A new baby arrives with tons of joyful moments, but also with a few challenges. One of them is keeping the house clean with a baby! Getting housework done while taking care of a little one can be exhausting. And when you have a baby to look after, diapers to change, an extra load of laundry, and all of your usual work on top, it can be tough to handle it all. Still, it’s key to have a clean and organized home when you have little ones running around!
Having a tidy house not only makes your life easier, but it also protects your baby’s wellbeing. A dirty home can have a negative impact on their health! Kids that are overly exposed to dust, mold, and other dirtiness suffer from more diseases and allergies. So you definitely want to make cleaning a priority when you have kids, even with the limited time available. That’s why today’s post is here to help you keep the house clean with kids. Keep reading to learn all of my best strategies for doing housework with a baby at home!
How To Keep Your House Clean With A Baby
Start by making a daily cleaning schedule.
You know I’m all about proper organization! I think time management is essential for new moms and cleaning deserves a spot on your to-do list. A daily cleaning schedule will help you stay focused on all the different tasks that need to be done! You don’t have to add a million things to your cleaning schedule or time block yourself for the day. All you need to do is pick 2 to 6 cleaning tasks to tackle on a particular day. Based on what you need to clean each week, split those chores evenly across the seven days. Pick which task goes on each day and write them down. Then stick to that schedule or else you’ll stress yourself to a point of no return! For example, maybe you deep clean the kitchen Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Then vacuum Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday. It’s really up to you and your home needs.
Keep your home clean during nap time.
Nap time is go time for us moms! While your baby is sleeping, grab that baby monitor and get to work. Now it’s the perfect moment to get ahead of your cleaning schedule! You can do as many quiet cleaning tasks as you have time for while the little one is taking a well-deserved nap. With the convenient baby monitor, you stay alert to their nap and clean the house at the same time. Also, definitely take advantage and use white noise sounds if you need to vacuum or take care of other loud chores!
Take advantage of the baby carrier.
Who said you can’t get some housework done and take care of your baby at the same time? Most people use a baby carrier for strolling around town, but there’s no reason to limit ourselves. You can strap in your baby and clean the house since it’s conveniently hands-free! Wash dishes, wipe the living room, or even vacuum the house while you’re at it. Your baby will enjoy being close to you as much as possible! I honestly like to think of this one as a workout and efficient for cleaning the house! Mom multitasking at its best!
Speed-clean while the baby enjoys another activity.
Sometimes 15 minutes is all we get as new moms. That’s why we should learn to make the most out of them! If you’re working from home and taking care of little ones, then you need to squeeze in every last minute to avoid falling behind on cleaning chores. So give your baby something to keep them entertained and do a quick clean-up on the go! You can sit your baby on their usual dining table chair and give them a book or a few toys while you wash the dishes or do a load of laundry. Even putting them in a bouncer while you organize toys or living room pillows and blankets is super efficient. Whatever works for you best!
Split the tasks with your husband.
Teamwork makes the dream work! For real, you should always try to split chores with your husband as evenly as possible. This will help decrease your postpartum stress and speed up your cleaning process. To keep the home clean with a baby two pairs of hands work better than one! So maybe you wash the dishes and your partner does laundry. Or he vacuums the floors while you tidy up the rooms. Taking out the trash from every room with a trashcan in your home is also a great chore for Dads. It doesn’t matter which chores you take on as long as you feel supported and keep the house clean and organized!
Ask your older kids to help.
If you´re trying to keep the house clean with kids, then you need to teach them the importance of a clean home from the get-go. As soon as they’re old enough to understand that a tidy house is needed to live happier and stress-free, let them know! If you have a toddler, teach them to put their toys away after playtime. If you have a tween, ask them to unload the dishwasher every once in a while. And DEFINITELY make them responsible for keeping their room clean. It’s honestly not a chore, it’s a life skill they’ll appreciate later in life for sure! It’s the little things that go a long way!
Put things away after you’re done using them.
Your home will never be clean and organized if you leave everything behind after you use it. Who’ll clean it afterward other than a much-more-stressed version of yourself? That’s why you need to store everything you use right after you’re done with those items! If you read a book in the morning, put it back on the bookshelf before making breakfast. If you’ve just cooked lunch, then load the dishwasher as soon as you’re done eating. Follow this rule with everything you do and teach your family to do the same. The impact of this trick is bigger than you imagine, promised!
What are your tricks for keeping the house clean and organized with a baby?
Keeping your home clean with a baby is 100% possible! Sure, it takes a lot of effort and organization. But if you follow these tips, you’ll have a tidy house with kids in no time. It’s all about sticking to a daily schedule and making the most out of those quick moments! If you want more tips for new moms, head over to the Maternity section of the blog. You’ll find loads of advice about adjusting to mom life and taking care of both yourself and your baby! That’s all for now, good luck keeping the house clean and organized!