Get practical home cleaning hacks for families with young kids. From daily routines to designated play areas, here’s how to maintain a tidy home amidst the chaos.
When you have young children at home, home cleaning can become a whole new challenge. With toys strewn around, and spills and messes at every turn, it’s easy for parents to feel overwhelmed and exhausted. But with a few clever tips and tricks, you can conquer the chaos and enjoy a tidy home while keeping up with the demands of parenting.
For families with young kids, here are some neat home cleaning hacks just for you.
1. Establish a daily clean-up routine after playtime
Instil a habit of cleaning up after play time everyday. After your children have finished reading or playing with their toys, encourage them to put their books back on the bookshelf and the toys back in the bins or cupboards. Make it into a fun game for them and provide plenty of praise when they clean up. That way, not only do you reduce clutter but you’re also teaching your kids the importance of tidying up after themselves from an early age.
2. Use storage solutions
Invest in plenty of kid-friendly storage solutions such as bins, baskets and toy chests that they can easily reach. You can also categorise your storage by labelling the containers with words or pictures. For example, dolls should be stored in one container, lego sets in another, gameboards in another, and so on. This will help them to sort their toys and items easily.
3. Create play zones
Designate specific play areas within your home. This could take place in the study, in a corner of the bedroom or right in the middle of the living room. Tip: invest in a play yard so you can cordon off the play area and confine any mess to that zone. This will also make it easier for you to keep an eye on your children and make cleaning up quicker and more efficient after playtime.
4. Use kid-friendly cleaning supplies
When you have young children, it’s important to choose safe, non-toxic cleaning products. Always pay attention to the ingredients listed in your cleaning supplies. Alternatively, you can make your own child-friendly cleaning solutions such as vinegar and baking soda.
5. Start young and get your children involved in cleaning
Childhood is a time to teach your kids valuable life skills. Assign simple, age-appropriate cleaning tasks to them. For example, you can get them to sort the laundry or wipe countertops that they can reach. Besides cleaning time, this also doubles up as bonding time for you. Think of some fun ideas to turn cleaning into something like play as well. You’ll need plenty of patience when you first start out. Give specific instructions and let them do one task at a time. Plenty of praise will certainly help too!
Conclusion
Maintaining a clean and organised home with young children can be challenging. But with a few simple tips and tricks up your sleeve, it’s entirely possible. Involve your children in age-appropriate tasks, establish daily routines and be flexible. The spills and messes are a small price to pay for the joy and laughter our children bring to our lives.
Too busy with work and family to tackle your cleaning? If you need help, consider booking a cleaning session with us!
