Cleaning help

Domestic energy is flagging, so I watched a few rounds of 'How Clean is Your House' on YouTube to get myself charged up and ready for action. Soon I was filled with the zeal to cleanse and purify. With a monumental effort I dragged myself to my feet, and just managed to stagger to my cleaning cupboard, wracked with small irksome pains and minor disgestive disorders.

Then I had an idea. I have in my home a small energetic knight in search of a mission. Not only that but he and his brother are currently on a mission to earn enought money to buy a walkie-talkie set. Not only that, but Kim suggests cleaning nasty little green grime stains with toothpaste - I have some old unwanted toothpaste available for minty fun and no danger to childrens' health. I negotiated a 50 cents deal with R. I had just finished explaining how to seek out scrub and destroy, when I heard a voice ring out,

'I've finished!'

It took four works inspections before one third of the staircase was half cleaned, but there was a lovely minty smell.

I am determined to train my sons to clean, and to harness child energy to help me in my domestic quest, so I will persevere. The trick is to have a job which is for them a game, such as:

Ripping up worn out sheeting for rags - one hour of fighting fun, very small rags, but need to hoover afterwards

Throwing washing downstairs - on top of your brother, and then leaping upon...getting the washing into the machine is harder.

I'll let you know if I think of any more.