As a busy mom at home, you would think I would have house cleaning tips down to an art form, but I don’t. I get up on Monday to a clean house and by Wednesday I’m ready to pull out my hair. There are jackets on the floor, laundry that hasn’t been put away. A growing pile of plates on the counter, and a huge garbage bag that’s beginning to smell like a fish shop. To top it off, my son’s bedroom looks like a tornado swept through it. By the time Friday rolls around, the house is a complete and utter mess so I have to start all over again. And the worse part is I end up spending my precious weekend time doing it.
My mother, who is the (Queen of Clean) raised three children, ran an in-home daycare while I was growing up, and never had a messy house. So, I called her up and asked her how on God’s green earth she manages to keep the house clean all week long, thinking there must be some kind of cosmic secret to it. There isn’t, but she did give me some very helpful house cleaning tips so that I don’t have to spend hours I could be doing something else keeping the house tidy.
Start With The Bedroom
My bedroom is one of the worst rooms in the house. I could use house cleaning tips in here. It’s always messy. No matter how much I try, I can’t seem to keep it organized, and by the time I’m ready for sleep. I’m too tired to tidy things up.
- Make the bed in the morning when you get up. Give your day a kick start by making your bed when you wake up. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but not seeing rumpled sheets and pillows strewn all over the place will make you feel better about starting your day.
- Wipe off the window sills and side tables. I keep a can of wipes in the drawer of my bedside table. When I get up, I always open the curtains and give my windowsills a quick wipe down. Then I wipe down the side tables. This keeps both free of dirt and dust that accumulates quickly when we don’t notice it.
- Choose a laundry time or day that works for your routine. I live in an apartment, but our laundry is open 24-hours. Wednesday is laundry day because by mid-week I have enough to do two loads at least of towels, kids clothes and stuff hubby and I wore. This helps to keep up with laundry, which can pile up before you know it.
- Keep a hamper in each room and a bin for throw-aways. I notice every time I go to my closet there is stuff I’m not wearing. Keep a throw-away bin inside the closet for clothes you want to get rid of, and a hamper in each room for each person’s laundry. Hubby and I have a double hamper to help keep our clothes separated.
The Bathroom
It's quite easily the dirtiest room in the house, especially living with boys. Pee marks on the toilet. Dusty counters. Clothes and wet towels on the floor. It’s just gross, but it’s the only bathroom we have, so I need to keep it clean.
- Invest in good towel hooks. Towels need to air dry, especially if you use them two or three times. Buying some great towel hooks is important so towels stay off the bathroom floor. Hooks can be something simple you get from the hardware store or something cute to go with your bathroom decor.
- Clean and wipe down the shower or tub after each use. It might seem like a pain, but it helps keep the bathroom tidy. I keep my shower cleaner underneath my sink, and after each use, I wipe everything down and clean out the tub. Just makes it easier, and keeps the bathroom looking fresh.
- Clean the counter and toilet at night. After brushing my teeth and putting on my face cream before bed, I wipe down the counter and clean in and around the bottom of the toilet. This keeps it from getting grungy so I’m not scrubbing it later on.
The Kitchen
It’s the one room we spend the most time in. Being in an apartment, space is limited. It’s also the one room I find the hardest to keep clean regularly.
- Put away the dishes before you go to bed. This is chore I give to my son. I do the dishes all day as we have no dishwasher. So after breakfast, wipe things down, wash the dishes. Lunch is the same routine. After supper, he puts the dishes away so that come morning the rack is empty and ready to go again.
- Use good cleaning products to get the job done. Good cleaning products are important in helping keep the kitchen clean. My go to product for everything is a smiley face sponge from Scrub Daddy. Soft in hot water. Hard in cold. Scrub Daddy can be used on every surface to wipe counters, clean dishes, and is safe to use anywhere.
- Rinse out your dish rags and swap out your dish towels. Hubby has an awful habit of leaving the dish rag in the sink so it gets all slimy and starts to smell. Just gross! Each night throw your old rags and dish towels in the hamper and replace them with fresh ones to help not only keep the kitchen clean but bacteria down.
- Clean as you go. Believe it or not my first restaurant job taught me this. If you are leaning, you're cleaning. So clean as you go. As you cook, wash and wipe things down. This way the kitchen stays clean and you don’t have to do it the next morning after spills and drips have dried.
Living Room / Dining Room
Two of the easiest rooms to keep clean if you know how, which is odd considering we spend so much time in them for entertaining. So keeping it clean for company allows you to focus on the other rooms in your home.
- Everything should have a place. Whether it’s a candle holder or a remote for the television, everything in your home should have a place where you can find it. We utilize drawers in our entertainment center, drawers in my hutch to keep things like napkins and video games out sight but easy to grab when we want.
- Sweep and mop before bed. Night time is the best time to sweep, vacuum or mop your living room and dining room. Do it when the kids go to bed so when you get up in the morning the floors are shiny and new.
- Have baskets for blankets and odds and ends. I’m a big basket lover. Keep baskets around the house to put in a corner for that throw blanket or the dog’s toys so they aren’t scattered all over.
- Create a family wall. A wall or table area for mail, a place to hang keys, a cork board or calendar for school events all in one area will help you keep things clean and more organized.
No matter what you do, you can’t keep the house clean all the time. But using some key tips and hacks will go a long way to help you having a cleaner and happier home so you aren’t spending your quality time running around picking things up when you should be enjoying life!
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