15 Helpful Cleaning Tips And Bonus Hacks For Busy Moms

We all want a clean and tidy home. But, between our day jobs, taking care of the kids, running errands, putting out small fires, and everything else that life throws at us, having a clean home often ends up on the back burner. Here’s a big shout-out to all you busy, frazzled moms out there who feel like no matter how much cleaning you actually get done, your house still looks like a bomb went off in a war zone. Kids have a way of doing that, and that’s reality. 

If life has you feeling a bit overwhelmed and stressed out, studies show that a messy, cluttered home can lead to even more stress. Dishes in the sink, toys scattered all over the house, piles of dirty laundry, and stuff covering every surface not only make our homes look bad, but also make us feel bad too. That’s what researchers at UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives and Families (CELF) discovered when they explored in real time the relationship between 32 California families and their homes. 

It turns out that a messy home has a profound effect on our mood and overall happiness and can leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed. Fortunately, unlike other more commonly recognized sources of stress, an untidy home is one of the easiest life stressors to fix. 

Here are 15 helpful cleaning tips for busy moms to get your home cleaner faster – and keep your sanity while you’re at it: 

1). Create a routine and schedule

Create a cleaning routine and schedule to keep yourself organized and focused on the most important cleaning goals on any given day. It’s important to note that the goal of my cleaning plan is to keep a reasonably clean home, not a house perfectly deep cleaned.

Make a list of the basic tasks that you want to complete on a weekly basis and then assigned them to whichever day of the week makes the most sense to you. By having a schedule, you can focus each day on one or two tasks, and give yourself permission to let anything else slide until its assigned day. For example: 

• Monday: Meal plan for the week, clean out the fridge and collect the trash
• Tuesday: Clean the bathrooms
• Wednesday: Do the laundry and clean bedrooms 
• Thursday: Clean the kitchen 
• Friday: Dust and clean/vacuum floors 
• Saturday – Swing-day/Catch-up day

2). Get your least favorite chore over with first

Do the most dreaded chore first and just watch how much calmer you will feel for the remainder of the day.  All the rest of your tasks will seem much more accomplishable when you’ve already completed the most difficult task of the day.

3). Set aside a little time each day

Decide how much time you are willing and able to dedicate to cleaning each day, and set a timer for yourself. For example, allot 20 minutes a day at the beginning of nap time. You’ll find that you’re much more productive for those 20 minutes with a limit on time.

If you can’t get to everything on your list during that time, stop anyway. Just start with the undone things on catch-up day or the following week. It’s okay if you don’t clean your shower doors every week.  

4). Get rid of excess belongings

A couple of years ago, Marie Kondo took the world by storm with her book The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up with the idea of only having things in your house that spark joy. It’s so much easier to clean if you have less stuff in the first place.

While cleaning, if you realize you don’t have a place to put something, either find it a permanent home for it or get rid of it. Simplify your life by getting rid of the things that don’t add to your quality of life.

5).  Declutter from one end of the house to the other

For a quick clean-up and decluttering, start at one side of the house. Put away everything that actually belongs in that room, and put everything else into a bin. When you’re done with the first room, move to the next, and do the same; put away any clutter from your bin that belongs in that room.

This is a fast and efficient way to declutter your whole house without making multiple trips back and forth to separate rooms.

6). Make your bed first thing

Your bedroom is your sanctuary. It’s the one place in your house that doesn’t get overrun with toys and sticky fingerprints, so you want to be able to relax there. Always try and start your day off by making your bed. At the University of Texas commencement in 2014, UT alumnus Admiral William H. McRaven gave an inspiring speech to the graduates: “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.” 

He went on to say that “It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another.” Besides, it takes less than a minute –  you can handle that.

7). Clean all the floors at once

instead of getting out and putting away the broom, vacuum, or mop multiple times, just do all the floors at once. it’s much more efficient than stopping in each room to clean other things and then starting again.  one vacuum swoop through the house could take as little as 10-15 minutes.

8). Clean all windows and mirrors at once

Just like the floors, it’s more efficient to clean all windows and mirrors at once. This way, you’re only carrying one cleaning product from room to room – and with your focus on just one task, you’ll get it done much faster.

9). Enlist your kids’ help

Teach your kids to put away their own laundry, unload the dishwasher, pick up their room, wipe counters, etc. Give them chores they can do with you. Just be mindful of cleaning products and make sure the task is age-appropriate. Even young toddlers can get in the habit of putting their toys away.  It also allows you to do some cleaning while they’re awake. Even if they aren’t all that helpful, giving kids a rag to dust with will keep them busy while you do the real cleaning.  

10). Don’t ignore the dusting 

Try to dust everything including baseboards, electronics, and any wall décor at least once a month. Make it easier on yourself and keep your dusting supplies,  in a discrete but easily accessible location.  Always dust top to bottom or you’ll likely end up needing to re-dust.

11). Clean while you’re cooking 

While cooking dinner for your family. there’s often a few minutes of downtime that can be used to clean up the kitchen. Wipe down the counters that you were using to prep and any bowls or pots that you are already done with.

It’s so much easier to wipe down pots and pans and cutting boards immediately after use than trying to scrub off dried-on food later, especially when you’re already exhausted after a busy day.

12). Do a quick daily bathroom wipe down

The bathroom can be a particular problem if you have small children.  Every morning, quickly wipe down high traffic areas in the bathroom such as the sink, faucet, toilet, etc. with a disinfectant wipe. You can even use them to wipe down the floor.  Then just throw it away when you’re done, so you don’t have to clean up from your cleaning.

13). Add temporary storage to the messiest rooms

Place bins or hampers in rooms that seem to get messy very quickly. You can place all the clutter in the bins and hampers to keep your house looking clean, and then actually put everything away when you get a free moment.

14). Keep cleaning supplies handy 

Make cleaning as easy as possible for yourself by keeping supplies at hand. Instead of storing them all in one place, have multiples in several rooms. That way, you can do a quick clean without having to hunt down the supplies you need.

15). Do a 10-minute tidying up each evening 

Take 10 minutes right after you put the kids to bed to clean up any residual clutter around the house. Put away dishes that were left drying on the counter, organize paper clutter, put away any toys …whatever.  If there is a lot of stuff, then grab a laundry basket or bin and walk through the house picking up anything that doesn’t belong.

Then sort it and put it all away.  After things are tidied up a bit, you’ll be able to relax for the rest of the evening without having to look at a bunch of clutter.

10 Bonus Hacks for Quick Cleaning 

Here are a few bonus hacks for busy mamas to make cleaning your home even faster and easier: 

1). Washing toys – Whether they belong to your kids or your pets, toys can get pretty germy and grimy. Throw them into a mesh bag and into the washer and they’ll come super clean.

2). Using your vacuum – Instead of sweeping your floors, use your vacuum. Many have floor options and it will save you lots of time. Or, invest in a robot vacuum, and let it do the cleaning for you.

3). Removing pet hair – Leave a lint roller in your living room so you can do quick wipe-downs to remove pet hair.  (Leave another in your car to use before you get out)

4). Cleaning your mirrors – If you want streak-free windows and mirrors, try using your favorite glass cleaner with newspaper or a squeegee instead of paper towels.

5). Cleaning your garbage disposal – The garbage disposal can get really dirty and filled with stuff. Use an old toothbrush to scrub it down. Finish it off with a spritz of lemon juice for a fresh smell.

6). Cleaning your oven – Put a layer of baking soda in your empty oven and spritz it with vinegar. Get something else done while it soaks, then come back and it should wipe off pretty easily.

7). Getting rid of carpet stains – Spraying protein stains with peroxide or an enzyme cleaner will get those out. For tougher ones, spray some clear window cleaner or Spot Shot on the stain, place a towel over it, and lightly iron it until it’s gone.

8). Getting marker off wood – If your budding artists have gotten a little marker on your wood floor or trim, just dab it with a little toothpaste and scrub it off

9).  Cleaning your vents  – Air vents are some of the hardest spots to clean but are extremely important for the safety of the house. Put a towel on a butter knife and wipe it along with the vent for an easy clean.

10). Cleaning your ceiling fans – You can use an old pillowcase to clean your ceiling fans. Put each blade inside the opening and pull off the dust, which will get caught in the pillowcase instead of falling below.  

 

The takeaway  

One way of ensuring that your home is relatively clean and tidy is to keep on top of your daily cleaning routine so things don’t build up. Little and often could easily be applied to a cleaning routine – and that way you prevent small problem areas from becoming big problem areas. 

Also, keep in mind that having a perfect home isn’t a necessity and is nearly impossible with children – without pulling all your hair out. Do what you can and if you fall behind, don’t beat yourself. After all, you are not Superwoman and you don’t have to do it all by yourself. Sometimes you need an extra set of hands and that’s where a professional cleaning service can help.

If you’re a busy mom with a hectic schedule, Clean Nation Company has your back. Our cleaning PROS are standing by and ready to get your home spic and span, just the way you like it!  

Hiring a professional house cleaning service is not only practical but can be a real gamechanger, especially when you are juggling a full-time job, raising kids, and taking care of your home.  A clean house will give you the peace of mind you deserve. When you hire Clean Nation Company, your first cleaning will be a detailed deep clean. Our cleaning PROS will touch every inch of your home corner-to-corner. After the first visit, you can choose the frequency of maintenance cleanings you desire such as bi-weekly, weekly, bi-monthly, or once-a-month cleanings.

In addition to tackling any visible dirt and dust in your home, we will clean the hidden areas that often get missed such as baseboards, under furniture, and those hard-to-reach spots like ceiling fans, hanging light fixtures, and behind the toilet. Our cleaners will bring to the job whatever cleaning supplies are needed to clean your home unless there is something specific you want us to use instead.

Worry-free services & customer satisfaction guarantee

Each one of our cleaning crew members undergoes extensive vetting and is background-checked before they are hired. We also train our team in all aspects of professional cleaning including the latest technologies, tools, products, equipment, safety, and quality standards. Clean Nation Company is fully insured and our cleaning PROS are bonded and covered by worker’s compensation insurance.

We strive to provide the best services possible and offer the following customer satisfaction guarantee: If you are not happy with any aspect of our service, please call us within 24 hours so we can resolve the issue at no additional cost to you. Our consistently high cleaning standards and attention to detail are what our customers love most about our services – and why they recommend us to family and friends.

Clean Nation Company:

• Woman-owned and operated full-service cleaning company
• Over 50 years (three generations) of experience in the cleaning industry
• 24/7 cleaning options & support
• Emergency one-time cleanings
• Professionally-trained cleaning specialists
• Electrostatic spray disinfection
• Commitment to the highest level of clean
• Licensed, bonded, and insured
• Customized cleaning solutions
• Quick response times
• 100% satisfaction guarantee
• OSHA, HIPAA, EPA, CDC, compliant
•  BBB Rating: A+

If you would like more information about our quality house cleaning and floor care services or to schedule a cleaning visit, please give Clean Nation Company a call today at (509) 217-4729 or request a free online cleaning quote now!

We proudly service Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Post Falls, and the surrounding area.