10 Simple ways to keep your House Clean with Kids

I currently have a two, three in a half year old and a newly five year old. Needless to say, sometimes the house gets a little messy, especially when my toddlers go to playing method is dumping the tubs of toys just to find the one toy they are looking for. 

Of coarse I always straighten the house up when we have guest coming over and still somehow end up apologizing for the mess when it's really not that messy but one comment I almost always hear is "Oh this is nothing, you should see my house". I have come to realize that a lot of people don't tidy up their house and live in a huge mess on a daily basis.

An old apple juice box in the toy chest, not being able to walk to the bathroom without stepping on a toy or not knowing what clothes is clean or dirty may work perfect for you and your family but living in a mess isn't for everyone and I think it's safe to say that if you are reading this then you are wanting to learn how to tidy up a little better.

I'm a little on the OCD side. Messes make me stressed. When I use to babysit, I use to organize the toy room while the little ones played. I can't tell you how many times I found trash or half eaten food in the toy chest. When I got a little older, I use to visit friends and if I got bored enough, I would start doing their dishes because I couldn't stand the huge pile of dirty dishes sitting there. So it's obvious that I do my best to keep my house clean and organized.

I will say that life with kids makes it ten times harder to keep the house clean and organized because kids are messy. Need I say more?! 

Now I don't deep clean the house as often as I should, and when I do, I am fortunate enough that my husband helps me by cleaning the bathrooms so I don't hurt my back but I do keep the house organized and most of the time clear of clutter by being persistent with a few of my everyday habits.

So now what you've all been waiting for, how can you keep your house clean and tidy with kids? Simple, you start by doing one or more of these until they become a habit and before you know it your house will be more tidy and clear of clutter.

1. Everything has it's Own Home

This is exactly like it sounds. Every item should have it's own "home". When you are done using that item, put it back where it belongs. This helps avoid the never ending seek and find later. By putting it back where it belongs, you will know exactly where it is next time you need to use that item or want to play with it.

When I was younger, my brothers use to go into my room and move my toys around just to see how long it took me to notice. Needless to say I would get mad because it wasn't where it was suppose to be. Since I've had kids I still find myself randomly re-organizing the toy bins because kids aren't the best at organizing.

2. Tidy & Organize as you Go

This goes hand and hand with Everything has it's own home.

If you pick a toy up off the ground, instead of throwing it back on the ground, put it where it belongs. 

If you take off your shoes, put them back in your closet. 

If you change clothes, put the dirty clothes in the laundry hamper.

If there is a dirty cup or bowl sitting by you and you are going to the kitchen, take it with you instead of leaving it out.

Basically, DON'T be a SLOB.

Now this may sound like common sense but you'd be surprised at how many times we pass things up just because we "don't feel like doing it". Cleaning up all at once can be hard. It not only takes more time but it can put more strain on your body. This is why tidying and organizing as you go helps avoid needing a deep cleaning more often.

3. Clean Up Every Day

Basically, don't go to bed with a messy house. I hate to break it to you but magical elves won't come and clean your house while you are sleeping. The mess will still be there in the morning and the mess will grow and grow as the day goes on. 

Now I'm not saying stay up late and clean the house, just put things back in their "home". If there are dishes in the sink, put them in the dish washer real quick. If there are toys or shoes on the ground, put them away. 

My family has a routine. The kids clean up thirty minutes to an hour before they go to preschool. Yes it takes them an hour to clean up a little mess because they usually get distracted and start playing again. The kids also clean up before bed time. The rule is if they don't clean up, they don't get a snack. Of coarse I have to remind them to clean up about ten times but in the end the toys are put away... to an extent... so I don't have to clean up everything by myself later. 

Now you may be wondering why I make them clean up twice a day. First off, sometimes we may have evening plans so won't have time to clean up after school. Second, by cleaning up their toys before school, they are more likely to choose a different toy in the afternoon so more toys get played with.

Cleaning up also teaches them about chores and responsibilities. If they make a mess, they should be responsible enough to clean it up. The amount of mess you make your child clean up of coarse depends on their age. You can't expect your one year old to clean up every toy they dumped but they can help. 

4. Wipe Off Surfaces when you see Dirt

Use a Clorox wipe. Use a dust rag. Use a sponge. Use your bathroom hand towel before you switch it out or even use your hand. By wiping off surfaces such as counter tops, the top of the toilet, the faucet, the toy shelf when you see that it is dirty, it will help avoid a dust build up and make your home "appear" cleaner than it really is.

I tend to wipe off the bathroom counters every time I switch out the hand towel. I use the kitchen sponge for the kitchen counters and my hand to quickly wipe off dust when I am putting toys back. If I want to do a quick clean I will wipe off the counter tops with Clorox wipes until I am able to deep clean the house with cleaning supplies. 

5. Labels & Storage Containers

This also goes hand and hand with Everything has it's own home.

Invest in some containers and use them. If needed, write or print out a cute label and stick it on the container so you know what is in it. Now I'm not saying go out and spend a ton of money of a label maker and storage containers. You can find some cheap ones at the Dollar Tree, Walmart, Micheals or even DIY with old diaper or shoe boxes.

If you have kids, make sure to tell them what goes in that specific container. In our house, the blue bin is for balls and cars and the green bin is for all the random toys. I also have bins used to organize all the craft supplies and labeled them with what is in the bin from Play Dough to Glue to Coloring Supplies. This way the kids know exactly where everything is if they need it or we ask them to go get it and they do there best to put it back even though they still throw it in the container making a mess.

You'd be surprised at how organized your movies, medicine, toys, art supplies, pictures, etc... can be with a few labeled containers.

6. Always have a Back Up

You may be wondering what this has to do with tidying up. If you always have a back up then you will be able to clean or do the laundry when you run out. This mainly applies to cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, etc...

Now this may sound like common sense but sometimes I do the laundry, sometime my husband does the laundry so I don't necessarily know when the detergent is low. By having a back up, it doesn't matter because if I happen to run out, I'll have another one to use. If I didn't have a back up then the laundry would be put on hold until I have a chance to run to the store and who knows when that would be. 

7. The Laundry can Wait a Week or Two

Wait at least a week if not longer to do the laundry if you can. There are five people living in my house and with messy kids, the laundry piles up fast. I could easily do a load of laundry every other day but I don't because I don't want to spend everyday doing laundry. 

Instead I designate a day or an afternoon I have free and do it all at once. I usually end up with 4-5 loads of laundry that day but I am able to wash, dry fold and most of the time put it all away besides the clothes I hung to dry. I also get to binge watch something while I fold the laundry which is nice.

By waiting to do the laundry you are more likely to wear more of your wardrobe instead of repeatedly wearing the same shirt every week. You also aren't having to clean, fold or put away laundry on a daily basis.

8. Invest in a Dust Buster

If you have kids you have quickly learned that they are messy. Food and dirt is constantly ending up all over your floor. Vacuums work better in my opinion when cleaning the floor but lets face it, who really wants to pull out a heavy vacuum, plug it in and vacuum every time the kids throw Cheerios on the floor, I know I don't.

A dust buster is the perfect solution. As long as it's charged you can quickly vacuum up most of the mess created by your kids. You may also want to invest in a broom and a swifter...

9. Throw It Away

Kids love to color, draw, paint and create but YOU DON'T have to keep EVERY paper your child decides to go full blown artist on. Some get put up on the fridge or garage door. Others get hung up on my daughter's art wall and a few make it into my filing cabinet of my kid's creations but most end up sitting on the kitchen counter for days and days until I finally decide to "take out the trash" during nap time.

I learned the hard way. My kids found their papers in the trash once and needless to say they ended up on the fridge for another week. *see picture below I love that my kids love to color, but lets face it, do you really need to keep the kids menu from O'Charleys that your toddler scribbled all over?

This also applies to spam mail, cards, newspapers, magazines, junk toys, broken toys, expired food, ripped clothes, etc. Unless you can still use it or fix it, throw it away or donate it to someone who can use it for a project. All of this stuff takes up space and clutters your house. Throw it away!

10. Clean & Clean It Good

The time has finally come for you to clean your house. You have "fake" cleaned for too long and it is time to thoroughly clean your house. Maybe you deep clean your house every other week or once a month. Maybe you can get by "fake" cleaning for several months but eventually you are going to have to deep clean your house because the toilets just can't take it anymore unless they get some cleaning products in them. 

When the time comes for you to clean with cleaning products, clean it good and clean it right. By thoroughly cleaning your house you are killing the germs, removing the dirt and making everything look nice and shiny. 

From dusting to windows, bathrooms, the kitchen, and floors, your house will not only look clean and you will feel better but you will be able to wait longer in between deep cleanings if you do it right the first time. If you miss a spot, the dirt is more likely to build up quicker then it would if you cleaned it right the first time making it easier to quickly clean your house next time around. 

I suggest deep cleaning your house all at once or over a two day period because if you spread the rooms out, over time, the other room you just cleaned will get dirty so your house will never technically be fully clean.

These are just a few of the things I do daily or weekly to help keep my house clean and organized. Although it may be a little overwhelming right now, especially if you tend to live a little on the messy side of things, you can do it! 

Start out by choosing one or two of these suggestions from my list and work on them until they become a habit. Before you know it your house will look cleaner and be more organized and free of clutter. I will admit that kids make it an everyday challenge but living in a home that looks and feels clean feels so much better than living in one that leaves you feeling gross and stressed all the time because you can't find anything that you are looking for. 

Let me know your favorite way to keep your house looking clean, organized and clutter free in the comments below! 

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