How to Keep the House Clean with Little Kids
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Today, Sarah DelRosaria, a cleaning expert and mom, gives us her favorite tips for trying to stay on top of the mess that comes with having kids 🙂
Parents with young children understand that maintaining a tidy household is no easy task. In a place like Boulder (where I’m from) where snowfall is plentiful during the winter, the messy remnants from outdoor activities can easily make their way inside our homes, especially with little kids.
In Denver, where there seems to be a constant bustle (particularly around the holidays), preserving a clean house is all the more critical.
Keeping a house clean with toddlers seems like a daunting mission—but it is possible!
Of course, there will be the occasional spill on your furniture and carpets, but before you put your favorite sofa cleaning services company on speed dial, follow these suggestions on how to keep the house clean with little kids:
Related read: How to Organize Your Life at Home
Safety first.
Ensure that the cleaning products, agents, and/or chemicals you plan to use for a deep clean are kid-friendly.
Most cleaning products are full of chemicals dangerous for children, such as bleach or ammonia.
Kids tend to put all sorts of items (clean or dirty) in their mouths, so using more natural and non-toxic cleaning agents will help prevent any upset tummies or more severe reactions.
Editor’s note: Our favorite is a nontoxic multipurpose cleaner that smells good, and honestly works better than most harsh chemicals anyways!
Related read: My Favorite Eco-Friendly Gifts
Organization is key.
It’s much more difficult to clean with any real rigor if your house is always cluttered. When sharing your space with babies or little kids, organizing your home becomes fundamental in keeping it clean.
Each room in your house has its purpose, which becomes remarkably more relevant to young children. One place turns into the play area, one into the kids’ bedroom, and so on.
Keeping your children’s spaces orderly and neat helps more than just prevent messes: it can also help avoid any accidents. Little kids can be clumsy and can trip over just about anything, so keeping their rooms free of clutter is very important.
Editor’s note: Struggling with where to put toys and clothes? Cloth storage boxes are a mamas best friend!
Invest in user-friendly cleaning supplies.
In this case, the term “user-friendly” merely means having cleaning supplies that are both easily storable and accessible, along with providing reliable efficiency. As a parent with young children, your next thorough cleaning session isn’t always guaranteed.
For example, your vacuum. Big, outdated, and awkwardly bulky vacuums from the 90s? Probably not your most effective bet against little kids and their habits of soiling your carpets or rugs.
Upgrading your vacuum to a sleeker, slimmer model ensures a couple of things: first, it will probably take up at least half (or less than, depending on the product) the space that your old vacuum needed.
Second, the latest vacuum technology certifies a deeper, richer clean for your carpets. Before you frantically browse for a last-minute professional carpet cleaning Denver, or wherever you live, think about replacing your decades-old cleaning equipment with newer models.
Related read: Essential Gifts for Busy Moms
Keep toys in central areas of the house to a minimum.
Basically, little kids are just very condensed tornados; they tend to leave a trail of destruction and chaos in their wake.
Your living room, kitchen, and dining areas should have the least amount of action figures and Legos on the floor as possible. Designating a playroom that accommodates your child’s imagination and energy helps clear other rooms of unnecessary clutter.
Understand, though, that your child shares the same house as you. Chances are, you often participate in your kiddo’s playtime, so there will always be a sporadic toy explosion outside the boundaries of their playroom.
Keeping bins to store extra toys in other rooms is a great way to keep things neat and tidy.
Make cleaning a top priority.
Yes, this is absolutely easier said than done. Parents live an astonishingly fast-paced life (shocking!), and regularly cleaning the house can quickly become a distant memory.
The good news: getting into a disciplined cleaning habit is beneficial for everyone in the house. The bad news? Getting started.
Here are the basics: dusting and wiping off surfaces, sweeping, vacuuming, and laundry. Most of these activities should be done daily, but as a parent with little kids, that’s just not realistic at all. Try your best to remember to do at least two or three times a week, whenever possible.
Once you’ve become more comfortable with a new cleaning routine, definitely consider reaching out to a company that provides carpet cleaning in Boulder, CO or wherever you live. The amount of wilderness that makes its way inside after your kiddos romp about outside is surprising.
An annual deep clean is something you must prioritize—don’t worry; it’ll only happen once a year.
Finally: make cleaning a family activity.
Toddlers don’t always make the best cleaning crew, but they can certainly make the process more fun. Plus, introducing your kids to the importance of cleanliness will benefit them greatly as they grow older.
Using your non-toxic cleaning products, show your kids how much fun cleaning can be. And how rewarding it feels when finished 🙂 It will be worth it!
What tip did you find most helpful? What helps you keep a tidy household with kids? Or have you given up on even trying? We’d love to hear!