How to Get a Teenager to Clean Up a Messy Room

If you want to get a teenager to clean up a messy room then the worst thing to do is shut the door and ignore the problem. The room will just get messier and messier. In fact if you do that the problem could get so large that the kid will never attempt to clean up. As a parent it is your job to get them to clean it up and organize it.

The first thing you should do is try and reason with your child. Don't nag him or her but ask him calmly and quietly why cleaning the room up is such a problem. Ask them what the problem is when it comes to cleaning up the room.

After talking, help them assess the room and find out if they need shelves on which to store their music or other knick knacks. If your kid is a teen there might be a lot of make up around. Be clever about what you can store things in. Old cups and bowls can be used to store items. You can also use plastic tubs. Old boxes and shoe boxes can be good free storage containers for smaller items as well.

You can put smaller boxes inside drawers to help the teen stay organized as well. Get organizers with shelves and label the drawers and organizers so they know where to put things each time they clean.

One way to encourage them to get the room looking clean is to have them try to get all surfaces clean. This gets them out of the habit of cluttering up surfaces all of the time.

Kids that have messy rooms sometimes do not have the basics. They will need a place to store pencils, pens, calculators, rulers, art supplies and glue. Plastic tackle boxes and plastic work boxes can also help a disorganized teen keep things straight.

To help reduce the amount of trash that might be lying around make sure that you place trash baskets in strategic spots and designate a day when they must take out their own trash. Keep a tote basket full of the cleaning supplies he or she will need to keep their bedroom upstairs pristine. This prevents them from experiencing'the drat' of searching downstairs for the things that they need.

Once your child does master keeping the room clean then praise him or her so that they keep on doing it again and again. Reward them with movie tickets or something else they might prize to keep the motivation there in their heads.

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Tips for Getting the House Clean Faster

It can be just overwhelming when it comes to keeping the house clean. Most moms constantly deal with toys, dirty clothes, food crumbs, fluids and other messes. Some moms may disagree with this but usually the best approach is to do a little bit of cleaning every day rather than waiting a whole day to clean.

Some moms find it helpful to designate an entire day to a type of cleaning. This helps them keep track of what was cleaned. For instance, two days might be devoted to laundry and two might be set aside for vacuuming, dusting etc. Mondays might be 'Bathrooms', Tuesday could be 'Bedrooms', and Thursdays could be 'Basement and Garage' and so on.
It is also helpful to keep a list of rooms that you have cleaned on a chalkboard or dry erase board. This can help you keep track of which rooms need attention. This prevents you from doubling your work and neglecting doing other areas.

Kids often get in the way of cleaning house so the best time to do this is when your kids are napping. At the very least put them in front of the television or give them a game to play by themselves. Older kids will usually disappear the minute you mention the word 'housework.'

It is also a good idea to have an item called a clean-up basket. This works really well if you have a couple of kids and there are dozens of items cluttering up every square inch of carpet. You simply go around the house and pick up anything and everything. You can then take the different items to where they really should be stored in your home.

If you are a very overworked mom because you just had a baby or have other challenges then you are never going to feel much like cleaning. Cleaning experts recommend setting a timer to motivate you to work more efficiently. Basically you set a timer for fifteen or thirty minutes and during that time you work as hard as you possibly can to get as much as you possibly can. Then you can reward yourself with that nap or shower that you have been waiting for.

If you like a little direction then you can try a site like FlyLady. It gives you schedules and sends you emails so you can get your home clean in about a week or so. The first day you are instructed to 'shine your sink.' This type of thing can help you structure your time so you get the cleaning over and done with.

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