I thought it would get easier when my daughter got older. She should be able to take care of herself more. She could help around the house. She might even take the initiative to take care of basic chores like cooking or laundry. Uhm, yeah, that never happened. To this day, I am still picking up behind her. No matter how many times we tell her, she will always leave one lone napkin on the table after eating, will spread her schoolwork onto every open surface, and will leave any and every container open after she uses it.
Munchkin does have a few chores that she’s supposed to be responsible for such as emptying the dishwasher and bathroom cleaning. But, even then, I have to remind her several times a day to actually do them. No matter what we say, it seems to go in one ear and out the other. It’s like she has blinders on when it comes to the trail of untidiness she leaves behind. When dishes pile up and the bathroom is neglected, it falls on my shoulders yet again. The struggle of parenting a teen is real.
A Tool to Encourage Teens to Clean — Bathroom Cleaning Checklist
We have found, though, that it helps to have some sort of regular routine. By doing certain tasks on the same day every week, it makes the job less painful and reduces complaining. But, it’s not easy to get a cleaning routine going, let alone keep it up. That’s why I made a Bathroom Cleaning Checklist.
By outlining what she needs to do on a weekly basis, cleaning will go smoother and faster. It also keeps her on track so not to neglect certain portions. I plan on laminating this and letting my daughter use a dry erase marker to fill it each week. The checklist also includes the monthly and deep cleaning tasks for me. Click here or the below image for a full-size printable PDF.
If you’re pressed for time, a few bathroom cleaning items can be skipped and floated to the next week. A little extra dust on shelves or a slight film on the shower walls easy to clean. But, there is one thing that must be done at least 1-2 times every single week. That is cleaning the toilet. Research shows that flushing can shoot plumes of air up to 15 feet. These plumes transmit bacteria and viruses from your waste if you breathe it in. That’s just NASTY! So, no, we are not okay with my daughter skimping out on regular toilet cleaning!
How to Use the Clorox® ToiletWand®
You might have noticed that I mentioned the Clorox® ToiletWand® in the Bathroom Cleaning Checklist. This simple-to-use gadget make cleaning the toilet a breeze. The Clorox® ToiletWand® System comes with one wand, six disposable refill heads preloaded with Clorox® cleaner, and one storage caddy. The pads already have cleaner in them and the refill head’s flat surface provides a better clean than traditional toilet brushes.
All you have to do is attach a pad to the Clorox® ToiletWand®, wet it, scrub around the bowl and under the rim, pop off the refill head in the garbage, then let the cleaner sit for five to ten minutes (depending on if you want to disinfect or just sanitize). When done, simply flush. That’s it. You don’t have to fuss with a separate cleaner or worry that the excess toilet water from the brush will spill. This is so much more sanitary! Here’s a quick video to show you how to use it.
Even though it drives me nuts to remind my daughter all the time to clean, I know it will sink in someday. After all, I was the same way when I was younger and know for a fact that I gave my mom the same grief. This must be a cruel kind of payback. Either way, I’m going to keep on my daughter about cleaning and hope for the best that this it will get better someday!
This post is being compensated by The Clorox Company as a part of the Clorox Influencer program and as part of my participation of being a Clorox CLXChampion.
