How to Introduce Your Children to the Idea of Green Cleaning
Children who help out around the house with family chores will grow as a person, with confidence improving as your child learns and uses their abilities to achieve a chore goal. With that in mind, introducing your child to the benefits and values of green cleaning is a great place to start if you’re looking to give them more responsibility around the home, especially when it comes to getting the outdoor play equipment clean. From getting them involved to the importance of education and making it fun, here’s what you need to know to get started.
An eco-friendly education
While most people might not think much about cleaning outdoor play equipment like swing sets, slides, plastic playhouses, etc., it’s important to remember that they, too, need to be cleaned from time to time. When first introducing the idea of green cleaning outdoors to your children, however, it’s important to educate them on the importance of using eco-friendly cleaning products, and why they’re necessary.
Teaching your children the basics of the need for eco-friendly cleaning is a great way to begin, and should focus on the facts. The fact that conventional cleaners have harsh chemicals in them like bleach and ammonia, and can’t be mixed or used in conjunction with each other due to the chemical reaction they can create (in addition to the health and safety hazards involved) is just one good point to mention. In turn, educating them on the value of using eco-friendly cleaning supplies instead (such as vinegar) for cleaning outdoor play equipment can teach them how beneficial it can be to the environment can be a great way to start.
Getting your children involved
When looking to introduce your child to green cleaning methods, it’s important to involve them as much as possible in order to foster a positive experience. Thankfully, this can be done in a number of simple ways when cleaning outdoors, including allowing them to clean with easy-to-use tools like a lightweight broom to sweep out a playhouse, or a simple rag for wiping down the swings and slides. Letting your children help in creating DIY green cleaning products (under supervision, of course), is another great way to get them involved as well. By getting your children actively involved, you will allow them to get an up-close and first-hand experience with green cleaning, and help them feel included while getting them excited for the activity (as opposed to just talking with them about it).
Green cleaning: fun for the whole family
It’s no secret that cleaning is often seen as a boring and dull chore, though there are a number of ways that you can make cleaning with eco-friendly products both fun and enjoyable for everyone involved. Creating a chore chart and using a reward system when outdoor cleaning tasks are completed is just one way that cleaning can be a fun and interactive way in both getting the task done and giving your child more responsibility at home. However, allowing them to pick and choose what they clean can also be a great idea, and will make things more enjoyable by allowing them to have more control in the matter. By getting the whole family in on the cleaning routine (such as by delegating different tasks to every family member), cleaning can then become a family bonding activity — not to mention that the cleaning will get done quicker, too.
Cleaning is often viewed as a boring, mundane task by all, though it doesn't have to be — especially if you’re looking to switch to a more eco-friendly cleaning method when cleaning outdoor play equipment. By actively involving your children and making cleaning both educational and fun, you’re sure to instill both responsibility and eco-conscious habits in them in no time at all.