Let’s talk about the joys, the chaos and the cleaning challenges that come with having little ones around. Everybody loves to have a clean house, but having kids around might make it seem impossible. There are many ways to reclaim your sanity without spending all your free time scrubbing. Here at Cleaned to Perfection, we love to share tips and ideas for creating a home cleaning routine that benefits your whole family, minimizes chaos, and even involves your little ones.
First, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room. We’ve all been there: You spend the morning meticulously cleaning, only to find the house transformed into a miniature obstacle course by lunchtime and a total disaster by night. Kids are messy—it’s a fact of life! We’ve got a couple of suggestions to help you adapt your home cleaning routine to this new, messy reality.
Home Cleaning Routine that Works for Your Family
Enlist a little help from the kids! Teaching your kids to help with home cleaning lightens your load and instills valuable life skills like responsibility and teamwork. The key to success is a home cleaning routine that’s realistic and flexible. Here are some handy tips and hacks to make your home cleaning sessions more efficient:
Create a cleaning schedule:
Assign age-appropriate chores to your kids. A visual chart can help them understand their responsibilities and track their progress. Let them design the calendar to get them excited about chores and make them involved in the home cleaning schedule. There are a lot of templates and printable cleaning checklist ideas that you can get online.
Divide and conquer:
Assign age-appropriate home cleaning tasks. Little ones can help with picking up toys, putting away laundry, or wiping down surfaces. Older kids can tackle tasks like dusting, sweeping, or emptying the trash. Remember, it’s about effort, not perfection.
Declutter regularly:
Donate or sell unused toys and clothes to create less mess to manage. Get rid of unused toys and outgrown clothes to minimize clutter and make cleaning easier. Here are some designated storage solutions for everything that helps keep clutter at bay.
A. Dedicate a shelf or corner
This special shelf or corner can rotate throughout the year, allowing them to keep a manageable selection of frequently played items on display
B. Label and categorize
Use clear bins with pictures to label where toys go in certain categories, like cars, dolls, puzzles, or stuffed animals. This makes home cleaning easier and helps younger kids keep their space organized. At Cleaned to Perfection, we love organizing things to make them efficiently accessible and storable so you can easily access all of your valuables.
C. Laundry Hamper
Teach them a habit of sorting clothes as they take them off. Invest in laundry hampers and have separate compartments in your hamper for lights, darks, delicates, and towels. This eliminates the sorting step later and keeps your hamper organized. You can also place a separate basket near your hamper for clothes you no longer wear. Outgrown clothes can be saved for younger siblings or donated to charity.
D. Folding for little hands
There’s no need for complicated origami folds with kids. Teach them a simple fold for shirts (fold in half lengthwise, then in half again, then thirds). For pants, teach them the “hamburger fold” (lay flat, fold one leg over the other, then fold in half again). Add some playful music vibe to help them energize and upbeat the home cleaning task.
Effective Home Cleaning Hacks with Kids
The secret weapon in your home cleaning is involving kids in cleaning tasks, which teaches them responsibility and creates a sense of ownership over their space. Praise your kids for their efforts, no matter how big or small. A simple “good job” or serving a quick and easy kids snack after home cleaning tasks can go a long way in keeping them motivated. Kids learn by observing. Show them that cleaning is a shared family activity. Let them see you putting things away, wiping counters, and making your bed.
Clean as you go:
Don’t let small tasks pile up. Teach your kids to clean up after themselves as they go. Wipe down spills immediately, put dishes away after meals, fold laundry as it comes out of the dryer, and put their toys away after they’re done playing with them.
You’ve got the whole family, so keep in mind that you are not alone in this! And when sometimes life gets hectic, a little extra help goes a long way. Here at Cleaned to Perfection, we understand the challenges of keeping a clean home with kids. We offer flexible home cleaning services that can take the pressure off and give you back some precious time.
Speaking of kids at home this summer, the summertime climate can also lead to various household cleaning challenges. Check out Summertime Cleaning Tips for Long Island Homeowners for cleaning tips and helpful information for Long Island homeowners.
