Let’s not sugar-coat it — keeping your house tidy with children around is a bit like brushing your teeth while eating a biscuit. No sooner have you cleaned a surface than it’s covered in crumbs, sticky fingerprints, or something unidentifiably squishy.
But over the years, I’ve picked up a few realistic cleaning habits that helped me stay on top of the chaos — or at least make it look like I was on top of it. My girls are older now, but I still swear by these ten easy steps that helped us maintain a somewhat sane space through the wildest years of parenting.
1. Tidy As You Go
This sounds simple, but it’s genuinely the most effective habit I built. If you get the kids dressed in the morning, toss the pyjamas in the laundry basket right away. Finish snack time? Quick wipe and sweep. Five-minute resets throughout the day save you from a soul-crushing evening mess marathon.
2. Have a Place for Everything
Toys, shoes, schoolbags, crafts — if they don’t have a home, they’ll always live on your floor. Labelled baskets, clear boxes, or just a designated drawer will do. Kids are much more likely to help tidy when they know where things go.
3. Do a 10-Minute Evening Reset
After dinner, set a timer for 10 minutes and get everyone involved. Pop on music, make it a race, or just move quickly and mindlessly. Even little ones can help tidy toys or put things away. You’ll wake up feeling miles ahead the next day.
4. Don’t Wait for “Big Cleaning Days”
Waiting for a whole day to “deep clean” often leads to stress and frustration. Instead, build small habits — wipe the bathroom sink while brushing your teeth, vacuum one room a day, or clean the kitchen as you cook. Bite-sized is better than burnout.
5. Keep Cleaning Supplies Where You Use Them
Stash bathroom wipes in the bathroom, glass spray in the hallway, dusters near the living room. You’re more likely to do a quick clean-up if it doesn’t require a house-wide hunt for your sponge and spray bottle.
6. Lower Your Standards (Just a Bit)
No, your house won’t look like a Pinterest board while raising kids. That doesn’t mean you’ve failed — it means you’re living in it. Focus on “clean enough to feel calm” instead of chasing perfect. Sanity > spotless.
7. Teach the Kids Tiny Jobs Early
Little ones love to feel helpful — even if their version of “help” is a bit wonky. Give them easy tasks: putting laundry in a basket, wiping the table, or using a dustpan. It builds habits and lightens your load (eventually!).
8. Declutter Regularly
The less stuff you have, the less stuff ends up everywhere. Toys that haven’t been touched in months? Out. Socks without a match? Gone. The less you own, the less you clean — it’s that simple.
9. Set Realistic Routines
You don’t need to do everything every day. Create simple routines that fit your life. For me, it looked like laundry on Mondays, hoovering the downstairs every other day, and doing the bathroom midweek. Work with your energy, not against it.
10. Celebrate the Small Wins
Did you make your bed today? Wiped the kitchen sides? Emptied the dishwasher before it overflowed? That’s a win. With kids in the house, the bar for success is different — and that’s okay. Every little habit adds up.
Final Thoughts
Your house doesn’t have to be spotless to be full of love. But a bit of structure, a few clever habits, and a whole lot of grace go a long way in keeping things manageable.
You’re not failing if there’s laundry on the sofa or crumbs under the table — you’re parenting. And if you’ve got time to read this blog post? You’re already smashing it.
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