My Dear Readers,
With an active and robust family, we share in generating garbage and causing messes around our home. Until recently, we did not share in the cleaning shores. Prior to switching to Whole Naturals Castile Soap, our offspring were off the hook. Using strong chemical products caused a justifiable concern. I was nervous about fumes, careful to always wear gloves, and kept the schedule of cleaning duties as to when the kids were at school or sleeping. Once we developed Whole Naturals Castile Soap, I could breathe a bit easier.
Making Cleaning Fun
At first, I was a bit skeptical that my kids would even want to participate, but they were ready and rearing to go!
We start with some great music to get us in the mood and add prepare our Castile Soap with the All-Purpose Cleaning Spray recipe into small spray bottles. I supply them with buckets, toothbrushes, squeegees, scrub brushes, and sponges for their little hands. These are the perfect tools to tackle our counters, toys, and chairs. I love adding essential oils, and my go-to favorite is everything in the citrus family.
We sometimes make up speed challenge games, or a “musical-chairs” type game where I start and stop the music. If I can associate the task of cleaning, with enjoyment and pleasure, I think that’s a win. It’s easy to take pride in watching their faces as we tidy up and make our living spaces cleaner. While my appreciation for them is demonstrated with hugs and kisses, sometimes it’s necessary to give them some external motivation. My go-to treats include heading out for soft serve, an extra 15 minutes before bed, or extra screen time. Our cleaning sessions usually only last about 20 minutes, but we get so much done in that amount of time!
There are many things I find so wonderful about having them help clean. If they don’t clean perfectly, it’s ok. The residue won’t damage most surfaces. More importantly, there are no toxic fumes. If it spills, I don’t have to worry about it damaging their skin or being sprayed in their eyes. While I don’t advocate consuming Whole Naturals Castile Soap, a quick call to poison control (1-800-222-1222) and a stomach ache later revealed that everything would be ok.
Realizing that my kids could take ownership of their messes, and gratefully acknowledging that we’ve created a cleaning solution that is safe for kids to use is remarkable. I’d like to add that my offspring are young, so rewards and games still work. Let’s see what happens when they mature to their upper teens!
Happy Cleaning!
