Children and ants alike have dined under my table. Here are some strategies I've learned to keep each eating in their proper realm.
Brooms come in two varieties. The standard size and the mini size. The mini size is nice for getting under the table and chairs, and allows children to help clean up the mess their younger siblings have made. The standard size is nice for saving your back.
It seems to be one of the cruel facts of real life that rental property owners who otherwise cater to young families are often insist on putting carpet in the dining area. Why this is necessary when there are perfectly good, econmoical solutions like the linoleum they've just used in the cooking area I will never understand. If you've fallen vicitim to this sad situation, I highly recommend a hand held vacuum that can be kept in the dining area. It's quick and so easy to use that even my two-year-old can be effective. My only complaint is that our dust buster battery died faster than the food was cleaned. I'll try a different brand next time we're stuck in that situation, and let you know how it goes.
If I have a large space, I use a mop and bucket system to clean on a less than daily basis. Use hot water with a little vinegar, and most grime will come up quickly. If you'd like to disinfect, use a little bleach in your water. Don't use bleach and vinegar together, as you'll end up with dangerous chemistry experiment rather than a clean floor. The hotter the water, the faster the floor dries. Also, if you're new to mopping, realize that the idea is to use a damp mop to clean the floor, not to put puddles on the floor.
Usually, the floor cloth is used for spot cleaning. When I have a very minimal amount of hard surface flooring to clean, I use a cloth to clean the entire surface as part of your weekly or monthly cleaning cycle. Someday, I will become a grandma and do the entire floor on my hands and knees, even if it's large.
I use the same type of cloth as I might to wash dishes, but in a differnt color. I don't want what's on our floor on my dishes, and my washing machine is not magic, so it's better not to assume everything nasty will wash out.
"As a rule" I try to clean the kitchen floor as often as I run the dishwasher. Right now, that's once every twenty-four hours. As part of this daily routine, I sweep the floor and spot clean just after I start the dishwasher each evening.
As with all housekeeping schedules, the appropriate frequency for sweeping, spot cleaning, and all out mopping varies according to each household. If I have an infant, I clean less often. However, if I have a crawler, I insist on sweeping after every meal, lest my children come to believe that dropping food on the floor is an acceptable means of storing snacks for later.
A couple years ago I visited a friend who had two pre-school sons. When I commented on her impressively clean kitchen floor she informed me that she hadn't mopped in years. Spot cleaning was working for her! It doesn't quite work that well for me, so I mop as part of my weekly cleaning routine.
Do you have any tricks to share for maintaing a clean floor in the eating area?
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Tools
Broom and Dustpan
Brooms come in two varieties. The standard size and the mini size. The mini size is nice for getting under the table and chairs, and allows children to help clean up the mess their younger siblings have made. The standard size is nice for saving your back.
Hand held vacuum
It seems to be one of the cruel facts of real life that rental property owners who otherwise cater to young families are often insist on putting carpet in the dining area. Why this is necessary when there are perfectly good, econmoical solutions like the linoleum they've just used in the cooking area I will never understand. If you've fallen vicitim to this sad situation, I highly recommend a hand held vacuum that can be kept in the dining area. It's quick and so easy to use that even my two-year-old can be effective. My only complaint is that our dust buster battery died faster than the food was cleaned. I'll try a different brand next time we're stuck in that situation, and let you know how it goes.
Mop and Bucket.
If I have a large space, I use a mop and bucket system to clean on a less than daily basis. Use hot water with a little vinegar, and most grime will come up quickly. If you'd like to disinfect, use a little bleach in your water. Don't use bleach and vinegar together, as you'll end up with dangerous chemistry experiment rather than a clean floor. The hotter the water, the faster the floor dries. Also, if you're new to mopping, realize that the idea is to use a damp mop to clean the floor, not to put puddles on the floor.
Cloth
Usually, the floor cloth is used for spot cleaning. When I have a very minimal amount of hard surface flooring to clean, I use a cloth to clean the entire surface as part of your weekly or monthly cleaning cycle. Someday, I will become a grandma and do the entire floor on my hands and knees, even if it's large.
I use the same type of cloth as I might to wash dishes, but in a differnt color. I don't want what's on our floor on my dishes, and my washing machine is not magic, so it's better not to assume everything nasty will wash out.
Scheduling
"As a rule" I try to clean the kitchen floor as often as I run the dishwasher. Right now, that's once every twenty-four hours. As part of this daily routine, I sweep the floor and spot clean just after I start the dishwasher each evening.
As with all housekeeping schedules, the appropriate frequency for sweeping, spot cleaning, and all out mopping varies according to each household. If I have an infant, I clean less often. However, if I have a crawler, I insist on sweeping after every meal, lest my children come to believe that dropping food on the floor is an acceptable means of storing snacks for later.
A couple years ago I visited a friend who had two pre-school sons. When I commented on her impressively clean kitchen floor she informed me that she hadn't mopped in years. Spot cleaning was working for her! It doesn't quite work that well for me, so I mop as part of my weekly cleaning routine.
Do you have any tricks to share for maintaing a clean floor in the eating area?
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This was hilarious! Great ideas and really well-written :)
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