Cleaning With Kids? These 27 Tips From Busy Moms Make Keeping Your House Clean EASIER
Here are some real life cleaning hacks from other busy moms with NORMAL families who have learned little tips and tricks to keep their house clean and tidy without losing their mind.
If trying to keep your house clean is making you a little nuts, try these 27 quick cleaning hacks and add them to your cleaning routine to clean your house fast and efficiently and keep home SIMPLE. Your life WILL get MUCH easier!
Updated on August 14, 2024
Posts may contain affiliate links and yes, there's ads too (that's how I keep the lights on here). Ads *should* reduce as you scroll down the page - thank you for understanding and for supporting the blogging community - we all work so hard! Enjoy and feel free to share on Pinterest or with your friends!
27 Ways To Keep a Tidy House With Kids:
All moms have cleaning hacks that actually work – problem is, they think EVERYONE knows them.
I’ve learned how to clean like a maid, because – let’s be honest – we all kinda FEEL like The Maid, don’t we? haha!
But I’m not talking checklists, more like cleaning HACKS that can make life just that little bit easier.
Here are 27 little tips and tricks other moms have shared about keeping a house clean with KIDS.
Go Cordless
1. A cordless vacuum! It only works on the hardwood floors but it makes it such less of a pain when there’s a mess.
It also makes me more willing to let my toddler play with the messy stuff because I know it will only take me a few seconds to clean up.
It has also helped me with cleaning to remember I don’t have to clean perfectly, cleaning something is better than nothing.
For example, I used to put off vacuuming carpets because the there were things on the floor and I didn’t have time to pick up AND vacuum.
Now I vacuum around stuff if I have to knowing I’ll get it next time instead of skipping vacuuming altogether.
My Favorite Cordless Vacuum✅ Get More InfoThis One’s Great For Pet Hair✅ Get More Info
Time Saving Cleaning Tip
2. I LOVE housework hacks – and it’s usually the simple, cheap and UNUSUAL cleaning hacks that are the most helpful.
My grandmother always had a sponge or cleaning cloth attached to every bottle of cleaner in her Dollar Tree cleaning caddy basket like this:
I thought EVERYONE did that too – I guess it’s just one of those old-fashioned cleaning tips that didn’t get passed along as it should have.
Just a cheap Dollar Tree basket, some long gift bag twist ties or rubber bands and a pack of their cheap $1 cleaning sponges – that’s all it takes and it is SUCH a time saver!
That’s just ONE of my Grandma’s household tips that I am SO thankful for.
That AND this simple hack to clean my stovetop:
Keeping my house clean AND working full time is an overwhelming challenge, but her little tips and tricks make things a LOT easier. My grandmother and my mother-in-law are SUCH a wealth of tips and tricks!
Recommended:
DIY Cleaners For The Win
3. I use hydrogen peroxide to clean almost every surface.
I have a small spray bottle ( brown plastic as light exposure destroys its composition).
Great to clean & disinfect- just spray sinks, counters, tooth brushes, switch plates, door handles, etc.
Cleans GREAT and does NOT have a cleaning odor. Drs. & dentists use in their offices.
I also make my own homemade furniture polish– it smells SO good!
Hide a Tote Bag
4. I hide a big tote bag behind the sofa and keep putting things to donate in there as I come upon them.
When it’s full I take it to the Salvation Army Charity Shop, which runs a really nice homeless shelter in our Town.
It’s a win win thing.
recommended:
Change This ONE Habit
5. I try to make my bed everyday – for some reason, it starts the day off right and I feel motivated to clean all day long.
I also pick up the clutter and random toys before I go to bed so I don’t wake up to a messy house.
I use a Swiffer duster on my surfaces before I clean them. I like Pledge Multi Surface, Windex, and Gain Multi Purpose Cleaner.
I fill a small bucket with hot water and pour some Gain in. Throw in two or three rags and keep that on hand to do a quick clean of anything throughout the day.
It also makes the house smell AMAZING!
Go Multi-Purpose
6. I just bought this Dyson stick vacuum with the stand and I love it.
It has easy heads you can switch out for carpet, wood/tile. Also quickly turns into a hand held so you can use it in your car or in tiny spaces.
BRILLIANT Cleaning Hack
7. I keep one of these scrubbers in my shower and by my kitchen sink with a mixture of Dawn and vinegar.
It only takes a minute to clean the shower while I’m in it and I clean the sink whenever I’m near it.
Make Laundry EASY
8. I hang up as many clothes as possible as soon as they come out of the dryer.
I installed this wall rack in my laundry room and it has changed my LIFE!
See More Storage Hacks
Power Up
9. Dawn Power Spray! I use this to clean inside my refrigerator and counter tops, stove…everything!
It’s also how I clean Hey Dudes shoes – it’s MAGIC!
Save Your Sanity
10. We hired a cleaning service…and it absolutely SAVED me for TOTAL overwhelm!
If you’ve ever wondered if you should PAY someone to clean your house – I’m here to tell you… YES! DO IT!
Now, every other week when they come to clean the house we have to pick up beforehand.
(yep, we clean before the cleaners come lol!)
Our house is big and I’m a working mom so I have absolutely no time, nor no interest, in cleaning all the baseboards and blinds and ceiling fans and heavy, deep cleaning projects.
Banish The Paper Piles
11. My Paper Clutter SOLUTION!
I put a recycle bin right next to the kitchen counter where I sort the mail.
It’s actually a trash can with a lid, the same color as my kitchen decor.
Mail comes in, mail is looked at, and immediately filed, trashed or recycled.
Life-changing!
Schedule It!
12. I have a daily cleaning routine for keeping my house clean.
What helps keeps me on track is keeping all the cleaning supplies I need under each sink.
That way I can quickly wipe down and clean at anytime.
I also keep a vacuum and steam mop on every floor in the house.
I’ve found that when the right tools for a job are close and easy to access, you tend to NOT put things off until “later”.
Reset At Night
13. I reset the room when I’m done in it and leave it as I found it.
Meaning, if I watch tv for a bit, when I leave the living room I put the remotes back, fold my blanket and put it up, refluff the couch pillows, take out any dishes etc.
It takes maybe 3 mins but my house is always tidy.
Don’t Go To Bed With a Dirty House
14. I clean up the house every single night before bed.
I clean up all the daily clutter, wash dishes, quick vacuum etc.
It sounds like a lot, but it only takes a few minutes.
It’s really helped me keep my house clean with 2 kids (one of which is a newborn).
These lazy kitchen cleaning hacks really helped too!
Delegate AM and PM Chores
15. I have a 15 Minute Cleaning Routine…
You have to have a solid cleaning schedule. Not like “Tuesday I do floors” etc. but like a morning and night routine.
Every night before bed I reset the kitchen and take out the trash.
Put a load of laundry in the wash and set the delay so it’s done right before I wake up.
Start the dishwasher.
Wipe down counters, sink and tables, Clorox wipe the bathroom if it needs it.
I have this WONDERFUL Tineco Vac Mop that I will use to do a quick once over the kitchen and dining room floors if there is food on the floor from dinner.
Now that my cleaning routine is a HABIT, it only takes me about 15 minutes to do it all.
Simple Clean Car Hack
16. I have 2 boys that are MESSY – and inside my car shows it!
Every time I get gas as soon as I put the spout in to set it to fill I then am on that timer to clean out the car or tidy.
There is always a big trash can. And once the gas tank clicks it’s done so am I.
I used to have an embarrassing car ALL the time.
I haven’t had a messy car now in years and years since I started doing this.
Out Of SIGHT…
17. When I struggle with what to keep and what to throw away I get a box or plastic container, put everything in it, take it and set it outside, on the porch, garage -anywhere it doesn’t get wet.
In a month I haven’t taken anything out or even MISSED anything, I donate it, throw it away or gift it to someone who needs it or wants it.
Speed Clean
18. When speed cleaning, I carry a basket with rags, paper towels, garbage bag, glass cleaner and furniture polish, along with a long handle microfiber duster.
Hire a Robot
19. This might sound crazy, BUT…
This Shark Robot Vacuum Cleaner changed our life!
Now we pick up the entire floor each night and run it.
I never have to sweep anymore and I can mop any morning that’s needed.
Best of all – the floor never gets very messy because everything on the floors is picked up nightly.
We Do It EVERY Night
20. I fill and run the dishwasher at night, even if I’m tired.
Sink is fresh for the morning. Dishes are ready to put away/use.
Then I can start the day fresh and not get dragged down by yesterday’s mess piled with today’s.
The Golden Rule
21. Don’t Put It DOWN – Put It AWAY!
That’s the Golden Rule of keeping a clean house with kids!
Get to where “everything has a place”.
Then, get into the habit of making sure everything IS in it’s place.
It makes cleaning house so much easier if I don’t have to “pick up” first.
How To Stay Focused
22. Creating Routines Helped Me SO Much!
I have ADD and I would never stay focused on cleaning one room until finished.
Now I block the doorway after I’m in the room with a box or large laundry basket.
Any item that belongs in another room goes into the box/basket and I can’t leave to go put those items away until everything in that room is finished.
Also before you start in the room, make sure you have everything you need: trash bags, paper towels, sponge, cleaning solution, etc.
I keep all cleaning supplies in a carrier and take it with me when finished.
Keeps me focused on completely cleaning ONE room at a time without getting distracted.
Don’t Leave Home Without It
23. After I get ready for work in the morning, I do not leave the bathroom without wiping down the counter (just splashed water) and wiping up the floor and removing/replacing the trash bag.
I keep a spare wash cloth under the sink in my cleaning basket and I wipe up my splashes, shine the faucet, and then rub it over the mirror.
Make a Game Out Of It
24. I play a cleaning game in my head to make cleaning fun.
I pick a random number, like 15 or 18 things and just put away that many things in sight for a few minutes.
I usually don’t even count, but I mentally keep track and always go over my set number.
This has helped me SO much while my kids are young!
10-Minute Family Challenge
25. I set my Apple watch like this for a ten minute challenge and every kid has to pitch in.
They can clean up toys, put away their clothes or gather a small bag of trash.
I don’t assign tasks or use a chore chart. We use the time after supper.
Quick decluttering hacks for the win!
Become a Member of The Clean Sink Club
26. Always go to bed with clean kitchen.
Don’t know why, but it appears to make or break my day.
Procrastination DOES Work
27. I wait until the house is a TOTAL mess, then pretend my mother-in-law is coming to visit!
Talk about motivation to clean – haha!
Bonus Tip
And Here’s a BONUS Tip That WILL Help With EVERYTHING….
To keep EVERYTHING together, create a cheap Command Center on your refrigerator like this:
While that won’t necessarily help you keep your house clean, it WILL help you keep your sh*t together haha!
Highly recommended!
More Mom Hacks To Try
What To Read Next:
