POV: You get home from a busy day at work, cook dinner, feed the children (and the man child you married), help with homework, bath time, bedtime, wine time – YOU time. The last thing on your mind are the chores looming around your house. Who has time for that? And the energy? – not a chance.
We’ve all been there. And if you try to tell me you aren’t the kind of mama who fluffs a load of laundry, “just one more time” or lets the dog lick the left over PB&J remnants off the floor, because it’s easier than pulling out a mop, I must ask – what drugs are you on? And are they legal? Because I need to know. We all need to know.
My house frequently looks like a bomb went off. Kids are good at that, aren’t they? They’re sticky, and clumsy, and so dang cute you can’t blame them for the war zone that your home has become since the day they came into this world.
With all that being said – I have compiled a list of house cleaning tips that have helped me keep what sanity I have left. Hopefully they help in your quest to a tidier home, and if not, I’m sorry – I’m not an expert, just a mom with a keyboard.
1. Designate a daily clean up time – 15 to 20 minutes per day that you can dedicate to cleaning up. If your kids are old enough this is also a great time for them to complete daily chores.
2. Have a routine – If you know ahead of time what you’re doing and what your end result should be you will have more success with actually completing the task – Hello ADHD mamas like myself. You can find my Cleaning Checklist – HERE. – I printed & laminated for repeated use.
3. Clean while you’re cooking – It sounds obvious doesn’t it. Start with an empty dishwasher before you start cooking. Rinse dishes and utensils as you finish using them and into the dishwasher they go. If you have a minute or 5 while you are waiting on water to boil or in between stirring use those minutes to declutter and tidy up your cabinets.
4. Stock up on cleaning supplies. – instead of having one set of cleaning supplies, stock them in several places. For example: in the kitchen and bathrooms. If you aren’t having to move from one room to another when cleaning you’re saving time.
5. Clean all your floors at once. It’s much easier to move from room to room with your vacuum instead of stopping in each room to clean other things.
6. Dust and clean all surfaces before you vacuum. – It’s counterproductive to clean floors then knock dust off shelves and flat surfaces when dusting.
7. Be a multi-tasker. You have to be as a mom, am I right? Run your laundry while completing other tasks. If you have dishes that you left in the sink too long, throw them in to soak while you clean up the rest of your kitchen…That way you’re not wasting time furiously scrubbing a pot that will not come clean unless soaked.
8. Baskets and tubs are your friend. – I know what you’re thinking. Doesn’t that just hide the clutter? Yes, it absolutely does. And we know as busy mamas that sometimes we don’t have time to complete everything at once. Hiding the clutter is an easy temporary fix for when you need an area to look clean quickly. You can always go back and put things away when (if?) you have a free moment.
9. Throw it out! – this is by far my favorite cleaning and decluttering tip. In my house we keep a large Rubbermaid tub in our laundry room to “throw out” anything we no longer need or use. We can easily fill it up once a month and donate to our local donation center. Give it a try and just see how much clutter you can rid your home of in a couple of months.
The last, and most important tip I am going to leave you with is: LET GO OF THE GUILT MAMA! – I know all too well the pressure you feel to keep your home clean and be everything to everyone, but giving in to that pressure is not sustainable. You will have days with a clean, clutter free home, but you will have more days where it looks like that bomb went off. Cherish these days, don’t stress over them. One day when your kids are grown and you’re looking across your empty living room, you will miss the sticky handprints and toys strung out from room to room. Make the memories, make the messes, and don’t you dare feel guilty for not having a home that looks like it’s straight out of a Pottery Barn magazine.
XOXO,
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