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Tips for passing on cleaning skills
The fourth Sunday of every July is Parents' Day. This
day of commemoration, similar to Mother's Day and Father's
Day, is the result of a Congressional resolution that was
signed into law in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. The day
was created to recognize, uplift and support the role of
parents in the rearing of children. In addition to being
a day for honoring parents, it's also a good time for
some self-reflection on our roles as parents.
One aspect of being a good parent is to teach our children life skills so that
they can go forward as adults to lead happy, healthy and productive lives. These
life skills include everyday tasks, like cooking, cleaning and doing laundry.
Nancy Bock, Vice President of Education at The Soap and Detergent Association,
offers some suggestions for effectively introducing children to these tasks.
Make sure the chore is age-appropriate. Preschoolers can put away unbreakable
dishes and playthings. Older children can clear the table, help load the dishwasher
and make their beds. Teens and preteens can clean their own rooms, assist with
the laundry and help with dusting, cleaning and kitchen chores.
Make safety a priority. Always provide proper adult supervision. Don't
allow children to use disinfectants, disinfectant cleaners, chlorine bleach or
any product that has a warning on the label, such as “Keep out of reach
of children.”
Let them choose the medium. For example, there are many ways to remove dust from
the furniture. Only adults should apply spray products, but it's okay to
let your child experiment and pick a microfiber cloth or mitt, microfiber duster,
electrostatic dusting cloth or dust wipe to accomplish the task.
Develop a cleaning schedule. This can be difficult with today's busy households,
but children do better when they know what's expected of them and when
it's expected to happen.
Tap into your children's concern for the environment. Set a good example with sustainable
practices. For example, purchase cleaning products in bulk sizes along with a smaller
container of the product and refill the latter as needed. Follow label instructions
as to the recommended amounts of product so you aren't wasting money by using more
than is necessary. Dispose of empty containers in an environmentally responsible way.
Teach them to read product labels. Show them what can be found on cleaning product
labels: ingredients list, usage directions, storage and/or disposal information,
safety information, environmental information and the manufacturer's name and
address and/or a toll-free phone number. Note, too, that some cleaning product
manufacturers are providing expanded ingredient information on their product
labels and via supplementary information on their websites. This is a precursor
to the Consumer Product Ingredient Communication Initiative, a proactive
voluntary program being collaboratively launched by SDA, the Consumer Specialty
Products Association (CSPA) and the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association
(CCSPA). It's designed to meet the changing needs of consumers and the marketplace
by creating a uniform system for providing ingredient information to consumers in a
way that's meaningful and easy to understand. This initiative provides different means
to inform consumers about the ingredients in products: on the product label; on the
manufacturer's, distributor's or importer's website; through a toll-free telephone
number; or through some other nonelectronic means. This voluntary program will take effect in January 2010.
For more information about the Consumer Product Ingredient Communication Initiative,
visit http://cleaning101.com/files/Consumer_Product_Ingredient_Communication_Initiative_description_11-24-08.pdf.
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Cleaning Matters is
compiled by The Soap and Detergent Association and is
not copyrighted. Such information is offered solely to
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its member companies do not make any guarantees or warranties,
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