Let’s face it; a clean home is a happy home. Unfortunately, finding the time for cleaning duties isn’t always easy when you’re already juggling a career, parenting, and other life commitments. Nonetheless, with a dedicated plan of action that is tailored to working moms by your side, it is possible to stay on top of the situation.
Incorporate the following tips and strategies into your cleaning activities, and you won’t go far wrong.
#1. Focus On Prevention
Prevention is the best form of protection for your property, not least when thinking about the prospect of keeping it clean. Insisting on a few simple house rules can make all the difference, starting with the idea of taking shoes off at the door. This instantly prevents mud and debris being trod into carpets and fabrics.
Other house rules include always putting plates in the dishwasher, emptying the bins when required, and tidying up clothes rather than leaving them on the floor. Even when the individual steps feel like minor successes, the overall impact can be huge.
#2. Cook In Advance
The prospect of cooking a week’s meals all at once may seem like a lot of hassle that also sees the kitchen get dirty. However, dedicating a few hours to meal preparation with these meal prep recipes can work wonders. Once the countertops and stove have been cleaned upon completion, you will enjoy several days of minimal cleaning.
This has to be a better outcome than cleaning the surfaces several times each day. Better still, cooking various meals simultaneously can save the overall cooking time, some of which can be used to finish other tidying tasks.
#3. Get The Kids Involved
Every task is made easier when the kids are on your side, and house cleaning should be no different. Kids can help with the various chores around the home, especially when you use age-appropriate jobs and implement reward systems for extra encouragement. While they’re helping out, you’ll be able to dedicate more time to those cleaning duties too.
Aside from knowing that the kids are actually supporting your bid to keep the home tidy (rather than messing it up while you’re in the middle of cleaning), it also saves time. In turn, you’ll have a better chance of enjoying more time together as a family.
#4. Utilize Tech Gadgets
They say that cheaters never work out, but an exception can be made for cleaning duties. Automated technology can completely transform your approach to home cleaning, making life a lot easier. Robotic vacuums are particularly useful, especially as you can set them on a timer. They’ll clean the floors while you do something else.
When supported by the other home cleaning appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines, you can let those gadgets take care of the hard work while you enjoy living life or getting on with work. If nothing else, your life-housework balance will become far greater.
#5. Get Organized
Tidying up is an art form, but it needs to be an organized one. Marie Kondo’s approach states that every item should have its own place within the home. Sadly, it is hard to implement this trick when you have too much stuff. Most families are guilty of hoarding household goods. A thorough decluttering session will free up a lot of space to make subsequent cleaning a lot simpler.
If an item hasn’t been used for six months, it’s time to get rid of it. Of course, family heirlooms can be exempt from this, but toys and electronic gadgets can certainly go. Likewise, outgrown clothes should be sold or donated to charity right away.
#6. Be Smart With Your Time
Time is the most valuable resource at your disposal, which is why you must do all that you can to reduce the waste. So, if you get little opportunities to keep the house tidy, grab them with both hands. When you do, you’ll have a far smaller job to complete at the end of the day, which can only be considered a positive.
Waiting for the kettle to boil? Put the dishes away. Waiting for the bath to run? Clear the bathroom trash can. Favorite TV show started a commercial break? Tidy up the magazine rack. Embrace the winning habits, and you won’t look back.
#7. Localize The Mess
The home will get messy, especially when you have kids. Keeping the bulk of the mess in one part of the property makes those issues feel far less problematic. Turning the guest room into a designated play area can work wonders. Not least because it allows kids to take on artistic projects and leave them overnight before returning the next day.
Conversely, allowing the mess to spill throughout the entire home will leave you feeling as if there is no respite. If you can keep the majority of the property clean and tidy at all times, the small amounts of mess won’t annoy you.
#8. Schedule Cleaning Duties
While actually building cleaning into your schedule can feel a little demoralizing, it’ll go a long way to keeping you on top of everything. Allowing your housework to grow too big will waste more time in the long run while also reducing your enjoyment in the intervening moments. Moreover, compartmentalizing your life in this way will allow you to get on with the right tasks.
After all, prioritizing the workload is a crucial step. You will soon realize that the home doesn’t need to be perfect to be considered clean. When you schedule a set time for cleaning and maximize your efficiency, the home should stay relatively tidy at all times.
The Final Word
Keeping on top of the tidying up tasks is a challenge, but mastering it will improve your life in a very noticeable fashion. You may still feel the need to get an expert in for a weekly clean or a monthly deep scrub. Even so, when supported by the ongoing maintenance of the family home as detailed above, the results will be nothing short of phenomenal.
Hi there. Thanks. Excellent article!