Tips for cleanup after eating that isn’t a dog

[faye58]

So…babies are 7 months (5.5 adj) we’re slowly starting to try food. We have tile but I’m hoping I can get some pro tips from y’all on how to wrangle the mess most efficiently. Realizing I’m going to be doing this multiple times a day coming up crushes me.

 

[ipray4u]

@faye58 Get ready to clean your floors multiple times per day everyday!

In all seriousness, I have a “food broom” that I use to sweep everything up after each meal/snack then go over it with a wet swiffer at the end of the day. I also like to dump any extra crumbs and bits from the high chairs onto the floor before I sweep everything.

My sister had singletons and would put a shower curtain liner under their high chairs then shake that out into her yard. I tried something like that for a minute and found that it to be more trouble than it was worth.

I love the fully sleeved bibs that velcro down the back for foods that I know are going to be extra messy and/or will stain clothes. In our house we call them our pasta shirts. And of course miss mouth stain spray.

 

[faye58]

@ipray4u Yeah I’m coming to a realization today. I need an attitude change.

I like the food broom idea!

 

[fumbling_foo]

@faye58 We have a huge squeegee broom that works really well and doesn’t get the gunk stuck in it. Also sometimes I just let it dry snd vacuum it up, like peas and rice that squish when fresh.

 

[mattbraunlin]

@faye58 We got a mat for under their highchairs. After each meal I would just shake it off outside and when it got super dirty I would just throw it in the wash. I would also just hose off their high chairs after (ikea for the win). We also would just have them eat w/out clothes on. They didn't like wearing bibs.

 

[faye58]

@mattbraunlin Okay good call. We got the ikea high chairs too! Are you taking them outside to hose down or like a spray attachment inside? Do you clean the babies up with wet cloths after? It’s so messy!!

 

[mattbraunlin]

@faye58 Yes we would hose them outside. I would either wipe them with washcloths or put them in the bath after

 

[oaky]

@faye58 Splat Mat for Under High Chair/Arts/Crafts, WOMUMON Washable Baby Spill Mat Waterproof Anti-Slip Floor Splash Mat, Portable Play Mat and Table Cloth (Star, 51") https://a.co/d/7LROnDS

I had these and loved them! I would take the babies out after wiping them down in the seats, dusting off any food. Then wipe down the highchairs, pick them up, shake them into the mat as well, fold the mat in half and walk it over to the sink to dump.

We used these:. MOON PARK Baby Washcloths, 24 Pack - 8x8 Inches, Small Burp Cloths and Baby Wipes - Microfiber Coral Fleece Ultra Absorbent and Soft for Newborn, Infant and Toddlers - Multicolored https://a.co/d/fqP1TLX

A little warm water and cleaning them was easy with these and they are really soft so they weren't harsh on their skin or face.

When the boys were first starting to eat solids we used the Bumble seats with the tray on the splat mats on the floor. This was great because being low to the ground made less of a mess. The Bumble seats are hard to clean though and you aren't supposed to submerge the tray in water, only wipe it off.

 

[1am3laine]

@faye58 I’ve tried a few things including mat under the chairs. A lot of these things also require extra cleaning too. For my case, I just faced the fact that I had to do multiple cleanings. You can get all the fancy bibs and mats but my guys are 2.5 and although not as bad, they still get messy and dump things on the floor. Find cleaning products you like. Have a hand held vacuum. Use a swifter.

Something I wish I learned earlier is that if they eat rice, wait for it to dry before cleaning. We love rice but hated cleaning it.

 

[misswormwood]

@faye58 Tie a string to each of their spoons when you feed them and hold the string in your hand. It prevents them from throwing their spoons to the ground and you needing to retrieve it.

 

[aboutantichrist]

@misswormwood Why am I just now learning this... when the twins now eat independently and the oldest is in elementary... and not having more kids... now I learn what would have saved my sanity!

 

[misswormwood]

@aboutantichrist I just figured this out this week. Our twins are 9 months and I have diastasis recti and back pain

 

[bettyraene]

@faye58 Tried the full sleeve bibs, they were such a pain to clean and food still got everywhere. I read about mats under the high chairs, but our house has limited space and that would require so much rearranging.

I just changed how I gave them food to try to minimize the mess and just deal with the inevitable mess after. We have high chairs with no cloth that can be easily wiped down. I got a stack of thick wash clothes and the end of every meal was wiping down babies, high chairs and then working outward on the mess.

To minimize mess, food went directly on the trays. Plates just got thrown so… nope. They would get a a few bites in their tray at a time. When they were in throw all the things mold I would try to redirect, and if they continued I would feed them.

I was just winging it as we went. I try to give them as much independence as I could handle without having my brain explore from mess. We all survived.

 

[littlelisama]

@faye58 I see you got the ikea high chair which is a huge win (trust, I've tried a couple and it's truly the best)

Love the idea of a mat under the high chair, tarp, etc.

Until they have a better grasp (literally) on eating I would feed my babies in their diapers so I could just go straight to our deep kitchen sink or the bathtub for a quick wash after a messy meal. Typically I did less "messy" breakfast and lunch. Like scrambled eggs or toast with a thin topping or whatever so it could be a wipe-able mess usually, then dinner we let it all hang out: sauces, mashed veggies, turned it into a sensory experience and then big nighttime bath after that so scrub. If both parents were home one would scrub babies, one would scrub the eating area. Typically within a few months they have a better grasp on things--still messy but not nearly as bad!

 

[faye58]

@littlelisama Good advice on timing of different meals! When people say they bathe them im like…3 times a day?!?

 

[katrina2017]

@faye58 I went to home depot and bought two of the pans you use for your washer—perfect size and has a nice lip so nothing gets away. You can wipe them down super easily. Then once a week or so I’d take them out back and hose them down. They worked amazing! I hated cleaning those dang things but I sure miss my kiddos at that age

 

[monel]

@faye58 I got a wetvac and it is life changing

 

[stacyb]

@monel I got one recently and I am obsessed with it. I sweep up or pick up really big food pieces but otherwise that thing gets it all.

 

[mattrb]

@monel I've been reading reviews on these and wondering if it's the way to go, but a lot say cleaning it out is even more work. How do you find cleaning yours? I don't need to mop my house, just clean up cat sick and baby food in the easiest way possible.

 

[monel]

@mattrb I haven’t found it difficult to clean at all. Especially since it’s easier than the three step process of trying to clean up after meal time before. I just use it after each meal and then after dinner do a quick dump if everything it picked up from the day.