessons or practice, come home, shower, and go to bed. Then, on the weekends, there are recitals and more practices and games, not to mention birthday parties, playdates, and family time.

Kids need a chance to just be kids. Try not to schedule all of their time and give them a break to do whatever it is they choose. It will help them be happier in every other activity they participate in.

Back-To-School Tip #10: Meal Prep

This one is for the parents, but it will benefit the kids, too. It is easier throughout the week if you know what you’re going to have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s even better if you even have some of your meals pre-made.

Taking a few hours on a Sunday afternoon to make a nutritious breakfast casserole for everyone to eat all week long, pre-cut some after school veggies, or maybe even go the distance and pre-prep some crockpot dishes you can just dump in the crockpot in the morning and have ready by dinner, will make your life so much easier. In turn, it will also make your kids lives easier as you will have more time to spend with them in the evenings. Better yet, you’ll always know the answer to the dreaded question, “What’s for dinner?”

One final back to school time saver is to hire a cleaning service to take care of your home while you’re taking care of everyone in it. Rather than stress over cleaning the house in the evenings after work or on the weekends when you could be doing more fun things with your family, call CleanSpace today to get your complimentary estimate.

We have weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly schedules, and will customize a cleaning plan to fit your specific needs. Let us take the stress of keeping your home a clean and healthy environment off of your shoulders, and schedule your first cleaning today!

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7 Home Hacks You’ll Wish You’d Known Sooner

Home Hacks You’ll Wish You’d Known Sooner

In this busy world, anything that you can do to save time and money as you complete your day-to-day chores is always worth a look! We’ve put together our top 7 home hacks that you’ll wish you’d known sooner!

Home Hack #1: Fluff up the indent in the carpet

Inevitably we all get that itch to rearrange the furniture, or, better yet, get a new great piece that means we have to rearrange a room to fit it in. If that room has carpet, it’s likely that the furniture’s previous spots have an indentation in the carpet. Fortunately, there is a quick and easy way to get rid of these indentations and you already have all the tools to do it in your home!

When faced with unsightly carpet indentations, simply place ice cubes in the indentation and let them melt completely. Once they have soaked in the carpet, take a spoon and fluff the area up. Finally, vacuum the area— your indentation will have ceased to exist!

Home Hack #2: 8-Minute Cleanings

If you’re like most people, it’s rare to be able to clean your entire home from top to bottom all at once. Fortunately, there is a great book that can teach you all about the 8-minute home cleaning hack: “The Cleaning Ninja,” by Courtney Hartford. It will teach you how to clean your home more quickly and more thoroughly than you might have thought possible. Here’s an example:

Minute One: Light some candle, diffuse some essential oils, make your home smell nice

Minutes Two through Four: declutter the kitchen counters, kitchen table, and the living room

Minute Five: Get a new hand towel for the bathroom and use the old one to wipe down the sink

Minute Six: Do a quick wipe down of the toilet

Minute Seven: Dust any surfaces that need it

Minute Eight: Wipe down any surface that needs it

Think you can’t get all that done in eight minutes? Challenge yourself with this home hack. Here’s a bonus tip from us— enlist your roommates, significant other, or kids to help you get it all done!

Home Hack #3: Splatter Prevention

Cooking and baking in your home can be so much fun. Whether you serve three meals a day from your kitchen or you cook once a week, clean up is a time-consuming chore after the meal is done. It takes even longer if the meal prep involved a hand mixer.

Save time right from the start by using a paper plate to prevent splatter when using a hand mixer. Poke two holes in the plate and insert the whisks through the holes into the handheld mixer. When you put the mixer into the bowl, the plate will ensure no splatter gets all over the mixer or the countertops (or even in the ceiling!) You’ll have much less clean up after you are done.

Home Hack #4: Remove Drain Clog Without Chemicals

When you have a clogged drain in your home, your first thought is probably that need to go to the store to get a chemical treatment to solve the problem. If you use this home hack, you probably already have what you need on hand!

  • Baking soda
  • Vinegar
  • Hot water

Pour baking soda into the clogged drain. Let sit for a minute then pour down some vinegar. Finally, run hot water down the drain— the clog should melt away. This is a great alternative to using harsh chemicals in your home and around your family.

Home Hack #5: Use Your Drill To Clean Your Bathroom

You’ve probably seen those electric scrubbers on TV that will clean your bathroom grime with little to no elbow grease. But you don’t need to buy one of those—  you already have all the tools you need to make one yourself.

Just take a scrubbing pad and attach it onto the end of your cordless drill. Make sure that the metal part of the drill is completely covered by the scrubbing pad so you do not leave any scuff marks. You’ll clean the bathroom grime away in half the time.

Home Hack #6: Spice Space Saver

Say that three times fast! If you have limited kitchen space, you might have spices or other kitchen items stored on your countertops. This can make cleaning a pain and leave your kitchen always looking cluttered.

Instead, attach hanging racks to the inside of your pantry door in your kitchen. You’ll remove the clutter from your countertops, not only making your kitchen look cleaner, but also giving you the ease of wiping down counters without removing spices.

Bonus Tip: You know the file holders you might use in your office that are available at very low cost in the office section of any big box store? Place some adhesive tape to one side and stick them to the inside of the cabinet under your sink. This is a great way to keep your cleaning supplies organized and hidden.

Home Hack #7: Declutter the Garage

If you have children at home or you are a sports enthusiast yourself, you probably have balls to suit a variety of sports in your garage. It might seem like there is never a great way to store them without taking up a lot of space, but we have a home hack for you!

In a fairly short time and for very little money, you can build two shelves on a wall in your garage. Make holes in each shelf into which you can hook the ends of bungee cords. The bungee cords stretch so you can stick the balls into this contraption without them falling out once they are in there.

Thanks to the internet and the fact that DIY projects are trending, there is an endless amount of home hacks to help you save time when cleaning your home. But if you still can’t find the time to clean your house to your full satisfaction, that’s where CleanSpace comes in!

We have proudly been serving Silicon Valley’s residential and office cleaning needs for more than a decade. Let us save you time and keep your home clean so you can spend more time doing what you love with the ones you love. Call us today for your free estimate on weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly cleanings.

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Ultimate Summer Cleaning Checklist

summer cleaning

The start of summer brings with it so many wonderful outdoor activities. You get to dust off all that patio furniture and shake out those umbrellas. You get to pull out the old grill. You get to break out the bikes and give them a wipe down. You get to unpack all the summer clothes.

Wait… this is starting to sound less fun and more like a…you guessed it!

Ultimate Summer Cleaning Checklist!

It doesn’t have to be a lot of work and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In fact, many of the things on this list will occur to you organically;  for example, when things have been in storage, you naturally give them a wipe down before using them.

Here are our recommendations for summer cleaning that will keep your house feeling fresh, cool, and clean all summer long.

Summer Cleaning Task #1: The Grill

Thankfully, the weather in California is so nice, we can grill out all year long. But, summer is traditionally the best time to grill, so it is also a good time to give the grill a thorough cleaning.  Don’t forget these areas of the grill:

  • Take the grates off and use an oven cleaner (don’t forget your gloves!) to give the grates a really good scrub down.
  • Use a soapy solution and a washcloth to wipe down the outside of the grill and then dry completely
  • Hand wash your grill utensils

Most people quickly clean the grill after each use, but it is advisable to once or twice a year give it a good scrub down.

Summer Cleaning Task #2: Vases

Flowers are available in abundance all summer long. If you have flowers in your garden that you sometimes bring in the house, summer is a good time to give the vases a good cleaning. Some vases are rather difficult to thoroughly clean on the inside; for instance, they might be long with a very small hole at the neck.

 

To clean out those hard to reach places, put a spoon of uncooked white rice into the vase with a little soap and warm water. Then cover the hole of the vase with your hand and shake. This will help scrub the inside of the vase. Now you’re ready for all those pretty flowers!

Summer Cleaning Task #3: Pillows

Summer is a great time to wash all the pillows in your house. Throw pillows, pillows for your bed, pillows your dog uses— they could all could use a good cleaning once a year. Some pillows might be able to be tossed into the washing machine with no ill effect.

For those that aren’t washing machine friendly, just wash them in the sink or a washing tub. Use a low suds detergent like Woolite, and then press— do not wring— the pillow dry. Most pillows are safe to toss into the dryer; just add in a few dryer balls to fluff them up.

Summer Cleaning Task #4: Patios and Decks

Wiping down patio furniture periodically is a great idea. Chairs might be doing double duty and also being used to dry swimsuits and towels from the pool. The chlorine might make the colors fade over time, so to prevent that, use soapy water to scrub, rinse, and dry the patio furniture in the summertime, when it will dry quickly.

The patio or deck itself could likely use a good spray down. Power spraying the concrete, deck, ceilings, etc, to rid them of cobwebs and bugs and general dirt will make your outdoor living areas look new again. Just be careful to use the suggested spray strength.

Summer Cleaning Task #5: Stains

Summer is a time for parties, relaxing evenings with friends, or just a quiet evening with neighbors watching the kids play in the backyard. Plenty of these events might also involve a glass (or two) of wine. With kids about, there is also the chance of a glass (or two) getting knocked over. Popsicles are also a major culprit behind stains in the summer.

If a glass of wine is just knocked over, use salt to soak it up. Not just a sprinkle, but a good amount of salt over the stain (on the carpet or the floor) will soak the wine right up. Then just vacuum it away. White vinegar, warm water, lemon juice, and a sponge will help you get rid of Pop Ice stains in no time.

Another good item for your summer cleaning checklist? Call CleanSpace cleaning services to get your free quote on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly cleaning to keep your house looking its best.
Chances are high that during the summer, you’d rather be spending time outdoors with your family and friends than cleaning up around the house. Your summer cleaning checklist can melt away by hiring our professional cleaning teams at CleanSpace!