How Supermoms Actually Keep Their Houses Clean

by Cara Sievers September 30, 2019 1392 Views

Saying that moms are busy is an understatement. We are constantly pulled in 45,000 directions, and we are reprioritizing all tasks and issues on the fly throughout the day.

One of the things that constantly gets pushed to the bottom of the list is cleaning the house. This, of course, is easy to rationalize because the house might not be picked up, but are Timmy and Susie bathed, dressed, fed and entertained? Then, that’s really all that matters, isn’t it?

Now, what’s the saying again? If you enjoy something, you will make time for it? Not many of us actually enjoy cleaning our houses—yet another reason we keep putting it off—but I know most of us probably enjoy the end result.

Isn’t it nice to sit on your sofa at the end of the day and not be distracted by the stack of unfolded clothes on the chair, the dust bunnies in the corner, the toys with smudges of dried oatmeal, or the windows covered with handprints, noseprints and “I don’t know what”-prints?

So, how do the supermoms do it? How do they keep their homes semi-straightened, and their floors clean enough for any guests to pop over? Here’s the secret: they give themselves a break. By focusing on three key practices, moms (and dads) everywhere can have cleaner homes without too much-added stress. The secret is in 1) scheduling, 2) creating clean habits, and 3) stacking the cards in your favor.

Scheduling

I know this is a familiar scenario—when you find out you’re having company in about a half-hour, and you miraculously pick up everything in your kitchen, shove the dirty clothes in the closet and push the kids’ toys into a sort-of-semi-stacked-configuration in the corner of the living room. Phew! Done. Your house looks decent; but when do you tackle the deep cleaning that really needs to get done?

Check the schedule! I recently started scheduling a deep clean for different areas of my house, and it has taken a TON of stress out of such an intimidating task. The deep clean allows me to focus on the stuff that usually gets neglected when I clean in a hurry—this is the time for wiping down blinds, washing windows, moving all the knick-knacks for dusting, etc. The best thing about the deep clean schedule is once you complete your assignment, you’re finished. It’s time for a break!

For example, when it is a deep clean day for the playroom, you can spend your effort there and then contently walk past a nightmare of a bathroom. The schedule allows you to be okay with that, go sit down and rest, and play with your kids. Bathroom day isn’t until Friday anyway. This will keep you from feeling like you’re always playing catch-up … or that you have to use the entire day to clean your entire house. Ugh! Exhausting.

When you plot out your deep clean schedule, you should divide your house into chunks that will take an hour or two, max, depending on your personal schedule. If you are a SAHM with babies, you might schedule cleaning only during nap time. Or if you’re a working parent, you might choose to only do it on Tuesday and Thursday when the kids are at swimming or piano lessons; or perhaps after bedtime (if you get a second wind).

Here’s a scheduling pro tip! Don’t forget your doors, hallways, and banisters (if you have stairs). These places collect a lot of dust; and while they don’t need attention too often, you’ll probably want to put them on a monthly rotation.

Also, assign your specific rooms ahead of time. I sometimes put them on my calendar a month in advance. The point is to never have it feel like it’s hanging over your head—so, if you have to decide whether or not to clean today, and what it is that you’re going to clean, it will always be top of mind. And who wants to think about cleaning all the time? Give yourself a break by making the assignments beforehand.

Creating Clean Habits

First and foremost, make a habit of straightening up before you go to bed. Mornings are exponentially easier when you wake up to a living room devoid of toys and a sink devoid of dishes. And if your family is anything like mine and they use a million cups every day (on top of baby bottles), you might want to adopt the habit of starting the dishwasher every night too. Fresh morning=clean dishes.

The habits you form to help keep your house clean depend entirely on your individual lifestyle and that of your family. I have learned that keeping the house even semi-clean is a constant, ongoing process, so I try to build in habits or practices that help me out.

For example, every night, when I give my toddler a bath, we say, “Bye-bye” to each of his bath toys as we put them away; and then, we say, “Bye-bye, tub,” as we drain it. It used to be that I had to go back in there after he was in bed and put away all the toys and drain the tub. Now, it’s done before we walk out the door. And it’s great to get kids involved in these sorts of tasks—they love to be helpful, and they are learning to tidy up at the same time.

Another practice we employ revolves around our stairs and the joy that is two-story living. I mean, if you’re not balancing seven or eight things in your arms every time you traipse up or down the stairs, do you really live in a two-story home? I always check to see if something (e.g., clothes, toilet paper, backpacks, diapers) needs to go up or down every time I use the stairs. It makes cleaning up easier—especially if you can get your family to follow suit.

Stacking the Cards in Your Favor

When I was a new mom, every night before I went to bed, I made sure I always had formula made, clean bottles ready, diapers and wipes throughout the house, and clean pacifiers and a clean change of clothes both upstairs and downstairs. I called this, “Setting myself up for success.” (I really did—my husband thought it was so dorky.) But this is exactly the kind of preparation that can help you keep your house clean as well.

To really stack the cards in your favor, you might need to do some shopping. I’m a huge fan of organization, and I have found that it can really streamline your day (allowing for more time to tidy up, eh?). I’ve never seen a mess or process that couldn’t benefit from a container or two, so buy a few tubs and bins, and get that pantry, laundry room, mudroom, and guest closet in order.

Another small thing I have done that has made a huge difference is buying different sets of washcloths for upstairs and downstairs. It is easy to sort the laundry and make sure that there is always a cloth handy—sticky toddler fingers, anyone? That being said, I use these clothes to clean up all kinds of messes, and the sorting technique is just a little thing that helps me be prepared for anything, anywhere.

Stacking the cards in your favor looks different for everyone, especially depending on how old your children are. If your children always throw their shoes and backpacks on the floor by the door, invest in a basket, hook or cubby for their stuff. If you’re in potty training land, look for a potty that is easy to clean. Or if you’re in that phase where every snack or meal ends up on the floor, buy yourself one of those stand-up dustpan and broom sets. It has been a lifesaver for me! The point is, I’m ready for quick cleanup on aisle three whenever it happens. Bring it!

Give Yourself a Break

There are a lot of touchy-feely articles out there about letting the dishes or laundry go so you can spend more time with your kids. And while I agree that they always are the priority, nothing says you can’t let them watch Elmo or play trains a little longer while you empty the dishwasher or mop the kitchen. Having a tidy house will do wonders for your sanity, and your family will benefit from it as well.

Just be sure to cut yourself a little slack. Getting your house as clean as you want isn’t going to happen overnight. It’s a process, but all it takes is a little planning. Make a schedule, work on forming clean habits, and stacking the cards in your favor—that’s how the supermoms and dads do it—and you can too.