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We all know that as a mom your time is limited. From taking care of your child to taking care of yourself, there’s not much extra time for anything else! Whether you’re a first-time mom or just feeling overwhelmed with your current brood, you’re not alone! When you’re trying to get through the day, cleaning often doesn’t get done. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by messy house clutter, then you don’t have to go about this alone.
Although this guide is a great way to get started knowing how to clean your house, it’s also helpful to set yourself up for future success. The Organized Home Course is a great guide that can help motivate and provide simple but actionable steps. Knowing how to start cleaning a messy house is often the first step. Don’t feel defeated with this handy guide.
How to Start Cleaning a Gross House
Often the hardest part of the cleaning is getting started. When you’ve ignored cleaning for a long period of time, you probably wonder how you can get started. The goal is not necessarily to get it all done at one time though. Instead, your goal should be to start somewhere and take it slow. It’s not a race and that means every task doesn’t have to be tackled in one day. Depending on the size and condition of your home, it may take several days or even weeks. Don’t be overwhelmed though. The key is to start now and keep plugging away until you’re done.
Related: 13 Time-Saving Cleaning Hacks Every Mom Should Know
Before you get started though, you probably need a plan for childcare. Many moms find that naptime can be a good time to get some tasks done. You may find though that you need this time to relax. If your kids are taking a morning and afternoon nap, dedicate one of these times to cleaning. If your schedule runs a little differently, try to find an hour of your day that you can devote to cleaning. An hour may not seem like much but it’s a great help. It’s good to ask for help also. Having some help watching your child for a few hours of the week is never a bad idea, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Once you know that your child is safe and secure, you’ll be able to focus on cleaning.
Start with Laundry
Nothing builds up faster than laundry when you have kids in the house! If your laundry has built up and seems overwhelming, start by doing one load of laundry every day. Make it a goal to wash, dry, and put away one load every day. Once you’ve gotten the pile of laundry down to a manageable volume, you can go to laundry once or twice a week. Many people find that it works well to do laundry once a week but if that doesn’t work for you, try to do loads twice a week so that you feel like you’re not always washing and drying.
Cleaning the Bathrooms
Your home may have several bathrooms, but it’s a good idea to start with the main bathroom. It’s important to keep this area sanitary and it’s also a good idea to start in a small space. Start by picking up and taking out all the trash. Sweep the bathroom or vacuum if you prefer. Spray down the toilet with cleaning products and then scrub down the toilet bowl. Use a heavy duty cleaner if needed. If it’s been a while since you’ve cleaned, you need a good cleaner that will get rid of any hard to reach stains.
Once you’ve scrubbed the toilet, use a bathroom or general use cleaner on the rest of the bathroom. One simple way to do this is to remove all of the items from the shower and countertops. Spray all of the surfaces and then pick a point and make your way from surface to surface. Scrub down the surfaces and you’ll find that the task is done in a few simple minutes. If there’s soap scum built up, let it sit for a few minutes before starting. Finish up the bathroom by cleaning the mirror and wiping down the outside of the cabinets. Finally, put your items back on the countertops where they belong, discarding any items that you no longer use. Mop your way out of the bathroom so you’ll have a completely clean room.
Related: 21+ Infographics Every Clean Freak Should Save to Pinterest
Cleaning the Kitchen
Before you start on the kitchen, walk through the house and take all of the dirty dishes to the kitchen. The kitchen is the main hub of the house and when it’s clean, the rest of the house always seems just a little cleaner. Start by loading all of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher and running it. While it’s working through a cycle, you can get started on the other areas. Also in the kitchen, start by throwing out all the trash. It’s easy for leftover food and other trash to be left around. Clean it all off and throw it away.
Just like in your bathroom, it’s a good idea to spray a general use cleaner on the countertops and let it sit for a few minutes. This will allow the cleaner to get through any dirt or oil that’s build up. Use a scrubbing cloth for any hard to remove stains. Wipe down the countertops and finish them by sanitizing. Finish by sweeping and mopping the kitchen.
Depending on the size and condition of your kitchen, there may be other areas you want to clean as well. For example, the fridge may need to be cleaned or the oven. These tasks are going to take a little longer so leave them for a longer period of time. Make a list of the longer tasks that you need to do while you’re cleaning. You can save these tasks and do them weekly or monthly on a scheduled basis. For now, we’re focused primarily on getting the essentials done so the more challenging tasks can wait for later.
Cleaning the Living Areas
This is an area where you may be overwhelmed and with good reason. The living area is often full of toys and other items that we enjoy. The key here is to look for a small area and start there. For example, start with the dining room table or coffee table. Clear up the clutter on those areas before moving on. Not only is this an easier way to tackle a large job, you’ll also help to see the progress that you’re making. Remember that when you’re cleaning, throwing things away is a great task. You’ll be amazed at how much junk you find laying around that you don’t use and won’t miss!
Related: 7 Daily Habits of Moms with Super Clean Homes
Start by moving around the space and getting rid of clutter. When the clutter is all clean, dust your surfaces. Vacuum the space and you’ll probably be done with your basic cleaning. If you still feel like the area doesn’t seem as clean as you’d like, then you may want to consider organizational tools that will help get rid of excess items. You may want to get rid of decorative items to be more minimal. Having bins for toys, books, and throw blankets can also help you manage clutter. This may be a larger project though so start by focusing on cleaning and leave the organizing for a later time.
Cleaning the Bedrooms
Now that you’re a mom, you have more than one messy bedroom to manage. Since you have kids, it may be easier to start with their rooms. If your kids are old enough, they can also be involved in the process. However, if not, then you’ll want to start by picking up any garbage. Pull the sheets off and do the laundry so that it can wash and dry while you’re working on other tasks. Then start organizing and putting things back in their proper place. Kids rooms are often messy but having bins for toys and other miscellaneous items can be a lifesaver.
If you’re feeling up to it, you can make your future cleaning job easier by cleaning out the clutter permanently. As you put away clothing, toys, and other items, consider having a bin for donation items. Maybe there are clothes that no longer fit your kids or toys that they never play with. Kids often have a huge number of toys but don’t actually enjoy many of them. If your kids are old enough to be involved, encourage them to sort through their things and pick out items that they don’t want for donation. Once everything is picked up and put away, vacuum the floors and then take a break! You deserve it.
Once the kid’s bedrooms are done, move into the master bedroom and complete the same steps as you did in the kids’ rooms. Clean the master bath and your own room. remember that it’s often easy to forget about the floors but this is an area where you can spend a significant amount of time. Sweeping or vacuuming and mopping are a good idea but if you’re short on time, you may want to consider changing your cleaning products. Some of the newer models have both a vacuum and mop all in one. You can shorten your floor cleaning time by 50% so you may want to invest in a handy tool like this.
Keeping Your House Clean
Moving forward, you now have the mess under control but how do you keep it clean long-term? One of the simple methods that many moms use is to choose a room or a task for every day. Consider setting up a schedule for yourself. For example, Mondays can be days when you clean bathrooms while Tuesdays are the days when you do a deeper clean to the kitchen. There’s no wrong answer with this method so think about what’s manageable for you. Even a few minutes of cleaning can keep you on track so don’t let a lack of time discourage you from doing anything.
If you have babies at home, then they’re probably going to be making more messes than cleaning them! Once they start to get older though, you can establish a chore system for them. Not only will this be taking some of the weight off your shoulders, you’ll also be setting them up for good long-term habits. Kids can often be helpful with basic tasks such as emptying the dishwasher, sweeting up the kitchen after meals, and feeding the animals. Kids should also be encouraged to clean up the messes that they make. This will allow you to focus on the larger cleaning rather than having to put away their toys.
Once you have a system in place, keep an eye on what works for you and what doesn’t. Remember that a cleaning schedule is a great tool but only when it’s designed for you. Feel free to revise the schedule and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Many times, friends and family want to support you as a mom and won’t mind helping you with some chores. This can be great for bigger projects as well.
Get Expert Help for Future Success
Now that you have this great beginning guide handy, you have some actionable steps to take. The Organized Home by pulling curls is also a great tool for moms or anyone struggling with a messy house.
This self-paced course can be done on your own schedule. No one needs to know that you’ve even signed up. You’ll learn how to get started and set up systems to ensure that you have long-term success.
Whether you have a large or small home, this course is right for you.
The course includes intensive advice on each area of the home. It also has a focus area each month with assignments and challenges to help keep you engaged.
Remember that your home can be a place of comfort and joy for you and your family. When you’re feeling overwhelmed with cleaning and mess, this guide can help you ensure that your house continues to be a home.