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Sometimes you just can’t find time to keep up with cleaning, so today I am sharing my best “quick-cleaning” tips that make life easier… and homes cleaner!
It can be so hard to find time to clean, sometimes. You would think that when the kids went back to school, you would have MORE time to clean, right? Wrong. I don’t know how, but the time just gets away from you. For me, having two kids home for the day (until 3:00 when the others get home) is enough of a GOOD distraction to keep me from doing all of my chores. On top of that, while I am cleaning the living room, they are playing with toys in the bedroom. When I get the bedroom clean, they have made a mess of their snack in the kitchen. When I clean the kitchen, they are back in their bedrooms playing dress up. The circle never ends.
Here are a few time to help when you can’t find the time to keep up with your cleaning:
- Get up 30 minutes before your kids and start your day (laundry in, declutter a room)
- Do one load of laundry every morning.
- Use rest time to clean. I also pick up everything before I go to bed. I never want to wake up to a messy house.
- Clean up the bathroom while the kids are taking a bath – this is the key to keeping our bathroom clean. I just keep our NEW Bounty with Dawn multi-purpose cleaning towels in every bathroom and use them. They are my favorite cleaning item! You just get them wet and they are already filled with Dawn, so they clean easily.
- Stay a step ahead of the kids… if possible!
- Be sure to have the dishwasher washed and the pots cleaned (again, I use the Bounty with Dawn multipurpose cleaning towels for this). Have these things put away before bed, so you don’t start your morning with dishes in the sink. OR… wake up early and unload it if you wash them while you sleep.
- Put papers away as soon as you touch them. My mom’s rule of thumb is to only touch them once. This includes mail, school work, artwork….
- Plan big projects, like cleaning out the van or garage, when the kids are playing outside already. They ride bikes while I organize the garage.
- Keep toilet cleaner, a brush and Bounty with Dawn multipurpose cleaning towels in the bathroom and kitchen, so you will be ready to go every day and won’t have to search for items.
- Follow a simple cleaning routine- print out a printable like this one and follow it daily:
- Be sure that your bed is made and the kids beds are made BEFORE you leave the house. The kids have to make their beds in the morning before they turn on the TV. They have to be ready to walk out the door before the TV comes on. We make our bed before we leave the bedroom.
- Wipe down counters daily. Just keep Bounty with Dawn multipurpose cleaning towels in the kitchen and bathroom for this and do it as soon as you wake up, right after the laundry.
- Have the kids help by giving them age-appropriate chores.
- Back out of a room (my mom’s tip), so you can clean up as you are leaving a room.
- Worst case scenario: ask your husband or a friend to take them to a park for a couple of hours so you aren’t constantly cleaning around them- you can just get it done quickly and move on enjoying your day!♥
PS- want to win??
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We just moved into a new house so we are starting over with a whole new routine right down to bed-time in the evening with my boys. Since everything is new for everyone, it was easy to transition into a schedule for cleaning that works around everyone’s ‘schedule’!
Oh moving is the perfect time to set up a new routine! 🙂
All areas need improvement. But, I’m trying to start with small areas like bathrooms and front entrance. If I can maintain a few areas, I’m building momentum to clear clutter and maintain those zones.
🙂 yay! You’ve got it… One day at a time… 🙂
I love these tips. I am trying to revamp my whole existence into some semblance of organized chaos.
🙂 I feel like I’m always doing that one! hahaha!!
I’m ironing the uniforms and getting my work clothes ready at night so in the AM I can do the little things that I see need completed. It’s hard to get back into the back-to-school routine! But we’re trying!
Isn’t it though?! Thanks!!
I always take out clothes the night before for us. Makes it less stressful and I can get more done.
Agreed!
We recently moved as well and nothing like a move to show you how much clutter you have, and how unorganized you are!! So I have started with a planner! Also have been doing a load of laundry a day(we have two in new house, one of them being in master closet, makes it smaller but oh so handy!) as well as leaving a lot of stuff in garage so we can go through it and either keep, sell, donate or throw out!! Still some clutter made it inside, and we are slowly working through it. With 2 littles under 3, and 2 teenagers playing sports it’s been crazy, so thankful for the planner, and all your helpful ideas!
Oh man- that is so true! Moving is hard with young ones, isn’t it? Good luck!!
Making a list and checking it twice!
Good one! 😉
This year our rule is homework and chores immediately after school and we have been preparing what we can the night before.
Ours too! 🙂
I feel like I have so much more laundry now that school has started back!
Me, too!
I do a little cleaning whenever I get the chance.
Perfect!!
Our major problem is dog hair, so when I go up the stairs I bring a paper towel and wipe the hair off the (hardwood) steps as I go.
That is what my mom used to do, too (she would use a paper towel on the hardwoods & a sponge on the carpeted stairs)
Oh…today we are going to start getting our garage ready for a sale! We have so much clutter and boxes of outgrown kids clothes and toys…so we decided to have a sale and clear it all out! Will be great to declutter and get organized before winter!
That’s awesome- it feels great to get rid of stuff, doesn’t it?
We pack lunch the night before to save time
We make the lunches and breakfast the night before to ease the AM routine
You should check out my post on making them once a week – it is SUCH a time saver in our house (but we have 4 kids. lol)
I have started putting the grocery list on the refrigerator so we just add items to it when we’re out.
Oh that’s a great idea.