There’s no denying that kids can get messy. It seems like the older my kids get, the messier they become. So I’ve picked up a few tips to a make cleanup a snap. Here are 7 parenting hacks if you have messy kids.
- Create an ice pop barrier
What kid doesn’t love an ice pop? But the caveat to having them is the mess they create. Whenever my kids have the frozen treat, they’re left with sticky hands and ice pop residue all over their clothing and our furniture. But if you make a hole in a paper bowl and stick the ice pop inside, any melted portion of the popsicle will stay in the bowl. Once your little one is finished, you can toss everything in the trash AND kids’ hands aren’t sticky!
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- Avoid mold in bathroom toys
One of the best ways to clean up a mess is to avoid it all together. I noticed that my children’s rubber duckies would get moldy, making it virtually impossible to clean the inside of it. We would throw it out and buy a new one, only to encounter the same problem. Turns out, you can use hot glue to seal off the hole to stop mold from happening in the first place.
- Create an organizer for toys and other accessories
My daughter recently received an assignment to create a recycling project. Since she has a ton of hair bows and headbands laying around the house, we thought it would be a great idea to make a hair accessory organizer. We took an old can, a candle holder, wrapping paper and hot glue for our DIY project. Now her hair clips aren’t strewn everywhere. Not only does it reduce the clutter, it’s actually a pretty cool project that she enjoyed putting together herself.
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- Quick fix for a lost earring back
It seems like my daughter is always losing the backs of her earrings. I finally bought her the screw-on backs to prevent them from falling off. But before then, I used pencil erasers. You can also use unchewed gum or even fruit snacks. All you have to do take a piece and jam the post into it and voila!
- Clean scuffed shoes
Bananas are a great healthy snack, but did you know it’s also great for polishing leather shoes? It’s all in the banana peel. Once you’re done eating the banana, take the peel and gently rub the scuff marks away. Then wipe with a cloth.
When it comes to canvas sneakers, just throw them in the washing machine and dryer and your little one is good to go.
Petroleum jelly will shine patent leather shoes like new; brush away suede scuff marks with an eraser.
- Fix torn jeans
There’s no doubt that kids can get filthy, but they’re also notorious for worn out and torn clothing too, especially jeans. You can easily patch up holes by sewing on fabrics. There are tons of ideas on Pinterest featuring easy fun tutorials.
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- Cleaning a soiled mattress
Let’s face it, kids are bound to have accidents at night. I made use of the mattress pad from by baby registry once my little ones were potty trained. But if for some reason your child has an accident on the mattress, pour some vinegar and add baking soda to the soiled area. Let is sit for about a half hour. Then rub the area with a cloth and dry it with a fan. Once it’s dry, you can place a few dryer sheets on the spot before making the bed for a extra fresh smell.
