Moms and dads are no strangers to trying to pick Play-Doh out of the carpet. Luckily, some experienced veterans weigh in on how to keep your house, clothes and cars (and sanity!) intact when you have little munchkins running around, inadvertently wreaking havoc.
Play times over
Ah, Play-Doh. Its the go-to afternoon activity that can win mom some quiet time. But, after the rolling pins and cookie cutters have been abandoned for coloring books and dress up, Play-Doh doesnt seem like a very good idea anymore, as globs have found their way into carpet and clothes. The best plan of action? Pick up larger pieces on the counter or hard surfaces using another big blob of Play-Doh, but let smaller pieces in the carpet or clothes dry completely and then simply vacuum up.
The aspiring artist
Coloring on paper doesnt hold a candle to coloring on the walls. A baby wipe should get things looking as good as new if your kid works best in crayons. For marker masterpieces, hand sanitizer or Magic Erasers usually do the trick.
All that glitters isnt gold
Dont fall into the trap of buying that pretty glittered wrapping paper for the holidays, and dont even think about letting the kids use the glitter without your help. But let's face it: It's so pretty. So when a glitter mess happens, loosen pieces from the carpet then suck up with the vacuum. Rolling a lint roller around can also pick up those pesky sparkles, and coconut oil can help remove glitter from your face.
Flour power
Flour, pancake mix, baby powder and/or powdered sugar seem to be a tempting thing to get into as a kid. Be sure to snap a picture of kitchen snow angels to keep your good humor, then plug in the vacuum. If you are "lucky" enough to have some sort of liquid added to the flour, vacuum up what you can, then make a sudsy solution with soap and water and get scrubbing. Blot dry, and leave it overnight for good measure before vacuuming again.
Tummy troubles
Mmmm waking up in the middle of the night to find the flu has hit everyone under the age of eight sure is a treat. Sheets, pillows, stuffed animals and carpet now have that very distinctive sour vomit smell. Yikes. This blogger knows firsthand how to get things looking and smelling just like new. Soak sheets and blankets in Borax and laundry detergent before washing like normal; Soak stuffed animals, clothing and carpet with hydrogen peroxide, laundry soap and baking soda.
Crumbs, crumbs, everywhere
Kids and crumbs go hand in hand; its inevitable. Though its crazy fun to play with, this magic goo is also super helpful when it comes to cleaning up. Get crumbs out of keyboards, the corners of your kitchen, everything plastic in your car and all those other nooks and crannies that crumbs seem to find their way into.
Cleaned and polished
Spilt milk may not be worth crying about, but spilt polish just might be. Timing is key, because the polish gets harder to clean as it dries. This blogger was able to clean up a hot pink mishap with just a couple of ingredients.
Unstick stickers
Finding stickers on anything but paper isn't very exciting. But don't fret; surprisingly, there are quite a few ways to get em off. Soaking the stickers with vinegar, blasting them with a blowdryer, or even using mayonnaise can get stickers off basically everything.
Creams galore
Whether its diaper rash cream, lotion or Vaseline, there seems to be bottles of problems hiding in your home. No matter the creamy liquid, use a spoon to get as much as you can off clothes or carpet before covering with baking soda or cornstarch to soak up the extra liquid before vacuuming up, and blotting with water and dish soap.
And hey -- what doesn't come out of the carpet makes a great story.
Play times over
Ah, Play-Doh. Its the go-to afternoon activity that can win mom some quiet time. But, after the rolling pins and cookie cutters have been abandoned for coloring books and dress up, Play-Doh doesnt seem like a very good idea anymore, as globs have found their way into carpet and clothes. The best plan of action? Pick up larger pieces on the counter or hard surfaces using another big blob of Play-Doh, but let smaller pieces in the carpet or clothes dry completely and then simply vacuum up.
The aspiring artist
Coloring on paper doesnt hold a candle to coloring on the walls. A baby wipe should get things looking as good as new if your kid works best in crayons. For marker masterpieces, hand sanitizer or Magic Erasers usually do the trick.
All that glitters isnt gold
Dont fall into the trap of buying that pretty glittered wrapping paper for the holidays, and dont even think about letting the kids use the glitter without your help. But let's face it: It's so pretty. So when a glitter mess happens, loosen pieces from the carpet then suck up with the vacuum. Rolling a lint roller around can also pick up those pesky sparkles, and coconut oil can help remove glitter from your face.
Flour power
Flour, pancake mix, baby powder and/or powdered sugar seem to be a tempting thing to get into as a kid. Be sure to snap a picture of kitchen snow angels to keep your good humor, then plug in the vacuum. If you are "lucky" enough to have some sort of liquid added to the flour, vacuum up what you can, then make a sudsy solution with soap and water and get scrubbing. Blot dry, and leave it overnight for good measure before vacuuming again.
Tummy troubles
Mmmm waking up in the middle of the night to find the flu has hit everyone under the age of eight sure is a treat. Sheets, pillows, stuffed animals and carpet now have that very distinctive sour vomit smell. Yikes. This blogger knows firsthand how to get things looking and smelling just like new. Soak sheets and blankets in Borax and laundry detergent before washing like normal; Soak stuffed animals, clothing and carpet with hydrogen peroxide, laundry soap and baking soda.
Crumbs, crumbs, everywhere
Kids and crumbs go hand in hand; its inevitable. Though its crazy fun to play with, this magic goo is also super helpful when it comes to cleaning up. Get crumbs out of keyboards, the corners of your kitchen, everything plastic in your car and all those other nooks and crannies that crumbs seem to find their way into.
Cleaned and polished
Spilt milk may not be worth crying about, but spilt polish just might be. Timing is key, because the polish gets harder to clean as it dries. This blogger was able to clean up a hot pink mishap with just a couple of ingredients.
Unstick stickers
Finding stickers on anything but paper isn't very exciting. But don't fret; surprisingly, there are quite a few ways to get em off. Soaking the stickers with vinegar, blasting them with a blowdryer, or even using mayonnaise can get stickers off basically everything.
Creams galore
Whether its diaper rash cream, lotion or Vaseline, there seems to be bottles of problems hiding in your home. No matter the creamy liquid, use a spoon to get as much as you can off clothes or carpet before covering with baking soda or cornstarch to soak up the extra liquid before vacuuming up, and blotting with water and dish soap.
And hey -- what doesn't come out of the carpet makes a great story.