How to clean the house with toddlers
This post is sponsored by The Libman Company but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
There are shoes carelessly thrown on the floor, clothing strewn across the living room, tiny little toys underneath the couch, and dog food anywhere but the dog bowl.
I have 2 little ones under 5 years old and 2 dogs (one is a puppy) so I know messy.
It’s time to tidy up the house and living a frugal/debt-free life means we aren’t hiring a maid.
So the big question is, how do you clean and organize the house with kids?
Here is how I keep my house clean, most of the time 😉
DO LESS MORE OFTEN
With kids you don’t always have blocks of time that you can dedicate to cleaning, which means doing what you can when you can is key.
In the morning I move quickly and strategically.
Go room by room with a garbage bag and a laundry basket. Put the garbage in the garbage bag and put anything that doesn’t belong into the basket.
This will keep you from wasting energy going back and forth, upstairs and downstairs.
If you do a little bit each day it will be easier to maintain.
I try to get a lot of the cleaning done during the week so that on my days off I can relax and have fun (aka not do laundry).
MAKE IT A FAMILY EFFORT
The more the merrier.
Getting your kids to clean at an early age is one of the ways to raise an independent child and it makes your job cleaning a little easier.
Let them help spray down the kitchen, sort the laundry, pick up the clutter.
I make it into a game and set a timer. Whoever gets the most done in the allotted time wins *wink wink*.
My son insists on mopping by himself (he’s only 2!).
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When my kids were babies and too small to help I used my Ergo baby carrier to multitask, though any sling or wrap would do.
DISTRACTIONS
If you’d rather clean on your own put the kids in a designated area nearby with an activity to distract them.
Put on their favorite movie, give them snacks to have a picnic, clean when they’re taking a nap, or let them play with their toys (in that room only of course).
OFFER INCENTIVES
A great way to keep the house clean with children is through bribery incentives.
If they want to play with more toys tell them they have to put the ones that are out away first.
Do they want to go to the park, make slime, go out to eat? They’ll be happy to get the house cleaned up with you in no time.
USE THE RIGHT SUPPLIES
Having the right cleaning tools will save you time and effort.
I like using laundry baskets like this one to reduce the amount of walking I do. If I’m cleaning downstairs I place everything that needs to go upstairs into the basket, therefore eliminating multiple trips back and forth.
Also have gloves (your manicure will thank you), a cleaning caddy, cleaners, and apron and you’ll be good to go!
MINIMIZE
We go through our kids’ toys and rooms every several weeks to declutter, get rid of unnecessary knick knacks and things they’ve outgrown.
Simplify your house with the “Kon Mari” Method.
The less stuff you have the easier it is to clean. Plus way less stressful if you ask me.
ORGANIZE
Everything in your house should have a designated place.
Teach your kids where their things go so they don’t just throw things around and can’t find them later.
Using small boxes or baskets is a great way to keep things separated.
CLEANING YOUR HOUSE WITH KIDS
Cleaning the house with kids is hard and can feel impossible at times. Make it a team effort and do a little at a time so you don’t burn yourself out.
Our dogs don’t make it any easier. The Libman Company has a NEW spiral sweep broom I haven’t tried. No dust pan needed.
Check out Libman cleaning products here and let me know which ones you would want to try!
Limited on time, check out my 8 speed cleaning tips.
I laughed at the title of your post b/c while it is possible to clean it is SOOO hard to keep it that way!!
One can never fully understand until they become a parent. My husband swears he cleans before I come home but as soon as he’s done with one room the kids have already messed up another lol
Great ideas! I was SOOO lucky that my daughter was very neat from a young age. She always picked up her stuff and we never really had toys, clothes, etc laying around. She kept her own space clean also.
That’s great! My daughter tries to clean though sometimes I find things strategically hidden under her bed. My son on the other hand loves making messes lol