How to Keep Your House Clean with a Crazy Toddler

Inside: Overwhelmed with household duties and keeping up with a toddler?? I can help! Here are 4 easy ways to keep your house clean with a toddler all day!

Ever finish cleaning your living room and turned your head for 2 seconds to find that it’s apocalyptic again?

Keeping your house clean with a toddler is NOT easy!

You’re probably thinking that having a clean house with a toddler is an impossible oxymoron. But I’m here to tell you that keeping your house clean even with a toddler is totally possible, and can even be easy!

Just because you have a toddler (or several!) doesn’t mean you have to settle for living in messy, unorganized chaos. If you’re overwhelmed with keeping your house tidy, staying on top of your chores AND taking care of your children, this is for you!

The key to keeping your house clean with a toddler is to stay ahead of the game and use your time wisely. You may be thinking that I’m crazy because this is impossible to do…

But I’m going to show you 4 different ways HOW you can EASILY keep your house clean with a toddler!

4 Ways to Easily Keep Your House Clean

 

1. Always clean up before starting a new activity

I personally found that this is CRUCIAL in keeping your house clean.

It’s also the first thing we forget to do as busy moms. But trust me, it will save your sanity!

When you’re finished with an activity, always clean up before moving on to another activity. I love this rule because it applies to every single activity you can possibly do every day.

This rule not only helps you eliminate messes all over the place, but it also helps you manage messes throughout the day.

One thing I know to be true as a busy mom is that messes tend to escalate because you are so busy moving from one place to the next. But taking the time to clean up before moving on your next activity in the day will save you SO. MUCH. TIME.

For example, you can spend well over an hour cleaning up 10 different messes after your kids go to sleep. OR you can spend 2-5 minutes after each activity during the day cleaning up.

By using your time wisely, this gives you a whole extra hour every night!

Side Note: Cleaning can be what YOU want it to be. If you’re perfectly fine with your house being a little unkept but somewhat clean, that’s what you aim for. If you’re fine with toys being messy but all in one place, then that’s what you do.

Don’t try to “clean” and be “perfect” just because you think that’s what people want. Only you know how much you do during the day so you decide how far your cleaning will go!

 

2. Involve your toddler in chores

Another really smart way to keep your house clean with a toddler is to actually teach your toddler how to clean!

It seems so simple but it’s brilliant.

Teaching your toddler to clean up after themselves is not only beneficial to you but it also begins to teach them responsibility. It also put in place a new routine for them to follow.

When you’re done playing with something, put it away.

You can start to show your toddler how to clean up well before they are 2. They won’t be able to actually DO a lot of it, but they are absorbing what you are doing and learning it.

This doesn’t just apply to toys but can be anything! Teach your toddler to help you fold clothes, dry plastic dishes, sweep and even give them a handheld vacuum.

Teaching your toddler to clean will help you not only keep the house clean but you have a little helper. Use it to your advantage!

3. Have a cleaning system in place

If you read my blog and know anything about me, you know I am all about systems of organization, schedules, and routines. I believe these 3 things are the cogs in a well-functioning household!

I’m not a total neat freak and my house is NOT “spit spot” clean, but having a cleaning system in place helps my family know 1. Where everything goes and 2. How to complete certain house chores.

This system truly keeps my household clean, pretty much by itself. Once you set up the system, all you have to do it follow it and it sort of becomes on autopilot.

And it will save you SO MUCH time and save you some future headaches.

You don’t have to get crazy with a cleaning system. It doesn’t have to be rocket science and perfect. It just needs to work for you and your family.

For example, a simple cleaning system or cleaning routine is to make sure that when you get home, everyone takes off their shoes, puts them in their proper place and hang up their jackets on a hook.

This saves you from cleaning up tons of shoes on the floor and picking up jackets from random places throughout your house.

Another cleaning system is to do the dishes before you go to bed every night. OR have each person wash the dish that they are putting in the sink. This reduces the high pile of dishes you’ll have every night.

See…super easy!

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4. Find ways to do everyday chores in a simpler way

I am a HUGE believer in finding simple ways to do everyday tasks. If it saves me a minute, then I am doing it. Why? Because I’m a busy mom, wearing a million different hats!

Finding simple ways to complete everyday chores will take the stress out of actually completing the chore.

For example, do you hate to clean your baseboards? Buy a Swiffer and put a regular paper towel on it and just go up and down your hallways cleaning the baseboards.

Does your toddler love to eat Cheerios? But then you find yourself stepping on random bits of cereal or crackers throughout the day? Instead of bringing out your big vacuum, buy a cheap handheld vacuum! It’ll take 2 seconds to suck up food on the floor!

Do you dread figuring out what you’re going to make for dinner every night or hate going to the store to buy groceries? Start to meal plan!

(I have an awesome post to help you meal plan for the entire week in just 10 minutes. Read it here!)

Finding easier ways to do simple things in your house will not only keep you sane and save you time, but you’ll find that because things are easier to do your house will be better kept up!

Bonus Secret #5

To truly keep your house organized and in tip-top shape (so you don’t go crazy!), you’ll want a cleaning routine in place.

Want to eliminate mom life stress? The ” You Got This, Mama” Organizing System can help!

From cleaning & organizing to meal planning and goal tracking, the You Got This Mama Organizer can help you reduce the everyday stresses of motherhood.

Grab my ultimate organizer at a super SPECIAL one-time offer here!

 

Free Mommy & Me Mini Planner!

Do you want an easy, stress-free way to plan your daily tasks and be able to track your baby’s schedule, feedings, and naps??

The Mommy & Me Mom Planner is a 10-page, all-in-one resource to help you easily plan your days, weeks, and months all while tracking your baby’s schedule, feedings, naps, and activities!

I designed the planner to help you:

• Easily plan your days, weeks, months, and even year so you can clearly see your schedule at a whole!
• Focus on your day to day tasks, including to-do lists, appointments, and chores so you never forget to do anything!
• Complete your tasks easily and effortlessly and be able to check things off your to-do list!
• Create a daily schedule for your baby so you can see your baby’s patterns and allow those patterns to help you anticipate your baby’s needs.

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So there you have it! Here are 4 different ways to keep your house clean with a toddler. Remember, no one can define what “clean” means for you, so take these suggestions and create a cleaning system that works for you and your family!

Here’s a recap…

The 4 rules to keep your house clean with a toddler:

1. Before starting a new activity, clean up after the old one.
2. Teach your toddler how to clean up and help you complete chores
3. Create your own system and routines for cleaning
4. Find ways to do everyday house chores in the easiest way possible

Don’t forget, the key to keeping your house clean with a toddler is to stay ahead of the game and use your time wisely.

Say goodbye to the apocalyptic living room and hello to an organized system to make your life easier 🙂

Have any other rules or tips that you do to help you stay on top of your house chores with a toddler?? Feel free to drop them in the comments below!

Check out these other toddler tips posts!

• Best Toddler Screen Time Tips: How to Create your Own Rules
• The Best Toddler Morning Activities and Easy Routine

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