Sneaky Ways to Keep the House Clean When You’ve Got Toddlers

 

As soon as your little ones discover crawling and walking, they start exploring the world on their own and this is when they become unstoppable. All of a sudden, you realize that you have to keep things out of their reach or they will end up in their mouth, on the floor, walls, or your couch.

This messiness peaks around the age of two, and having a toddler is like having a tornado swirl in your living room every day. You cannot tie them down, so how do you prevent the mess from becoming overwhelming and keep your house clean?

There are a few Sneaky Ways to Keep the House Clean When You’ve Got Toddlers!

No one says it will be easy, but it is possible!

Everything should have its place

This sentence definitely does not have the same meaning with and without a toddler in the picture. You can no longer expect to have ceramic vases and crystal glasses neatly arranged around the house. What we meant is: breakables should be put away some place safe and hidden, and toys and toddler proof stuff should remain on the shelves. Place a few huge baskets in the corners, so you can quickly gather all the toys after the playtime is over. This might not be the most beautiful solution, but it is very practical.

Compromise

Toddlers will completely reinvent your interior décor. The sooner you accept this fact, the better. Toddlers and light shades simply do not go hand in hand. Until your kiddo outgrows this messy phase, you will have to ditch your favorite white leather couch in favor of a grey sofa. Same goes for rugs, throw pillows, and wallpapers. You cannot (and should not) forbid your little ones to get creative with markers and crayons, but you can get them the washable kind. And everybody wins.

Do quick evening house clean ups

Unless you had a really bad night, and an even worse day, try not to go to bed before you do a quick sweep. No need for a thorough spring clean up. It will take you only 10 minutes to put all toys back into boxes and wipe down all surfaces with an all-purpose and ready-to-use cleaner, such as Koenig Polish. A two or three days’ worth of mess makes tidying much more exhausting. This routine will keep the mess under control and all you have to do then is find time once a week to do one major chore, like dusting the entire house.

Work together

Let your kids throw around their toys while they are playing. But when the game is over, ask them to put everything back in place. Toddlers love to help out and it often makes them feel proud of their accomplishments. Of course, your expectations should be realistic and within their capabilities. There will be days when they will protest about it, but even then you can make it into a game and engage them. For example, call out a color and tell them to pick up all things of that color. Or organize a cleaning competition.

Learn to live with it

Some days your baby will require all your attention and strength. Some days you will not have time to even look at your cleaning list, let alone do something about it. Your living room will look like a bomb went off in it, and dirty dishes and laundry will be piling up, threatening to bury you. On such days, just remember to stay calm. So what if your house is not spotlessly clean every day? You will deal with it in a year or two, when your kids grow up.

What are ways you keep your house clean with little ones running around?

 

This is a guest post written by Zoe Clark is a work-at-home mom and a house decorator from a land down under. Her family fuels her passion for creativity and inspires her daily. You can find her blogging at Smooth decorator.

 

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