Make Mom's Life A Little Easier Every Day, Not Just Mother's Day!

Flowers and chocolate are a classic and wonderful gift ideas for Mother's Day, but this year we suggest making Mother's day a little more special. To show how much you really appreciate everything mom does, we have some unique ideas that will not only make an unforgettable Mother's Day, but will keep on giving the rest of the year!

Surprise your mom with something different by learning how to help out with some of her most time consuming tasks. Once mom has less chores to do she will have more time to unwind and spend quality time with the entire family, which seems like the best gift of all!

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan found out that moms spend around 17 hours per week on housework, which equals is 884 hours per year! Add to that, 224 hours a year spent on washing and folding clothes and another hour a day spent on meal preparation and clean up and you can see how much time these chores can eat up (more than two months to be exact). Give your mom a break this year by helping to lend a hand with the household chores.

Vacuuming

Vacuuming can be a really easy way to make the house look great and surprise mom this Mother's day. To make sure you do it properly (so mom doesn't have to redo it!), check out this video or follow this step-by-step guide for easy instructions.

1. Inspect the floors and pick up all of the big objects that could get stuck in your vacuum. String and thread can also get caught in the vacuum and cause a clog, so be sure to pick up string before you start.
2. Check the vacuum bag. If it is full it needs to be changed.
3. Select the proper setting on your vacuum for the floor surface you will be cleaning.
4. Plug the vacuum in and turn it on. Push it back in forth in overlapping strokes to ensure no spots are missed.

Cleaning out the Refrigerator

Most people will agree having an organized and fresh smelling fridge is something they appreciate – and moms would agree. Since it's often a pretty time-consuming task that involves a lot of bending over, this can be a great way to give mom a break by doing it yourself.

To get started all you need is some vinegar and water (3 parts water to 1 part vinegar) or a kitchen safe sanitizer and just follow these steps:

1. The fridge is going to be open for a while, so it is best to unplug it (try to complete this task in under an hour though, to ensure items like milk don't get a chance to warm up).
2. Open up the fridge and start taking all the items out. Create two piles: one pile for items that are fresh and used often (keepers) and other pile of items that are expired or look bad (things you think should be thrown away).
3. With your cleaning solution and a cloth wipe all of the jars and bottles that you will be keeping to remove anything that would be sticky.
4. Now clean inside your empty fridge. Remove and wipe all drawers and removable shelves, and wipe the walls, ceiling, and bottom of the fridge. To avoid cracks, be sure to let the drawers and shelves adjust to room temperature before washing them in warm water.
5. Finally with a dry cloth, dry everything you wiped with your cloth to avoid mildew buildup and organize all of the items in the 'keepers' pile back into the fridge.

Loading the Dishwasher

When supper's over, don't leave mom to clean up the kitchen by herself. You can help clear the table, rinse the dishes and put any food items away. One really great (and often overlooked!) way to help mom is to learn how to properly load the dishwasher.

If you don't load the dishwasher properly, it can cause dishes to not be cleaned properly, require second cleanings and even ruin dishes by spotting or breaking them. Mom will definitely appreciate the extra care when helping her out after mealtime.

1. Rinse the dishes to remove the big pieces of food.
2. Put all cups, mugs, and plastic containers on the top rack. Try to organize them in a way so that glass cups are held in place so they won't break during the wash cycle.
3. Put plates, bowls, and pots on the bottom rack. Do not add pots or pans that are too big as they waste space in the dishwasher. Get help to wash these by hand.
4. Cutlery goes in the special holder. Put knives facing downward and put everything else in randomly for the best clean!
5. Next choose the setting and add the soap. Dishwashers have many settings for example "normal" and "pots & pans" but choosing the "Energy Star" setting uses the least amount of energy so it is much better for the environment. You may just have to dry a few dishes by hand.

Using the Washer and Dryer

A family of four on average can go through 8 loads of laundry a week. That makes for a lot of washing, drying, folding and putting away. By learning how to properly sort, wash, dry and fold your own laundry, you can show mom you care every week! Laundry can also turn into a fun activity when you and mom sort and fold the clothes together!

Helping with the laundry is not a hard job since the washer and dryer do most of the work. Just follow these easy steps and you will have all of the laundry done and ready to wear by the end of the day.

1. Check the labels on the clothes. If they say "dry clean only", "wash separately", or "hand wash" place them into their own pile.
2. Sort the rest of the clothes by color into 2 or three piles. Either lights and darks, or whites, mediums, and darks.
3. Prepare the washing machine. Select the cycle to use and add the recommended amount of laundry detergent. Selecting to use cold water will wash clothes effectively and will save electricity.
4. Before you add the clothes make sure all pockets are empty of Kleenex and money, close all zippers and buttons, and turn pants and sweaters inside out to avoid the "washed-out" look.
5. Load items one at a time to ensure they are not all tangled up and can get washed evenly.
6. Close the washinger machine and wait for the load to be donefinished.
7. When the load is complete, take out the wet clothes and either hangd them to dry or place them into the dryer. If you are using a dryer, use the energy preferred settings.

8. If using a dryer, promptly fold the laundry once it is complete to avoid it getting wrinkly. How to Fold Laundry:

   

Photo Credit:

• Mind Body Green
• NZ Flower
• Drexel Publishing
• hobro solutions
• Dwell
• Your Child and Chores
• Organizing Connection
• she knows