We have had a TON of birthdays over the past few months and I was a little sick of painting shirts. My husband’s niece loves to clean and loves to be green so I thought, why not make her a cleaning kit! It was super inexpensive to put together and really came out quite nice. Would make a lovely housewarming gift too!
I hit up my local dollar store for some items and was able to find some great spray bottles and a widemouth plastic container. You can also use recycled materials just be sure to remove the labels. ( think baby food jars, salsa containers, even yogurt cups!– remember this is a GREEN gift!) You could even spray paint lids to make it more matching. Opt for a color theme to make your kit look put together. I chose silver and green of course.
1) I borrowed a book from the library on green cleaning for the project. I chose a toy cleaner, multi-surface and a sink & tub cleaner. ( Tried to think, what would kids actually want to clean…) I copied the recipes onto index cards and laminated them with a laminating kit I purchased for around $5. ( Michael’s and AC Moore carry them+ remember their weekly coupons!)
2) Label your containers. I used laminate at first but they kept peeling off so I used packing tape as a last resort.
3) Choose accessories: I included 2 celluose sponges( $1.00), A small pump bottle of Dr. Bronners Castile Soap( Pump $1.00, soap was from my home), A spatula to mix cleaners ($1.00), reuseable cleaning cloths ($1.00) all in a nice galvanized bucket I snagged at Goodwill ( $2.99). I crumpled up newspaper to give the items some height. ( The newspaper can also double as a window wiper with the toy cleaner!)
4) Fill your containers! I chose to make a batch of the cleaners so the child could start cleaning right away. I also included a small jar of borax, castile soap and a box of baking soda so that she could mix a cleaner. The recipes for green cleaning usually involve items you already have in your home i.e. vinegar.
5) Assemble your items in the bucket or basket and it is ready to give. This is a wonderful gift for all ages. Many people are intimidated about green cleaning but these simple recipes show that it can be done. ( And is cheaper!)
