Life with kids is full of chaos and often, our homes bear the brunt of it. The toys, crumbs, and mud tracks are all signs of a full and happy house. But that doesn’t mean we like to be constantly surrounded by it! As a stay at home mom who has had to learn to manage pretty severe anxiety, I have learned that I am at my best for my family when the house is tidy. Clutter tends to create overwhelm and when kids are going in and out, tracking in leaves, dirt, and Lord knows what else, keeping things clean is even more important. Luckily I was raised by a mom who valued a tidy home, who’s own mother (my grandma) valued the same, so I was equipped with the knowledge on how to do it!
Since moving out for college, I have used a few different techniques for keeping up on housework. The most effective methods have changed as my life has changed. In a college dorm room, we would have one day dedicated to deep cleaning since that space was not large and most of our “living” was in common spaces, classrooms, and dining halls. When my husband and I married, we were able to adjust that same routine for our starter home since we both worked full time jobs. Things changed drastically after we had our first baby. Here is what I have learned and adjusted, hopefully you are able to take something away from this to implement in your routine!
When you leave a room, take at least one thing that doesn’t belong.
This is the easiest thing you can do to start making a difference. Going to get a glass of water? Take a look around and see if there are any spare cups or laundry that could be put in the dishwasher or laundry basket on your way. You can modify this for the needs of your home. At this point in our lives, our daughter has toys scattered throughout the house, her socks tossed wherever she took them off, and books pulled off the bookshelf and stacked in her favorite places. So anytime I go through the house for any reason, I scan for something I can grab and bring it where it belongs.
Daily Tasks
Staying at home with a toddler brings a whole new level of house work. Before having a child, cleaning one day a week was all that was necessary and was DOABLE because we were able to dedicate uninterrupted time to completing our tasks. After having our daughter, my postpartum experience elevated my anxiety to new levels and the clutter and disorganization with the huge shift that is becoming a mother only exacerbated it. I had to figure out a new cleaning routine for the sake of our family, but most importantly, my mental health. I started tackling one cleaning task a day. For the first two weeks it felt like I couldn’t keep up on it. But I stayed consistent. There came a day that the floors needed done and all I had to do was pick up that afternoon’s toys to be ready to vacuum. I have seen some people prefer a weekly cleaning schedule but I have found that choosing what needs done the most the day-of has been the best method for our house. Sometimes that means cleaning the bathroom twice a week, skipping one of my regular tasks for a more specialized task like wiping down the cabinets or cleaning the fridge. It also alleviates the pressure for completing a “laundry list” of tasks and knowing you have still worked toward a clean house. This is so customizable and simple to make a big difference!
Find cleaning tools that work for you!
Choosing products and tools that work for you is the BIGGEST recommendation I can give. Our steam mop, Clorox ToiletWand, and robot vacuum are my top three tools with a 2 year old in the house. Crumbs are a given with kids at the table and a quick cycle of the robot vac in the kitchen keeps my sweeping to a minimum. The steam mop gets the stickiest of spills to come up in a few swipes, and the Clorox ToiletWand keeps a gross scrubber out of little curious hands’ reach. Scrub Daddy’s can be found at each sink and have come in handy when cleaning our cast iron bathtub (if you know about how easily soap builds up and DOESN’T want to release those things, then you KNOW).
Bonus: Baking soda is all-purpose!!! Most commonly known for baking, you can use this for so many tasks! Sprinkle on carpet or upholstery and let sit for 5-10 minutes before vacuuming as an odor eliminator (especially if you have pets). Pour some down your sink or tub drain followed by a splash of vinegar to avoid clogs and build-up. Use it to dry-scrub dishes (not plastic dishes) with dried-on stains and food; it will still take some elbow grease but they can be sparkling like new if you give it time!
If you only take one thing away from this, I hope it is that cleaning routines are like a lot of things in our lives and need to be modified for our current needs. It is also so important to remember that we all go through times that housework gets put on the back burner. Keeping a tidy house has helped me manage my anxiety and has in turn allowed me to focus on being the best wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend I can be.
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