Although the first day of Spring was last week…it doesn’t really feel like spring here.

Which is challenging, because one of my favorite things to do at the end of winter is to open the windows and air out the house-which (being totally honest) is a necessity this year.

I mean, being stuck in the house since November…with a bunch of boys…it’s a bit much.

Since it’s still frigid here in Michigan, I’ve decided to tackle my spring cleaning bug in other ways. I’m cleaning my house, changing over the closets (because we now have four seasons, which means we need to change things over twice a year), and stocking up on DIY cleaning supplies.

I just unpacked my box of glass jars, and I feel like I need to fill them again (yes, it took me 6 months. Don’t judge.).

When we moved, I tossed all of my homemade cleaning products, and have been using ‘natural’ store-bought products.

It’s time to change that.

Simple Swaps

I love using natural and DIY products around the house. Knowing what actually went into them makes me feel much better about letting the boys help clean.

Maybe “letting” is a strong word…

This week, I’m making some of my favorite DIY cleaning helpers:

Dishwasher Tabs
Garbage Disposal Refresher
DIY Deodorizer Carpet Powder
All-natural Cleaning Tablets
Thieves Cleaner Solution (for my kitchen and bathrooms! It only takes a capful!!)

If you don’t want to spend time making a bunch of DIY cleaning products, that’s okay.

I get it, we are all busy. That doesn’t mean you have to rely on what you can grab quickly while you’re grocery shopping.

You can get your whole house sparkling with salt, baking soda, and vinegar.

Natural, frugal…and the kids can help. Mine love to make a “cleaning volcano” in their sink.

Beating The Stink

Did I mention that I’ve been stuck inside with boys for way too long?

My almost 8-year-old is getting to the age where his feet smell like they up and died. And since I can’t air out the house…

I had to do something.

It’s awful, y’all.

I don’t want to make him feel bad about something that he has very little control over, so I made him his very own bottle of DIY air freshener (because knowing what’s in the store-bought stuff has scarred me for life, y’all!!).

He can use this to help combat the stink in his room (EW!), and it gives him a sense of control.

Because needing to shower every day is hard enough. Even for me (and I’m a grown-up).

Cleaning With Kids

This may shock you, but if you live in my house I don’t care if you’re 3 or 30. You clean your own mess. There is a LOT that your kids can help with, including dusting furniture, clearing or setting the table, and picking up their own toys.

Expecting that my kids clean up after themselves has always been a thing. Before they were big enough to do it with only moderate supervision, I’d help them walk their toys back to the toy bins.

But it’s about way more than just picking up the toys you got out…it’s about caring about where you live. That’s why I expect my boys to help out.

Cleaning with a toddler can be frustrating, but eventually, something clicks. I like to give The Baby small jobs like dusting, sorting laundry, folding washcloths and towels, and wiping down the counters.

For Smalls, giving him bigger jobs seems to be the best way to get things done and keep them clean-he loves to be in control so things like emptying the dishwasher, chopping vegetables (this kid-safe knife ROCKS!), and changing over the laundry are things he actually looks forward to.

…now if only I could get him to put his laundry away…