Brought to you by Nuffnang and Vileda
I will gratefully admit that I had a cleaner come once or twice a fortnight for most of my first few years of motherhood. I considered it a necessary expense for my mental sanity. Life with young kids is messy, you know! And with a shift-working husband and too much stuff to organise, I simply needed some help to keep our house under control.
Now my kids are now ages 2, 5 and 8. It surprises me to say it, but I don’t actually need a cleaner any more. “What’s the difference?” you ask. Mostly it’s that the kids are now old enough to help out! Sure the two-year-old cannot contribute a whole lot to the household duties (even though she loves to give it a go) but my older two can take over quite a few jobs that I would otherwise be doing on my own. Every morning the kids do their own jobs – like dishes, laundry and vacuuming – while I do my own – like toilets or mopping.
Of course the kids chipping in to the upkeep of the household is not only of benefit to me. I love to see them empowered with new skills, and I think the earlier they learn to be active members of the household the better. In fact, one of my priorities as a parent is to equip my children with life skills so I consider learning to maintain the home a valuable learning experience.
I recently made a list of cleaning tasks I plan to help my kids learn in the coming years, which I use more as a checklist for me to ensure I’ve taught them but could also be a goal list for children if they would enjoy the challenge. I just write each child’s name in the box when I feel they are capable of doing the task independently. It has been useful for me to keep tabs on what they have already mastered and what new skills can be introduced next.
By empowering my kids in this way I hope that when they move out of the house, they will feel prepared and confident to take care of their home and/or contribute to a shared household. Who doesn’t love a housemate who is tidy and does what needs to be done, anyway?
If you want to download my list, click here.
We have actually been doing “family service” every morning for a couple years now, which is when we all do between 15 minutes and half an hour of cleaning together each day. I find this routine really helps keep the house under control all week.
Another tip I find useful for keeping our house cleaning in check is making sure I have the right tools to clean effectively and efficiently. Not only does this make cleaning more enjoyable, but it takes much less time to clean when you actually have the best equipment to use.
I was recently sent a Vileda UltraMax Easy Twist mop and I couldn’t wait to try it out. My previous mop was one of the ones that had a pad you squeezed out yourself, which I could never quite get dry enough and it was actually pretty gross when you thought about all your hands are touching when you wrung it out (anyone else potty training?).
The new Vileda mop has a clever design which makes the squeezing quick and easy, all without touching the pad with your hands. You can check out a cute little video of the mop’s main features here.
Here’s what I personally love about the mop:
- The wringing mechanism is so effective and so much faster to use than a traditional mop, just twist (with dry hands) then press the little button to release! Because you don’t have to wring out the pad with your hands, it’s much more sanitary as well.
- The pad is machine washable and made with microfibre so you pick up all those little dust particles.
- There are soft bumpers on the edges so if the kids hit the legs of furniture it won’t make marks.
- It has a very flexible head for getting under low setting furniture.
- You can get replacement pads which makes the mop itself last much longer and therefore better for the environment.
Sounds pretty fabulous, right?
The Vileda UltraMax Easy Twist mop is available nationally in Woolworths or online. It is currently on special until 29th of March.
The giveaway is now closed.
For a chance to win one of 10 Vileda UltraMax Easy Twist mops, answer this question in the comments below:
What is the most important feature you look for in a mop and why?
Open to Australian residents only. Entries close 11.59pm AEST Wednesday 29th of March 2017. For full Terms and Conditions, click here.
Looking for something else to read?
If you enjoyed this post you may also like to read my five essential tips to get kids happily involved in housework or about how I have organised our morning routine.
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Leaving a streak-free finish! My last mop left marks on the floor that made me feel I’d never cleaned!
The one feature that i look for in a mop is an effective way to wring out the mop head because without it, the mop will become heavy, excess water will pool on the floor, and the mop won’t absorb all that water, so the floor will stay messy & will take forever to dry.
I feel that a good mop with this feature will take the stress away from cleaning the floors & will make the whole process simple & stree free for me.
When purchasing a mop I think about where I can store the mop and its accessories, bucket, mop heads etc in between uses. I dont have a lot of storage areas and this is my biggest consideration.
The most important feature i find in a mop is that it does the job the first time. I seriously have no time, juggling kids and the rest, to have to do a mop after mopping. Gah! It isn’t a job I enjoy so I’d love to win one that would make it a little easier on my life. LOL
Twist & Squeeze dry by itself cause my husband always laugh at the trail & puddle of water I left after mopping as I don’t have the strenght to squeeze the mop dry and I always ask him to keep his feet off the floor for very long till the water dries up. yikes!
I look for a mop that is easy to use and is easy to keep clean.
I loathe mopping I must admit! But this wonder-mop looks like it would do the job with ease!!! I most of all look for a mop that wrings out well, firstly so I don’t leave heaps of water everywhere that takes ages to dry but also because I don’t want pools of water to damage our floorboards! The main reason I detest mopping is because it seems to take me forever but the Vileda mop looks like it would make the job speedy and effective – which is a huge win for me!!!
PS Looooooove the chore chart ideas as I totally agree with your philosophy about training kids up in life skills but sometimes forget about the different ways they could be helping out (they already do heaps but you know… can always add more, haha!). just love your approach to family service too 🙂
Wow this mop look AMAZING! Mopping def isn’t my fav chore but I think with this Vileda mop I could get it done quicker and easier. My most important feature is the washerable head, so easy to get rid of the grime and germs cleaned off the floor! Fingers crossed!!
A good mop is one that squeezes out well (and easily) so that the floor dries quickly – otherwise my kids are slipping and sliding all over my clean floors!
Quality! When you’re using every other day ( because the old dog can’t hold her bladder anymore) then you need something that’s going to last!
I think having the kids help out is such a great idea! The most important thing for me is a streak free finish (we’ve got high gloss tiles – clearly something we chose before having kids!) and also a mop that cleans properly without having to keep going over it.
Such an insightful post and wonderful ideas. Being a Nanny to my own grand daughter of 7, these tips will definitely help me keep my house clean.
Number one is performance, two, that it rinses clean for storage.
The most important feature in a mop for me is that it’s easy to clean so can be used again and again.
I need durability in a mop. We have textured slate floor in the living area and uneven bathroom tiles. Flat mops don’t stand chance.
Ease of use is what I look for in a mop:
One that stays wet but doesn’t tend to sop!
Something user friendly,
With a head that is quite bendy.
Basically a mop that I simply don’t hate:
I’d love an efficient mop that I really did rate!
I want absorbency. With all this bloomin’ rain we are having in NSW I need something to mop up all the water! Add to that three children who seem to think that the water from showers and baths is meant to end up outside the bath and not down the drain I am forever mopping the bathroom and hallway (yes hallway!) floors from the water escaping.
The most important feature in a mop for me is: being able to wring it without dripping dirty water all over where I have just cleaned! There is nothing more frustrating than re-cleaning the same patch of floor over and over!
It was after the birth of my second baby that I become much more picky about the type of mop I felt I needed. As I would usually mop with the baby in the hug-a-bub, whilst toddler slept, I wanted a mop that I didn’t need to bend over with, nor use my hands to wring out the excess water. But now the issue is the ease of keeping the mop itself clean from debris (esp hair) that gets stuck. Also something that lasts a long time…saving our pockets and the environment.
Something that is quick, easy and streak free!
I have a two year old and an 8 month old so I Ned a mop that is easy to wash and keep clean. I need one that can wring dry and be ready for the next messy day!
As I live in an area where I constanly have to clean and wash floors nearly everyday ( desert). I need a mop that’s is easy to use and can put up with the dirt daily
The most important feature in a mop, is the ability to actually clean the Mop itself.
The Vileda UltraMax Easy Twist mop looks like cleaning the Mop at the end of floor-washing, would be so much easier for our household.
Quick & easy no dripping water. Would be. So good to have one
My house is fully tiled so the most important feature I look for in a mop is a sparkling streak-free finish. I believe the clever design of Vileda’s UltraMax Easy Twist mop, which makes the squeezing quick and easy, will give me a great result in no time at all and without those dreaded streaks!
It has to be easy to use,
Because I have such a short fuse,
Mopping is already such a bore,
No need to add difficulty to this chore!
I have two most important aspects the first is how easy the mop is to clean after using it as I learnt if your mop isn’t clean the floors aren’t going to be clean
The second is how much water it is going to keep behind, I live in a busy household and it’s important to me for the floor to dry quickly
Quite simply, a mop has to wring out properly, and do it easily. Otherwise it doesn’t clean my floor and I’m only moving dirty water around.
The kids may bring in rocks or roll in the mud, but this mop will let me twist again, to a perfectly clear dance floor everytime
If I can ever find s mop that actually fully cleans in the corners it will be a miracle. So I have high expectations for this new product out by Vileda. Fingers crossed.
Anything that can get weetbix off the floor is worshipped in my opinion! Also not having to touch and squeeze the mop out with your hands. Yuk!
Thank you for this very useful article!
Having your kids doing chores is a great way to promote their independence.
Small kids observe you doing household tasks and can help with simple things; generally it will thrill them to do so. Ask your little ones if they would rather help empty the dishwasher or wipe off the table, if they want to help load the washer with dirty clothes or dust the floor, if they can put away the sandwich bread or set the table, etc.
Older kids can help out, too. Instead, offer a list of tasks and ask them to pick 3 small ones or one big one. Small tasks include dusting, washing up dishes, putting laundry away, sweeping the floor, while big tasks could be mowing the grass, washing the car, or helping with grocery shopping.