Lucy has always seemed to enjoy vacuuming, “in utero”:/news/2006/camera-ready/, in the “Baby Björn”:/news/2006/bunny-cide/, as a “crawling baby”:/news/2007/whatever-blows-your-hair-back/, and now as a fully-mobile toddler. Lately, it has become one of our “go-to” fun activities.
As soon as I mention the word “vacuum,” Lucy starts with the sound effects: “vroom, vroom!” She squeals with delight as soon as I turn it on and likes to be chased with it. It’s fun for her to try to sit on the canister (just about her size), and of course she’s always enjoyed the “blowing of the fan on her face”:/news/2007/whatever-blows-your-hair-back/. (Hmm, is this healthy?) Every once in awhile she’ll figure out how to turn the machine off or reel in the power cord enough that it gets disconnected from the plug, but these are the prices Mama has to pay for a clean floor. Not bad.
p{color:gray}. Photo: Here is Lucy’s official floor-cleaning get-up. Not really. Just being silly.
More recently, we’ve been enjoying mopping the kitchen floor together, too. For many months, I avoided mopping with Lucy around — it just seemed too hazardous, too wet, too many chemicals. But I’ve finally invented a toddler-friendly system that works with my life. Lucy has the order of events down pat, and likes to remind me where to go next, as soon as I say the word “mop.”
# First, get the mop from the attic stairs (our version of a broom closet). I use a mop I got from Target (I think it is Real Simple brand) with a removable and washable microfiber sleeve.
# Next, get a new microfiber sleeve from the basement stairs (the other part of our broom closet). We keep three of these sleeves in the house. Attach to mop.
# Look under the sink to find a large spray bottle of 1:1 white vinegar and water. I got this great spray bottle from The Container Store — it sprays a good stream onto the floor even from standing height.
# Spray vinegar and water onto the floor, and start mopping away! Bonus giggles: Try to mop Lucy’s feet in the process.
# When you’ve finished, toss the mop head into the pile of dirty rags so it can be washed for next time.
Now I’m usually big on cleaning with disinfecting solutions, but I love cleaning my wood floors with vinegar and water — Lucy crawls around while I’m doing it, always underfoot, and I don’t worry at all about her getting into toxic chemicals. She’ll maybe get a little pickled, but that’s OK.
It does smell a bit like you are making a big salad while you are washing the floor, but it dissipates pretty quickly. And hey, I’m not in my first trimester anymore so odors don’t bother me! I’m just glad to get the kitchen floor clean — at least for an hour or so, until Lucy throws banana from her high chair again. Sigh. Maybe she’s trying to dirty it up so we can clean it together?
You are much too patient. Time to have another baby, I guess.
No seriously, you have a great attitude about the speed it takes to do things. Things that Mom wants to get done = very slowly, if at all. Things that child wants to get done = very quickly.
I’ve similarly convinced my kids that wiping windows and mirrors is a real treat. If only I can win them over to cleaning floors as you have!
I still don’t mop with the kids up – I’ve tried too many times and had one or both end up wiping out on the wet floor, flat on their backs, crying. So now I do it when they’re sleeping or when I have someone to watch them (I can occasionally convince my mom to come after work for a bit while I mop).
They do love to do windows and use towels on the floors and walls to “clean”. When cleaning the bathroom, I’ve taken to letting Benjamin strip completely, give him a spray bottle full of water and some rags and stick him in the shower. He thinks it great fun and the shower contains the water mess. It entertains him for 10 – 15 minutes while I clean everything else.
Clean? Hum. I have our janitor come from the main office and clean!! ;-)
Well she only comes once in a while otherwise I just go nuts trying to do it. Madelyn HATES loud noises and will go completely crazy at the sound. We got her a toy vac. to try to get her okay and she won’t even turn it on because it is too loud, she plays with it with no noise. HUM. I guess it iwll be interesting to see what happens when baby girl cries??!!
We put a few drops of tea tree and lavender oils in with the vinegar and water we clean with – both non-toxic disinfectants. And some sweet orange essential oil – then the whole thing smells CLEAN instead of like salad. But that is now. I probably mopped once a month when the kids were little and actually eating off of the floor.
I figure that we are helping our LO’s build that healthy immune system when we forgo disinfectants and stick to vinegar or other natural ingredients. Although when we all have colds after my gentle cleansing, I will do a quick disinfectant spray and move the kids to another room while it dries.
I love that Lucy likes the vacuum. Mo loves the little toy vacuum, and he likes to play with our big Bissell, but he doesn’t like it when it is turned on.
ok I am convinced every toddler is obsessed with vacuums! The two I watch always want to be involved in my post-snack vacuuming efforts. They both got toddler sized vacs for Xmas and they were the most popular gifts! Someone should do a study on this phenomenon.
We were looking for a good toy vacuum cleaner, but found only mixed reviews. Anybody have recommendations for a hit?
We have the dirt devil toy upright from Toys R Us. Both kids seem to enjoy it (watch out when Benjamin gets a hold of it – he moves furniture and picks up rugs to “vacuum” underneath them). The noise it makes can get annoying, but it hasn’t bothered me too much. http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2334289
I wonder though if Lucy would prefer a canister vacuum since that’s what you have? Also – my kids like to play with the wands from the real vacuum too – I just stick one of the cleaning extensions on it and give it to them and they’ll pretend to vacuum with that.
Our toy vacuum is the dirt devil upright, and we also had a toy dirt devil hand vac. It pics up a little bit of dirt on it’s own, but I agree with Nicole it can get annoying. Mostly because my kids like to turn it on, but don’t turn it back off when done playing.