Keeping on top of the housework whilst also working to earn money and raising a young family can often feel like a bit of a juggle, especially when you feel like as soon as you tidy one room it almost instantly gets turned back upside down by your ever helpful kids. ;)
Here are ten things that I do to help me feel like I am (sort of) keeping on top of my own housework..
1. A Quick clean up/tidy just before bed
Personally, I really dislike coming downstairs in the morning to a messy house because I feel like it's just not the best way to start off my day as it doesn't set me up very well, especially when I'm already attempting to peel my eyes open at 6am in the morning with my two young little boys. I find that if I do a little clean up/tidy up downstairs just before I go to bed each night, I am set up really well ready for the next morning.
2. Load and put on the dishwasher the night before and empty it first thing in the morning
I find that by leaving the dishwasher to go on just before bed and then emptying it first thing in the morning, my kitchen sides stay pretty much clear of any mess and therefore look so much tidier as everything that we have used is either in the dishwasher being cleaned or inside waiting to be cleaned.
3. Make the beds
I think that messy bedrooms can look instantly more tidier simply by making the beds. If I don't have time to do a proper tidy, I always at least ensure that the beds are made.
4. Keep a basket/box for things to take downstairs/ upstairs
If you're a bit like me and often throw things on the stairs to take up when you have a second but then find that whatever you put there often just sit there for far longer than you had planned, I think it's worth getting a nice basket or a box that you can put things in that need to go upstairs/downstairs. 1. It looks a lot neater and 2. It's so much more practical for carrying down/up the stairs. I've recently started doing this and find it a far better option rather than just filling my stairs up!
5. Vacuum daily
I have two young children and three cats so vacuuming daily is a bit of a must for us. This used to be a lot more effort, until I got a Dyson Cordless vacuum which is so much easier to use and a lot lighter to carry up and down the stairs. It's really good for cleaning up after the kids and meal times and also after our cats and their endless amounts of hair!
5. Tidy/clean up little and often
As a Mum of two young children I find I can no longer spend hours having a full-deep clean very often, so I try and just do my tidying/cleaning little and often. It does sometimes feel like I'm forever cleaning up, but it is what works best for me since becoming a Mum.
6. Clean and tidy up as you go
If I'm cooking dinner I so much prefer to clean as I go. I'll do things like fill the dishwasher and clean the sides in between cooking, just so that there is less mess to clear up after dinner and it leaves me free to spend some time with my family.
7. Cleaning wipes / Anti-bacterial sprays
I use cleaning wipes pretty much everywhere! I buy two packs each week and use them to clean most rooms in my house. I find them so easy to use and so much quicker than other products too! I like to use a combination of cleaning wipes and anti-bacterial sprays that are safe for the kids to clean down surfaces.
8. Clean the shower whilst in it and then the rest of the bathroom when you get out
I never seem to have dedicated time to clean the bathrooms and so I tend to do it whilst I am showering and then just as I get out too. It saves having to find some other dedicated time to do it around the kids and I hardly notice I'm doing it.
9. Have set days for washing
Washing can seem a bit endless when you have a family, but I've found that having set days when I know I am going to tackle the laundry baskets to be what works best for us. I also try to do any folding in the evening time when the boys are asleep and then I'll put it into piles ready to be put away quickly in the morning. If you haven't already seen them, then Brabantia have some really cool laundry bins and sorters available to order now that are pretty clever and look really good!
10. Share the jobs
This one is sort of personal to each household, but personally I think house jobs should be shared when possible. My Husband and I play to our strengths here and he does the majority of the cooking whilst I do the majority of the cleaning. But we both mostly work from home, so that's easier for us to do. We share the tidying and we also encourage the boys to tidy up behind themselves. Obviously they are still quite young but we ask Ethan to tidy up his toys and his room and Logan has started to show some interest in 'helping'. Sometimes if the boys don't want to tidy up their toys we will turn it in to a little competition such as, 'Who can put the most Duplo bricks back in to the box?' to encourage them and make it fun.
I hope some of these ideas have been helpful. I'd love to know what works for you, so please leave me a comment below.
What about you?
Here are ten things that I do to help me feel like I am (sort of) keeping on top of my own housework..
1. A Quick clean up/tidy just before bed
Personally, I really dislike coming downstairs in the morning to a messy house because I feel like it's just not the best way to start off my day as it doesn't set me up very well, especially when I'm already attempting to peel my eyes open at 6am in the morning with my two young little boys. I find that if I do a little clean up/tidy up downstairs just before I go to bed each night, I am set up really well ready for the next morning.
2. Load and put on the dishwasher the night before and empty it first thing in the morning
I find that by leaving the dishwasher to go on just before bed and then emptying it first thing in the morning, my kitchen sides stay pretty much clear of any mess and therefore look so much tidier as everything that we have used is either in the dishwasher being cleaned or inside waiting to be cleaned.
3. Make the beds
I think that messy bedrooms can look instantly more tidier simply by making the beds. If I don't have time to do a proper tidy, I always at least ensure that the beds are made.
4. Keep a basket/box for things to take downstairs/ upstairs
If you're a bit like me and often throw things on the stairs to take up when you have a second but then find that whatever you put there often just sit there for far longer than you had planned, I think it's worth getting a nice basket or a box that you can put things in that need to go upstairs/downstairs. 1. It looks a lot neater and 2. It's so much more practical for carrying down/up the stairs. I've recently started doing this and find it a far better option rather than just filling my stairs up!
5. Vacuum daily
I have two young children and three cats so vacuuming daily is a bit of a must for us. This used to be a lot more effort, until I got a Dyson Cordless vacuum which is so much easier to use and a lot lighter to carry up and down the stairs. It's really good for cleaning up after the kids and meal times and also after our cats and their endless amounts of hair!
5. Tidy/clean up little and often
As a Mum of two young children I find I can no longer spend hours having a full-deep clean very often, so I try and just do my tidying/cleaning little and often. It does sometimes feel like I'm forever cleaning up, but it is what works best for me since becoming a Mum.
6. Clean and tidy up as you go
If I'm cooking dinner I so much prefer to clean as I go. I'll do things like fill the dishwasher and clean the sides in between cooking, just so that there is less mess to clear up after dinner and it leaves me free to spend some time with my family.
7. Cleaning wipes / Anti-bacterial sprays
I use cleaning wipes pretty much everywhere! I buy two packs each week and use them to clean most rooms in my house. I find them so easy to use and so much quicker than other products too! I like to use a combination of cleaning wipes and anti-bacterial sprays that are safe for the kids to clean down surfaces.
8. Clean the shower whilst in it and then the rest of the bathroom when you get out
I never seem to have dedicated time to clean the bathrooms and so I tend to do it whilst I am showering and then just as I get out too. It saves having to find some other dedicated time to do it around the kids and I hardly notice I'm doing it.
9. Have set days for washing
Washing can seem a bit endless when you have a family, but I've found that having set days when I know I am going to tackle the laundry baskets to be what works best for us. I also try to do any folding in the evening time when the boys are asleep and then I'll put it into piles ready to be put away quickly in the morning. If you haven't already seen them, then Brabantia have some really cool laundry bins and sorters available to order now that are pretty clever and look really good!
10. Share the jobs
This one is sort of personal to each household, but personally I think house jobs should be shared when possible. My Husband and I play to our strengths here and he does the majority of the cooking whilst I do the majority of the cleaning. But we both mostly work from home, so that's easier for us to do. We share the tidying and we also encourage the boys to tidy up behind themselves. Obviously they are still quite young but we ask Ethan to tidy up his toys and his room and Logan has started to show some interest in 'helping'. Sometimes if the boys don't want to tidy up their toys we will turn it in to a little competition such as, 'Who can put the most Duplo bricks back in to the box?' to encourage them and make it fun.
I hope some of these ideas have been helpful. I'd love to know what works for you, so please leave me a comment below.
What about you?
- What works for you when tackling your housework?
- Have you learnt any Mum tidying/cleaning hacks?
- Do you share the housework in your house?
Thank you for reading.
Alex xo
Great tips, I do a lot of these. Makes life so much easier doesn't it x
ReplyDeleteLiza Prideaux | YouTube
I have not set days for doing the washing. I just do it whenever I have time. Sometimes it always ends up being too much but thankfully we have a dryer so it makes it a lot easier.
ReplyDelete