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I have a group home daycare, so 12 kids and two helpers. I think we do a pretty good job keeping the house clean, but we work our behinds off to make that happen. Sometime we fall short and I notice crumbs on the floor after everyone has left for the day. How do you all manage keeping your home/ daycare clean?
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Other threads about cleaning https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=cleaning
I also have 12 kids daily but don't have an assistant let alone two.... what do your assistants do during the day? -
The two key pieces for me are (1) everything has a place that is obvious for everyone, including kids, (2) we all clean up as we go. For example, after lunch kiddos check their areas and pick up and big messes I can't vacuum (even my 17 month year old does this without being asked). For us, so many parts of our day are about routine. I work alone and have 7-8 kiddos.
Also, this is a small thing, but a cordless vacuum has been so helpful. I find that I run it often without consuming much time because it is readily available.
When the day is done I need to be able to mentally checkout.Comment
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12 kids, 1 assistant.
Routine. Clean as you go. Give the kids jobs, expect them to pick up their own toys, food messes (to an extent), etc. We don't move on until the previous activity is picked up. At the end of the day I small things up and do table activities with the 2-3 kids left and I do a good once over clean. DC bathroom gets cleaned, classrooms, get dusted, vacuumed and mopped. When the last child leaves I follow them out with a trash bag and my day is done.Comment
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All of this is great advice. I'll also add that we are outside 95% of the time at the end of the day. That really helps. Some days I have a few kids getting picked up closer to closing, and they may end up back inside with me. During this short chunk of time they can only choose from reading or non-messy table games. It makes pick up easier for everyone and I can end my day immediately.Comment
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My dog eats everything that falls on the floor so that helps a lot!! :
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I use the motivated moms chore planner to keep up with non daycare chores, and incorporate daycare chores into our routine.Comment
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I don't have a set routine, just do what needs to be done. Yes, I overlook things sometimes, missing crumbs or playdoh on the floor. The one thing I have a hard time keeping up with is the bathroom. I go with dcks who need help but going back and forth, I tend to miss if a dck drops a paper towel on the floor and doesn't bother to throw it away, etc. After a dck is done in the bathroom, I'm lucky to swipe the sink with a clorox wipe before dcks need me somewhere else. Dishes I keep up with, sweeping as much as I can when needed, I only vacuum when the living room carpet is getting bad. Other than that, I do all my dc before they come in the a.m., it's when my energy level is higher and the place is fresh for the day.
I'm not a cleaning fanatic, not the type to make sure all my door knobs sparkle and all that jazz, I live in a lived in home that's over run with kids everyday.
All I can do is the best I can with what I have.
And yes, my 2 dogs love to help with cleaning the floor after lunch.
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Every day at lunch time, I curse parents that do this at home. 
It's so easy to tell which kids have this happening at home. They are by far THE messiest kids and are constantly dropping stuff on the floor and not even giving it a second thought. :confused:
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SAME!
Our dogs stand in the hallway while we eat in a lay/stay command. I did this with every dog we have ever had, even when my kids were little. THEN my kids cleaned up after themselves and THEN the dogs came in looking for crumbs.
One dcm I have posts pictures of her 2yo with her two mastiffs under her chair at home captioned "crumb catchers" and it drives me batty because she is messier than all 11 other kids combined. Even the young toddlers.Comment
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My babies actually listen to me when I tell them not to throw food on the floor and sometimes the dog is annoying because they want to purposely feed him. My own kids also did not throw stuff on the floor. I mostly mean he eats anything that has dropped accidentally or crumbs from muffins etc.
Whenever I have a baby start they always start throwing food on the floor and none of them have had dogs in their home. What is up with that? I say no/stop and they always stop and never do it again. Do parents just not say STOP? I have never had an issue with this!Comment
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I have almost 3yr old twins that bring muffins for lunch (as their main entree... that's an issue within itself!!) and the floor is COVERED in muffin crumbs when they're done.... sighComment
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cleaning
Had been wanting a good cordless vacuum and put off buying a Dyson because of the price. Finally purchased for a Christmas present for me (with funds from daycare parents' Christmas bonus to me). So glad I purchased due to DCG crawling and tasting every little crumb, leaf, etc. I can keep the floor clean with very little time and effort - safe to use with children as there is no cord. A cheaper brand may be just as effective - but the cordless aspect was very important to me.
This only addressed the floor, but if only I could find a robot maid to clean the bathroom!Comment
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