What cunning tricks do you have to make sure your DCs keep clean? Tell Andrex® for a chance to win a £250 voucher + a month's supply of Andrex®! NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

Andrex® have asked us to find out what cunning tricks Mumsnetters have to make sure their DCs keep clean, and learn good clean habits.

Here’s what Andrex® say, “We all know the importance of keeping clean, not only to our health but also our confidence. So if you have any ways of keeping your family clean we would love to hear them.”

So, what tricks do you have up your sleeve to make sure your DC keeps themselves clean? Do you have a special song you sing to them to make sure that brush their teeth properly? Maybe you introduce an element of competition between siblings to see who can wash, dry and dress themselves quickest? Or perhaps you encourage your DCs to clean thoroughly by fashioning them stylish ‘bubble beards’? Whatever it is, we’d love to hear it!

Add your comment to this thread and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 Spa voucher and a month supply of Andrex®. Please note comments may be used by MN and Andrex® on social media, on the Andrex® pages on MN or possibly elsewhere: anon of course - but please only add your comment if you're happy for it to be used like this!

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

[Melonbelle]

Bribery. In the form of bath toys, peppa pig foam soap, matey bath bubbles, magic flannels, bath crayons but they are still little. Hopefully as they get older they will understand the importance of good personal hygiene without having to be bribed.

[billybear]

I am lucky my two little monkeys both love a bath and baby wipes are ideal for a quick clean up evan clean shoes with them and wipe the dog if he gets abit mucky.

[thewomaninwhite]

A competition about who can gwt dressed first with clean faces of course. I am afraid that bribery features heavily with making sure that teeth are cleaned. We do have an array of toothpaste flavours which entices DD3.

[Glittermud]

I just wash the filth wizards, ffs. Honestly.

[InAndOfMyself]

Splashing in the bath is a winner in our house. It's fun and it helps wash off the muck, kind of like the soak cycle on the washing machine.

[Spirael]

Wherever we can we make things fun or into a game, varying with activity and switching regularly to keep it entertaining!

[Keepcalmanddrinkwine]

DH is a West Ham fan so gets the kids singing Forever Blowing Bubbles in the bath while throwing the bubbles everywhere.

[BigfootFilesHisToesInYourTea]

Wash hair like a mermaid - lying down in a (shallow) bath.

[del2929]

i buy crazy smelling handwashes... cola... lemonade...coconut... strawberry laces...mmmhh list goes on...

[MadMonkeys]

My kids must be weird - they actually like having their teeth brushed, and don't like having grubby hands so they voluntarily wash them. The only flash point is DD1 having her hair washed - I take a no nonsense approach and she has learned that resistance is futile...

[telsa]

I rely on madly coloured soap and soap products, like soap playdough or bath jelly or bath crayons. That really makes them associate bathtime with fun. It reminds me of how, many years ago, my mum used to foam up my hair with lots shampoo, so I looked like a white haired ghost. My children like me to do that to them too.

[eteo]

My son had been followed the chart and now he has a clean bum! He had made his video on youtube!

[Hopezibah]

I think starting good hygiene REALLY young is important. Right from weaning age I always washed my babies hands (or used wipes and sanitiser if I couldn't get to soap and water easily). Then it is instilled in them that handwashing is really important.

This follows onto potty training where I explain that we need to wipe properly and also wash hands regardless of if they've managed to 'go' or not in the potty.

For my older kids, they love the independence of having a shower (feels all grown up) rather than a bath - So we taught them to wash properly so that they could be trusted to shower properly.

We've also enjoyed watching You tube videos about germs and how they multiply (there are some good animated ones on there with catchy songs) and that definitely does the trick for helping them remember good hygiene!

[gasbird]

My 2.5 year old son has bath crayons. Keeps him in the bath and distracted long enough to keep him clean

Teeth are a bit trickier. I get him to open wide like a 'monster' complete with noises and describe as I brush which foods I'm cleaning off 'oh let me clean the raisins/breadstick etc etc'

Seems to work for now.

[threelittlepigs]

We have an automatic hand sanitizer in the kids bathroom which they think is great fun and so easy to use but also ensures clean hands after going to the toilet.

[laurapotz]

Baby wipes. Lots and lots of baby wipes!

[ShatnersBassoon]

No tricks, just clear commands. I don't faff around when it comes to personal hygiene.

[wantacatplease]

I sing to my dd:

"This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth.
This is the way we brush our teeth, before we go night-night (or bye-bye if it's the morning.)

This is the way we wash our face, wash our face, wash our face. This is the way we wash our face...etc etc etc."

[ChantelD93]

Lots of bubble and toys in the bath to keep them distracted! Works a charm, it's the only time I can wipe my little boys face without a fight!

[SoonToBeSix]

"egg timer" with glitter when brushing teeth, they get really excited.

[sharond101]

Cussons Mum & Me range have some interesting bathtime products which my toddler loves to use and it keeps him clean at the same time. There are fizzy bath crystals which make the water turn colour and make a crackling sound and his favourite is the foamy soap. It looks like shaving foam and he loves getting it everywhere!

[BlondeHavingFun]

Plenty of bath toys, especially ones that squirt water persuade my DS to jump in the bath. At the moment he has two tooth brushes that I make pretend to argue with each other over who will get to brush DSs teeth. He thinks this is hilarious and now asks to brush his teeth!

[pmcp15]

Lots of singing and blowing bubbles, making washing and bathing as fun as poss. The goal is to be as clean as Mrs McCleanzo,

[thekingfisher]

As a puberty ridden pre-teen my ds really needs to adequately wash and be hygienic.

He got to chose an 'adult' electric toothbrush to ensure there is additional motivation to clean his teeth and also got to choose shower gel/shampoo and conditioner…. Whilst these are probably more adult than I'd like feel its better for him to smell good than to potentially suffer at school as he stinks!

[Solo]

I used to go with the tooth bugs too. Now, it's just the plain old truth...your teeth will go bad and they will fall out (she's approaching 8yo). Not sure it's working properly yet, but it took Ds until he was about 14 to start cleaning his teeth every day (I reckon it was girls; he says not), so I reckon there's hope. He has beautiful teeth too .

With washing, I'm really hot on the hand washing and it's the first requirement after school and before eating. I asked Dd if she washes hands before lunch at school and she says they aren't allowed to go before lunch which I find hard to believe, but as a precaution, I send a pot loaded with baby wipes with her school lunch with strict instructions to wipe every finger and thumb and whole hand before touching her food. They are the thing she encounters first in her lunch bag.

If she won't get into the shower for whatever reason, I tell her she smells or ask her if she wants to be sore again. She's also started her periods :( so that's changed things a bit, though I think she's really a bit young to think in terms that adult women do about periods and hygiene etc. Kids don't care!