15 Busy Mom Cleaning Hacks To Keep A Clean House With Kids

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Do you ever wonder how some moms keep a clean house with kids?

I mean c’mon, we all know that cleaning our house with little ones is like trying to brush your teeth while eating Oreos.

It’s a dirty job, but someone has to make the house look awesome, right!

Here are 15 mom cleaning HACKS for busy moms to keep the house clean with kids.

 

 

How Do Busy Moms Clean House Fast With Kids?

Well, I think pretty much most people would agree that cleaning sucks! It truly does.

There are so many things I would rather be doing than being on my hands and knees scrubbing the toilet.

It’s one of those things that we don’t enjoy, like paying taxes, but it must be done!

The problem is that cleaning our homes is a never-ending cycle.

We can work our tails off cleaning and YES, it will look amazing, but guess what, that won’t last.

How do our homes get so messy??

Simple. We LIVE there!

Now let’s throw some kids in the mix.

I’ll be honest, I was never that great at keeping my house clean before I had kids. So I am not blaming the messes on my kids, but…

When we added our tiny little humans to the mix, the chores got harder because the messes quadrupled.

There have been days it has looked like a bomb exploded in our living room.

Seriously, toys EVERYWHERE!

How Moms Clean House With Kids

Ugh, so what to do, what to do… Yes, the messes are bigger, but I can’t let the kids drown in grime!

The house must be clean or cleanish so we stay healthy, right?

And…of course, if someone stops by unannounced, I don’t want to tell the kids to hide and pretend we aren’t home.

I mean unless it’s some unconsolidated salesperson, then we might do that.

But anyway, my only option is to keep my house as clean as I can.

So if you are a busy mom and you are reading this, then you probably feel me.

You know where I am coming from and you can agree “ain’t nobody got time for that!”

So I have come up with some mom cleaning hacks that I use to keep my house tidy…well almost. Hey, it’s good enough!

These busy mom cleaning hacks are a great supplement to any working mom’s cleaning schedule or a stay at home mom’s cleaning routine. 

 

 

Busy Mom Cleaning Hacks To Keep A House Clean With Kids

1. DECLUTTER

First and foremost, you must DECLUTTER.

As if you didn’t know that was coming. Seriously though, if you don’t declutter then you will spend all of your time just moving stuff around.

That will get you nowhere fast!

When you have kids, things usually start accumulating.

First, you have their baby stuff, then their toddler stuff, then their preschool stuff….and the list goes on.

From clothes to toys, our kids have a lot of stuff.

They get even more stuff from well-meaning grandparents, friends, birthdays, Christmas, etc…

You know the drill, before long, your house starts looking like an episode of Hoarders, the Nick Jr edition.

So what can you do with all that stuff?

Well first off, you can sell it.

You can have a big ol’ yard sale and get rid of it cheap. Or you can list it on Facebook Marketplace or even eBay.

Now if you have a lot of baby gear that you are not using, then you can rent it out to BabyQuip to make some extra cash.

Whatever you do you must downsize the stuff or you will be cleaning your life away.

2. USE A TOY ROTATION SYSTEM

If you had a hard time decluttering the kid’s toys, then think about using a toy rotation system.

When the kids have fewer toys out it really speeds up the cleaning process.

Not only that, but they get bored with what they have, so rotating the toys keeps them interested.

So the rotation system is a genius mom hack that keeps the house tidy and kids persistently entertained.

We do our toy rotation system monthly. Doing it at the beginning of the month just helps me keep track of it.

My tip for a toy rotation system is to use a colored plastic bin because if it’s clear the kids can see in it. Remember, out of sight out of mind.

Not only has rotating the toys been so helpful at keeping my house tidier but it has saved me so much money.

When I bring the tote out of lock-down from the garage, it’s like Christmas all over again. I then fill the tote back up with other toys and pack it away for another month.

3. USE BASKETS

Using baskets as a cleaning tip is a mom hack from way back. You should have a decorative basket in every room of your house.

Not only do they look cute, but they can be the catch-all for all the unwanted things.

It’s just easier to have that catch-all place for you and your kids to toss stuff in.

I keep a large basket in my living room, and medium to small ones all around my house including the bottom of the stairs and the bathroom.

My kids even have a basket with their name on it and at the end of the day, anything of theirs that is not where it should be gets tossed in the basket.

Then it is their job to put the stuff from their basket away.

4. NEVER LEAVE A ROOM EMPTY-HANDED

Do you realize how many times you roam from room to room while you are home?

Make it a habit of picking up things and putting them away.

For instance, you walk into your bedroom to put away laundry.

You see a water glass on your nightstand from the night before and dirty socks on the floor.

Grab the glass and drop the socks in the hamper.

Take the glass to the kitchen and put it in the sink or dishwasher.

Before you walk out of the kitchen, scan it for anything that doesn’t belong. If you see trash or junk mail, throw it away immediately.

You get the gist, right? Just pick up as you go, and you will have less to do later.

5. GIVE EVERYTHING A HOME

When everything has a home, then it doesn’t make clutter.

If you and your family know where everything goes, then you can all easily put it away.

If an item doesn’t have a home, either make one or get rid of it.

6. BABY WIPES ARE A MUST

The #1 Mom hack must have is baby wipes. You can use them for everything from wiping off counters, to sticky hands, to dirty bums.

I use them to dust, wipe off bathroom faucets, and clean up carpet stains.

I even keep a pack in my car for quick on-the-move clean-ups!

They are handy and they are cheap!

7. GET THE KIDS INVOLVED

Kids are never too young to start learning the importance of cleaning up.

Even if you have a toddler, make a game of picking up toys and putting them in a basket.

My older kids are fine having chores, but my little one needs a little incentive. So we put it on a clean-up song, and he has to pick up as much as he can before the song is over.

When it is a game like that, you can watch your kids hustle, because everyone wants to win.

There are several free chore charts in the free resource library. 

8. SET A TIMER

Just like having the kids pick up as much as they can in a little amount of time, set a timer on your phone or use this visual timer, and do the same thing.

I set my timer for 15 minutes because that is really all the time you need to hustle around your house cleaning up.

The time will fly by and your house will look amazing.

 

9. DO ONE LOAD OF LAUNDRY A DAY

Laundry has a tendency for piling up. I used to wait and do all the laundry over the weekend.

That my friend is a mistake. You will spend your entire Sunday engulfed in the laundry.

So I have made it a habit to put a load in the washer EVERY SINGLE MORNING.

At some point, I put them in the dryer, and I usually don’t get around to folding them until after dinner.

But hey, it gets done.

10. KEEP YOUR KITCHEN COUNTERS CLEAR

One thing that will make a kitchen look INSTANTLY clean, is having the counters clear of clutter.

I keep all my appliances in the pantry. That includes the toaster and can opener. The only appliance I have on my counters is a coffee pot.

The dirty dishes go in the sink and if I am keeping up, then they go straight to the dishwasher. The junk mail goes straight to the trash.

The kitchen will always look clean if the counters are empty.

11. CLEAN THE BATHROOM WHILE GIVING THE KIDS A BATH

One easy multitasking cleaning hack is to clean the bathroom while giving the kiddos a bath.

I don’t use any strong chemical cleaners so there are no fumes choking anyone.

I use a Clorox wand to first clean the bathroom sink then I take it all around the toilet.

The little piece on the end pops off in the trash and BAM I am done.

12. HAVE THE RIGHT TOOLS

Have cleaning tools that are easy to access and easy to use. I got rid of my big bulky vacuum and got an upright lightweight vacuum/electric broom.

It is easy to use and stores right in the pantry, so after meals, I quickly run it under the table to pick up any crumbs and then just put it away. It seriously takes me about 2 minutes.

I also use the iRobot Roomba, and let me tell you it is a game-changer! Just make sure you explain to your kids it’s not a toy, especially a riding toy.

13. HAVE A SHOE BIN

We keep a shoe cabinet by our side door,  which is the entryway we use the most. We all take our shoes off as soon as we get home and put them in the bin.

This works because it keeps dirt from being tracked into the house and the kids ALWAYS know where their shoes are. Win-Win!

14. GET THE DUST OUT

If you are a collector of knick-knacks, then you are a collector of dust.

Dust makes a home look dirty and it’s not good for our kids.

I am not a fan of dusting but dust seems to accumulate in our homes daily.

You will never see me in an apron with a feather duster because I use a large air purifier in our family room and then smaller air purifiers in every bedroom!

I run that bad boy daily and it has cut the dust by probably 75%.

If I do see the dust on the furniture, I grab a lint roller and just roll with it.

 

 

Be sure to read all about these 17 dusting hacks for busy moms!

15. USE THE LAUNDRY BASKET PICK UP METHOD

After I put my kiddos to bed, I grab a laundry basket and quickly go through the house picking up stuff off the floor and furniture.

I mostly focus on the family room, kitchen, and entryway. It only takes 5-10 minutes.

Sometimes I go ahead and put the stuff away where it belongs, but sometimes I just sit the full basket down somewhere inconspicuous and be done for the night.

Busy Moms Cleaning House

So just remember no house is perfect.

Your home should be kid-friendly and comfortable which means it will look LIVED in.

Try these simple cleaning hacks to save time and give yourself a break.

Please don’t spend all your days cleaning, remember memories will last, a clean house won’t.

Now be sure to read 5 Busy Mom Hacks To Stay Organized!

To make things easier, then create a realistic cleaning routine for busy moms. 

For more cleaning hacks, be sure sure to read these expert tips on how to keep a clean home.

If you live in a tiny apartment, then these tips for small apartment living with kids will help you create a routine.

Don’t stop here, check out the Smart Mom Resources page for MORE time-saving & budget-friendly MOM HACKS!

Plus, you can sign up for new Mom Hacks to be sent to your inbox monthly.

That’s right just once a month because we barely have time for anything as is, so spamming your inbox is a guaranteed NO.

Do you have any Busy MOM HACKS that you use to cut corners around the house?  PLEASE let me know in the comments 🙂

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