Children are a source of immense joy — and a few terrible messes. So if you find yourself in the age-old parental dilemma of struggling to keep the house clean, it’s not impossible. From toys to spaghetti, kids add a layer of mess to just about every surface, but don’t fret. Here are some expert hacks to help you realize a cleaner home with kids.
Get the Little Ones Involved
Research suggests that adding chores to your child’s routine comes with many benefits. Kids as young as 3 can start helping with the household chores. Not only does their contribution help ease your burden, but it also teaches them responsibility and how to properly care for their belongings. They may even exhibit higher self-esteem than kids who don’t help at home.
Make sure you stick to age-appropriate tasks. If a chore is too difficult, it can frustrate your little ones and lead to an unnecessary struggle. Toddlers, for example, can put away toys and dust low surfaces, while preschoolers can feed pets and clear off the dinner table. School-aged kids can help with laundry, sweep the floors, and load the dishwasher.
Eventually, you’ll feel comfortable asking children to make meals, run errands, and work in the yard. Establishing an effective chore routine can take time, so stick with it and resist the urge to do the work yourself. It’ll be worth it someday, giving children a routine and a sense of accomplishment.
Optimize Your Time
Having a clean home is incredibly important. Who doesn’t love a tidy place to relax and unwind? It’s more than merely good-looking — it’s healthier, too. One proven strategy to get things shipshape is to divide and conquer. Whether one parent keeps the kids occupied and the other one cleans or you agree on a split routine, thinking creatively and having a flexible plan of attack works wonders to keep a cleaner home with kids.
Another way to divide chores is the “wet vs. dry” method. Once a week, one family member and their team of pint-sized minions can tackle the bathrooms, laundry room, and kitchen. Another team is responsible for picking up trash, organizing toys, dusting, changing the linens, and vacuuming the house.
Go a bit deeper monthly. On these occasions, pay close attention to every level of the home and remove dust and cobwebs from baseboards, corners, air vents, ceiling fans, and tops of curtains and doorways. Use an all-purpose disinfecting cleaner to wipe down light switches, door knobs, and drawer handles.
Tidy Often
Remember the days when everything was just as you left it when you came home from work? Thankfully, parenthood changed all that, right? Tidying often makes it much easier to keep the house clean with kids. With this proven tip, the mess won’t build up over time, and the first step is to embrace the concept that decluttering is never done.
As you’ve learned, kids are stuff magnets. From the family portrait they drew in art class to the box of toys grandma gave them last week, there is always something that will need a place to go. Unfortunately, the more stuff you try to — stuff — into your house, the harder it will be to find anything.
One of the best places to start tidying up is in the bathroom. You can usually get away with throwing away tons of stuff in this part of the house because it’s not jammed with sentimental favorites. Once you clear out a room and teach kids where things belong, they can put their stuff away on their own. Make sure that the “place” makes sense to everyone in the family. Start by observing your family’s habits and organizing accordingly. For example, you probably wouldn’t store coffee cups in the garage.
Consider “Green” Products
Most traditional cleaning products have harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia. While it may seem easier to grab an old standby off the shelf, these products can also have adverse side effects. Safeguard your family and the environment and consider using eco-friendly cleaners. You don’t need to overhaul your entire arsenal, either. Simply replace harsh products with greener versions as you use them up.
Unfortunately, cleaning products are the second most common offender of childhood poisoning. Some commercial cleaning ingredients can even trigger respiratory issues or cause skin or eye irritations. While keeping all cleaning products safely out of your child’s reach is essential, natural solutions could be a safer alternative in a home with little ones.
It’s easy to create a green routine with these tips so your home shines every time. Make your own cleaning products with ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, and lemon. Try naturally freshening the air in your home by boiling cinnamon, herbs, or citrus peels.
Stop spending all your free time trying to achieve a cleaner home with kids. Call us today and finally get help getting it under control. Trust us to refresh your house, and we’ll clear away your to-do list worry-free.
