Five Minute Focus for House Cleaning with Kids

Growing up, having kids, and creating a home is such a different adventure than I expected. I’m truly enjoying the regular experiences I have that call into question all of my preconceived notions of what this would all be like! For example, I remember telling my older sister about how my kids would definitely eat carrot sticks as easily as fruit snacks if I offered them consistently…obviously that was before I actually had kids.

Another example is when I walk into my house, with toys, crumbs, and tiny fingerprints everywhere and I remember thinking that my home would always be clean. Ha! It turns out I much prefer a happy home to a spotless one, although I do appreciate some regular refreshing. This Five Minute Focus helps keep the stress out of the process of house cleaning, and is a great way to have the kids help me whip one section into shape super quickly before we have friends over, or just so we can regain some sanity before the next activity.The Five Minute Focus is exactly what it sounds like. We set the timer, and give everyone a specific job that they can accomplish easily within the time frame. Somehow, knowing the time is set and we can be finished soon helps keep everyone moving quickly and on-task, and we all feel like we’re playing a game while we get the living space put back together. It doesn’t hurt to put on a fun, bouncy song to get all the energy up, too! Our kitchen and living room are connected as one big, open space where we spend most of our time, so that’s where I usually use the Five Minute Focus to pull things together. The surfaces in this area include granite counters, glass tile backsplash, wood cabinets and floor, and stainless steel appliances. I have and use several different types of cleaning products for my home, but it’s really nice to be able to use one simple product that spans across all of the surfaces in this space, especially to wipe the oh-so-adorable yogurt and chocolate fingerprints from the stainless steel (that Dave reminds me will brown or streak if we use the wrong cleaner!)

Pledge Multi Surface takes the grime and oils right off of the steel, and leaves a shiny, fresh surface in it’s place. Unlike other cleaners it is pH balanced, so I be confident it won’t dull or strip away any of the finishes. It gently cleans and shines without leaving any filmy residue, just beautiful shine. It’s become my go-to for the Five Minute Focus, because we can all pass it around and everything gets clean fast! I hand one child a basket and have them gather all of the stray toys, game pieces, and anything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen or living room. If it’s Eliot (4) collecting the items, I have him take it all to the playroom, and I help sort through it later. If it’s Milo (6) doing collecting, he can put them away where they go himself. I clear all the dishes from the table, counter, and other surfaces in the area (Plum’s sippy cup from the window sill, Milo’s sneaky breakfast dish from the coffee table where he was watching cartoons, etc.) and rinse and stack them into the sink. I like to load the dishwasher at night, when all the day’s dishes are done, but getting them off the counters helps clean up the area so much!The kids love to spray and wipe the shiny steel appliances, and with Pledge Multi Surface I feel like it’s pretty easy for them to do a good job even without my help! No streaks, and everything gets glowing pretty quick. Finally, a simple countertop and table wipe-down makes a world of difference! The gathered crumbs and spills come right up, and now that everything is cleared off, I feel like there is more space in the rooms to fill up with fun and laughter, without the stress of the mess.