Wednesday, January 13, 2010

My Favorite Cleaning Accessory....


The Rake!
I have a special indoor rake.  Plastic works better than metal.  Gently rake the mess into a big pile next to the toy cupboard.  Put away the toys.  Put the clothes in the laundry basket.  Dishes in the sink.  Throw away all the garbage.  Sweep up the rest.  It's quick!

The kids "rescue" their favorite toys before I can rake them.  Kids 3 and older can put away the toys from the pile. [Don't have them put away toys and garbage at the same time because they WILL mix them up.]

It works great on carpet and tile.  Then you're ready to vacuum or sweep.  In a pinch, you can rake everything into the mudroom (or closet or behind some door or in some corner). Don't leave it too long or you'll be featured in a Shel Silverstein poem.

I've never met anyone else who was willing to try it.  I guess I'm crazy, but it works great!

9 comments:

Dawn said...

I should a thought of this when my kids were little... my back would be much happier now I am sure!

Maybe you can market it... make have some microfiber cloth on it and it will sell like hotcakes!

Melissa aka Equidae said...

passed by from SITS...thats a good idea you got but since in malta we dont rake I dont have one...my idea is to just give him a few toys at a time and when he gets fed up to take them away and give him new ones...of course he is only just about 1...will see in a few months or years

Fine Art by Jennifer said...

You're awesome. That's all I can say.

Unknown said...

Stopping by from SITS! I love that the kids can rescue their toys before they are raked.Stopping by from SITS!

Anonymous said...

True story. I've seen her do it!

Chris W. said...

That's great! I should get myself one! The outdoor rake is far too dirty.

Mamalissa said...

My husband is a pile maker with all things kitchen and front room, but he has yet to use a rake just a broom. He thinks that its his job to make the pile and MY job to put the pile away.

The Grasshoppa:Triplets Plus Two Momma said...

WHAT A BRILLIANT IDEA. I love it. And it is so true. It is so overwhelming if an entire room is covered from wall to wall with toys.

Love it.

Miss Dot said...

A RAKE? Awesome! I'm definitely employing this technique when I have kids. For now, I'll just rake up my husband's socks ;)

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