You’re a busy mom, it can be hard to keep your house clean on top of everything else.
Working moms can create the perfect cleaning routine by:
- Cleaning in small bursts of time
- Combining cleaning tasks with other tasks
- Saving deep cleans for weekends
- Sharing responsibilities with spouse
- Creating chores for kids
When my house is a disastrous mess, my mind is in the same state. Having a (somewhat) tidy home can be vital to my mental health.
I work a full time job outside of the home and have two kids who are involved in “after school activities”. There is always more to do and there is always more to clean.
Sometimes keeping a tidy home can feel like a massive duty. It can take all we have at the end of a long day to clean up the house.
If your home is in disarray at the end of the day, and you are too tired to get anything done, here are 5 ways to simplify your cleaning routine.
1. Clean for 10-20 Minutes 3 Times A Day
Cleaning for 10-20 minutes 3 times a day is a game changer. Small burst of cleaning will help you achieve the majority of your cleaning duties without the feeling that you are always cleaning.
I’ve read tons of articles that allude to cleaning for only 15 minutes a day. That’s great. Cleaning for 15 minutes a day is better than not cleaning at all. And to be honest, you can get a lot accomplished in 15 minutes.
However, I have found that if I clean while I am doing something else that is routine, I can get my home tidy while accomplishing other things on my to-do list.
When you tie cleaning into another task it becomes so routine that you complete it mindlessly.
2. Combine Cleaning With Other Tasks
When you tie cleaning into another task it becomes so routine that you complete it mindlessly.
Here’s how I do it:
In the morning when I’m making coffee and I’m getting the kids breakfast ready, I unload the dishwasher and throw a load of laundry in the washer. While I’m brushing my teeth, I do a quick tidy of the bathroom by wiping down the counter and clearing any lingering laundry.
While I’m cooking dinner; I wipe down the counters, start the dishes, and change the laundry from the washer to the dryer.
In the evening before I go to bed; I fold and put away the laundry, sweep the house for any trash and dishes, clear the table, load the dishwasher, wipe down the kitchen counters, and quickly tidy the living room.
One thing that has truly changed my life is that I used to wait for things to get messy before cleaning it up. The trick is to clean as you go.
I know it’s no secret to clean up after yourself. The thing is that if you never leave a mess, there will never be a mess waiting for you to clean up. Well, unless you have kids.
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Don’t Neglect Laundry
Laundry can be one of the most time consuming cleaning tasks that we undertake. If we let it pile up for too long.
I hate doing laundry. My old method consisted of waiting for everything to be dirty, washing and drying it all, then piling it up and leaving it.
I was known for my ‘clean pile’ of laundry. One day I was talking with a girlfriend about how I was going to conquer my laundry pile and finally fold it and put it away. She knows I hate laundry and she mentioned that she does it right away.
“I never have laundry pile up because I fold it and put it away immediately after it comes out of the dryer.” she said. I knew this was true, I had seen it with my own eyes. So I thought, what the heck, I’m going to try it too.
This changed my life. I throw a load in the washer most every morning when I’m making coffee and preparing breakfast. Then when I come home and am preparing dinner I change it over to the dryer. After dinner and before bed I fold it and put it away. Boom, no more laundry piles!
I’ve noticed that I don’t hate laundry as much. There’s never a doomsday approaching when I will have to face a huge mountain of laundry, and by doing it in routine with other tasks it’s not such a hassle.
When I let laundry pile up my house looks disheveled and life feels more chaotic. It can take a while to perfect your laundry routine however, by avoiding the overload you can avoid laundry hell.
3. Save Deep Cleaning For Weekends
No one wants to use their weekends cleaning for hours on end. The weekend is supposed to be full of fun and relaxation. But let’s face it, us working moms only have so much time in a day.
Anything that does not get accomplished in the little time I clean throughout my day gets cleaned on the weekends.
If you are cleaning throughout your day during the week, there shouldn’t be a ton of cleaning you will have to do on the weekend.
Taking care of some deeper cleaning on the weekend can lead you to feeling refreshed at the start of your work-week.
4. Give Your Kids Chores
Giving your kids chores will take a tremendous amount of cleaning off of your shoulders.
Your kids are fully capable of helping out and it’s time that we start expecting it.
By the time your child is 2 they can help with small cleaning tasks that you can build upon as they grow older.
Teach Them While They’re Young
Teaching our kids to be tidy is priceless. Not only will it take some of the load off of your plate. It will develop a life skill that your children will need as they age.
My mother was always cleaning for us. Even though she asked us to do it first, she was always having to clean behind us. It was never a big deal that we were messy and cleaning wasn’t made to be a priority.
I have a friend who had military parents. Her home was always immaculate. She was never bothered by cleaning. It was something that was second nature to her.
As we grew into adults it seemed that my home was always untidy. It wasn’t a big deal to me. I would clean up here and there but if you stopped by unexpectedly, there was a good chance my house was a mess. On the other hand, my friend’s home was always tidy.
It’s important that we teach our children healthy habits now, while we can. It’s just a small part in raising responsible kids.
5. Share The Load With Spouse
There are many things that I don’t include in my normal cleaning routine and that because my husband has a cleaning routine of his own.
We are living in modern times and we have modern relationships. You and your spouse are a team and whether or not they help you keep a clean home is between the two of you. However, having your partner help keep the house in tip top shape is extremely helpful.
If your spouse dislikes cleaning and you do most of the housekeeping, try to find little things they can help you with that they don’t mind doing.
For instance, my husband likes vacuuming. So, he is in charge of vacuuming. Also, he takes out the trash, does his own laundry, keeps the living room tidy, and takes care of the exterior of the home.
If your spouse is currently not helping, it’s time to get them on board.
Conclusion
Having a tidy home can calm the mind and allow us to focus on the joy around us. Implementing the 5 strategies to simplify your cleaning routine will make you more productive. Even if your home is not immaculately clean, something is better than nothing.
It is not realistic for a mother of young children to have a tidy home 100% of the time. Remember to give yourself grace and that the visual appearance of your home does not indicate how well you parent.
What is something you do that I didn’t mention that helps keep your home tidy? Is there something I mentioned that you will start doing right away?
