Mothers and fathers these days have a lot on our plates. Between work, school, family matters and keeping the house clean, it’s a wonder more women and men don’t go stark raving mad. It seems that there is an endless request list of things to do, and not enough hours in the day to do them.
However, we are here to help. Don’t get overwhelmed and frustrated. Instead, carve out a few minutes from your very busy day to read this guide. We’ve got everything you need to know in this busy mom and dad’s guide to house cleaning.
1. Clean as you Go
Don’t let the mess build up, clean up a little at a time. While you’re cooking dinner, load the dishes you use into the dish washer right after you use them. If you notice toys, school books or articles of clothing laying on the ground, pick them up right away.
2. Teach the Kids
It takes a lot of work to keep a house clean – don’t feel as though you must do it all yourself. If your kids are old enough to stand upright, they are old enough to clean something. Encourage them to pick up their toys every night as part of their going-to-bed ritual. Give them a dry rag and encourage them to “help” you as you dust. If your kids are older, give them “chore charts” that list the household duties they are responsible for. You can even give them prizes or an allowance for the chores they complete.
3. Deep Clean Day
Every once and a while, schedule some time to give your home a really thorough cleaning. This isn’t something you need to do a lot – maybe just every month or even every other month. Use this time to devote your attention to parts of the house that are usually neglected. Clean up clutter under your sinks, toss out that neglected pile of junk mail or sort through all the random bits of laundry left next to the clothes washer. This is a great time to get the whole family involved. Have your kids give their rooms a deep clean and tell your husband to use the time to get his man-cave spic and span.
4. Schedule your Cleaning
Divide your cleaning duties into bite-sized portions throughout the week so you don’t get overwhelmed. Maybe Sunday will be your laundry day, Monday will be the day to mop the floors, Tuesday will be the day you clean the bathrooms and so on. Carve out a bit of time each day to clean so that you aren’t completely exhausted and your house doesn’t have the chance to fall into complete chaos.
5. Get Organized
One of the first things new moms learn is how important it is to get organized. Streamline your home life as much as you can. That means making sure that everything in your home has a place. Invest in storage baskets and bins to keep things you don’t use every day neatly tucked out of site. Teach your kids where everything “lives” and reward them for putting things in their proper homes. Keep a calendar of what needs to be done when to lessen the likelihood that you are caught off guard by things.
6. Get Rid of Things you Don’t Need or Want
One great way to keep your house clean is by getting rid of things that are just taking up space. Go through each room and toss out things that are not used, that no one likes and that are just gathering dust. If you’d like to make a little cash off of your unwanted things, have a garage sale or give them to a consignment shop. You can also donate your unwanted stuff to groups that help needy families. Pass along clothes and toys your kids have outgrown to younger relatives.
7. Figure Out How you Use What you Use
Your home likely already has some really good places to keep things stored away neatly. Maximize those things to help keep your house clean and uncluttered. If you find yourself always hauling items out of your office into the living room to help the kids with their homework, create a neat mini-office for your kids and tell them that is where they keep their homework stuff. If you always find yourself standing in front of a full dryer wondering where the laundry baskets are, make it a point to keep them stored neatly near the washer and dryer.
8. Bring in Help
Women are expected to do everything. We are supposed to have a great career, care for the kids, care for our husbands and look good doing it all. Well, the reality is that all of that is impossible to do at once. There is absolutely no shame in hiring help to aid you in keeping your home clean. Have a good house cleaning service come to your home periodically to give it the professional cleaning that only someone who does this kind of thing for a living can do.
It might feel like it’s impossible to keep your house clean while raising your family, but it’s not. You can do it! Just figure out ways to make it easy for yourself. Break down your cleaning to-do list into bite-sized nuggets and enlist the whole family’s help.
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