No one is going to want to clean while their friends are at a great Spring Fling event or their team is playing. Schedule the clean up day when there is no, or very little, schedule conflicts. Double checking with everyone shows you respect their life and insures no excuses, no whining. Once you have a date set let everyone know there are no excuses accepted. This is a family event and the maintenance of the household is their responsibility, too.

No one likes chores so creating a fun and unexpected environment will create a productive atmosphere. Stock up on good food, snacks and drinks. Set up a schedule, just like a well run production firm, and use predetermined breaks that the family can count on for food, fun or relaxation.

Music has been scientifically proven to motivate higher production in workers and even better milk flow in cows. Imagine what would happen if you gave everyone a chance to have an hour of their favorite music on CD. Not only will music cause more movement but can you get to know each other better; opening up discussions that will make the time go by faster.

It can be an oversight to give chores to children that do not have the staying power or the organizational skills needed. Keep chores age appropriate. Providing work for even the youngest child is a great way to keep them busy and instill good habits. Sorting, carrying small items or even stacking things like books can provide them an opportunity to help. Children too young for even this should be sent to a sitter for the day, in order to keep the day flowing and productive.

Give a brief class on caring for the items in your home such as your Amish furniture investments. While the Amish use ARESISTOVAR for all of their finishes and it a high quality, catalyzed, performance coating for all types of interior furniture, it does need some basic care. Dusting your wood furniture often and carefully with a soft cloth following the grain pattern is a good idea. Also, occasionally clean the surface with a mild, non-alkaline soap and water and a soft sponge or cloth. Dry immediately with a soft cloth and buff lightly following wood grains. Always avoid polish that contains and silicones.

Organize you supplies before spring cleaning day arrives. A great idea is to fill a bucket with basic cleaning supplies that can be brought from room to room. These can be given to each individual or team. Include items like:

(Remember to avoid including furniture polish with silicone)

• Glass-cleaning spray
• All purpose spray
• Soft scrub for bathrooms and kitchens
• Flannel cloths to dust
• Terry cloth towels
• Paper towels
• Sponge
• Toothbrush
• Squeegee
• Scrub brush
• Rubber gloves
• Lint roller for pet hair (and humans!)

If the job is a good size you can make it more fun by dividing the home in to equal parts and jobs. The person or team that accomplishes the most by the end time is rewarded with a prize or a dinner.

As difficult as it will be, turn off the ringers to your phones. Let everyone important know what your plans are for day and that you will contact them upon completion. For every phone each of you take that many minutes are added to a job that your family will tire of more quickly than you can complete.

Don’t forget to add to the fun by creating a scrap book of the day. Pictures of the event can be used as evidence that you are the meanest parent on earth!

More important than maintaining the healthy physical environment in your home is to maintain a healthy loving one. Plan a reward for a job well done. Movies or dinner out or better yet order a pizza and rent a movie and enjoy it on your Amish dining room table, freshly polished during your memory building family spring cleaning day.

Most people get into the habit of storing their stuff in closets, boxes, plastic bins, under beds, or anywhere else they can hide stuff away. This is the main reason things become disorganized because if your stuff doesn’t have a home it tends to get moved around until it becomes a cluttered mess once again.

So, the best way to tackle this problem is to find a place for everything and keep everything in its place. The first step in achieving this organizational goal is to purchase furniture pieces that serve dual purposes.

For instance, you probably have a need for a side table in your dining room for parties or extra serving space. Rather than just buying a regular table that only serves the purpose of putting things on top of it, you should instead buy a buffet that you can also store all of your china, silverware, and linens inside.

You no doubt have one or two televisions in your home, so rather than placing them on a plain TV stand you should use an entertainment unit or armoire where you can keep all of your movies, music, games, books, or records organized as well.

At the foot of the bed many people place a bench of some sort to sit on while getting dressed or undressed. This is an ideal place for a cedar chest where you can store your comforter, blankets, sheets, or extra pillows.

Creating a specific home for all your stuff will not only get you more organized, it will also keep you from becoming stressed out over not knowing where anything is and will make your home more comfortable when everything is kept out of the way and in its own place.