Keeping the House Clean with Kids by Will Cotter

Almost everyone wishes to have a spotless house throughout the day, but keeping a perfectly neat house with kids is a lot of work. Every mom will tell you how easy it was to clean their house when they didn’t have kids, and Bettercleans.com knows better than anyone how hard it is to keep on top of things. Unlike adults, children don’t have the instinctual ability to maintain cleanliness. They will scatter toys all over the floor, spill liquids on seats all the time, and wipe their dirty hands on the curtains. No matter how many times you declutter or clean, messes pile up within minutes.

As a mom, a house that is constantly messy can drive you nuts. Apart from posing some serious health risks to yourself and your family, a dirty house can attract disease-carrying pests. It’s difficult to relax in an untidy home. Moreover, staying in a dirty house can impact mental state, and cause confusion and stress amongst the kids.

The reality is that taking care of your household often falls on your shoulders as a mom. If you are wondering how to keep your house clean with kids, read on to learn some of the proven tips.

Follow a cleaning routine

From doing laundry and preparing meals to cleaning and feeding pets, you cannot do everything at once. Instead of trying to handle multiple chores at once, set priorities whereby you’ll handle crucial tasks first, and schedule others for a later time. For instance, break out the vacuum cleaner after every snack or meal. Never go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink. Similarly, clean the kitchen while your meal is cooking. A daily routine will eventually feel like a habit and make cleaning your house easier. The easiest way to be overwhelmed by house cleaning tasks is to put things off for too long.  It’s easy to pile up utensils in the sink when you’re exhausted after doing laundry the whole afternoon.

Create a storage area for toys

Too many toys in a home can make it really difficult to keep your house clean. That doesn’t mean you should lock your kids’ toys in a closet and hide the key. The first thing you’ll need to do is to designate a play area for kids. A dedicated play space can help avoid having toys strewn everywhere. Secondly, install decorative storage bins in the play space where your kids put their toys when they’re done playing.  You’ll also need to set a rule that they only take out the toys they are playing with to avoid having random piles all over the place.

No dirty shoes allowed inside the house

Dirty shoes track dirt and mud inside your house. The best way to prevent your kids from entering the house with dirty shoes is to assign a spot at the door where everyone takes off their shoes before entering the house. Remind the kids from time to time to take off their shoes at the entrance. You can even use positive reinforcement to motivate them to follow the rules.

Clean up spills immediately

When any type of liquid is spilled, it should be cleaned up promptly. If you let spillages dry up, they can become stubborn stains. Plus, they can present a slip hazard. Cleaning up messes quickly ultimately saves effort and time. Kids, especially young ones learning to eat and drink, can make your day all about mopping up spills. Consider buying spill-proof cups, and they will make your life a lot easier.

Leverage smarter ways of cleaning

Smarter cleaning solutions can help save time and take the hassle out of cleaning. There are many advanced home cleaning gadgets that can make your work easier. Smart gadgets such as automatic sensor touchless trash can, sanitizing wand, window cleaning robots, and smart washers can prove handy. With these, you don’t have to worry about maintenance costs or high energy bills. They are designed to last for many years and are energy efficient.

Involve the kids in cleaning

Involving kids in cleaning may not help much, but having older kids clean something like the sink, wipe the table, or faucet, can help them learn to pitch in and raise their awareness of being neat. The younger ones can perform simple tasks like collecting toys and putting them in their closet. This way, your kids can become aware of the importance of keeping the house clean and orderly.

Seek help

If your schedule is busy,  you don’t want to stress yourself trying to keep on top of household tasks. Everything from looking after the kids to feeding pets, doing laundry, and preparing meals can prove overwhelming.  Anxiety may result that leads you to get nothing done at the end of the day. If you think you need help with cleaning, get in touch with a professional cleaning service. It may be worth the investment to save you time and help support your well-being and that of your family.

While keeping the house clean with kids entails a lot of work, it is achievable. And, remember….. little kids eventually turn into big kids who are capable to helping out, if you take the time to teach them the skills when they are younger.

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