Keeping a clean house when you have kids can feel like an uphill battle. From toys scattered across the living room to dirty clothes piling up in the laundry room, maintaining a tidy home may seem impossible. However, with a few simple tips and the cooperation of all family members, you can create a space that feels organised and welcoming without spending all your time clearing up and cleaning.
- Use Timers to Make Cleaning Fun and Efficient
One of the best ways to jumpstart the cleaning process is to use timers. Setting a timer at the start of every tidying session is a great way to motivate both yourself and your kids. It turns cleaning into a game, especially for younger children and small kids. Even dedicating 10-15 minutes can make a huge difference in keeping a tidy house. This strategy also helps older children stay focused without feeling like cleaning is taking too much time out of their day. In her fantastically helpful book, ‘The Organised Mum Method’, Gemma Bray swears by the use of timers to stay focus at the task at hand during decluttering sessions. She says that it’s much easier to get a lot done when you know you are under time pressure, and it means you can ensure that you keep are in control of your tidying and cleaning sessions and how long you’re spending on them. After all, life is too short to spend hours on end worrying about these seemingly unending household tasks! You can purchase the book using the following link (this is an affiliate link): https://amzn.to/40OpVzk
- Create a Family Cleaning Schedule
A consistent cleaning schedule is essential for maintaining a clean home. Assign daily tasks to different family members and rotate responsibilities to keep things fair. For example, Saturday morning could be for vacuuming the main living area, while Tuesday focuses on tidying the dining room. Breaking down chores across the week prevents the feeling of facing one big task and helps everyone stay on top of things.
- Break Big Tasks into Smaller Tasks
When tackling the entire house feels overwhelming, the first step is to break it down into smaller tasks. Instead of focusing on the whole kitchen, start with wiping the kitchen counter and sweeping the kitchen floor. Similarly, don’t try to clean all the kids rooms at once—just focus on one area at a time, like organising children’s toys or folding a load of laundry. This approach makes even difficult tasks feel manageable.
- Assign Age-Appropriate Chores
Assigning age-appropriate chores to kids is more than just a strategy to keep your home tidy—it plays a vital role in their growth and development. When children are given tasks suited to their abilities, they learn responsibility, independence, and the value of contributing to the family. Simple chores like putting away kid’s toys or helping set the table teach younger children basic organisational skills, while more complex tasks like doing laundry or vacuuming help older children build confidence and life skills.
Involving kids in household chores also fosters a sense of teamwork. When every family member pitches in, it reinforces the idea that maintaining a clean home is a shared responsibility. This can lead to a stronger family bond and a greater appreciation for the effort it takes to keep a tidy house. Plus, having kids help around the house eases the burden on parents, making the cleaning process more manageable for everyone. Creating a chore chart is a good idea to keep everyone accountable and foster a sense of responsibility, contributing positively to your child’s development.
Ultimately, giving kids chores isn’t just about keeping a clean house—it’s about preparing them for the future, teaching them practical skills, and instilling values that will serve them well into adulthood.
- Use Baskets and Storage Solutions
Clutter is often the biggest hurdle to maintaining a tidy house. A great way to manage this is to use baskets and storage solutions. Place storage baskets in areas like the play area and living room for quick cleanups. Label baskets for art supplies, new toys, and other kids stuff to make it easier for children to know where things belong. Repurposing an old bookshelf can help organise books, games, art and craft supplies and other miscellaneous items. Consider stair baskets on your staircase to avoid those little piles of clutter the accumulate on the steps, and always look for those unused wasted spaces in your home that could provide handy storage. If you really look hard you will probably find lots of unused space that could be turned into useful storage.
- Declutter Regularly
A messy house often results from having too much stuff. On a regular basis, go through your kids’ belongings to remove unnecessary clutter. Donate old clothes, toys, and books to free up space. This not only makes it easier to keep your house clean but also teaches kids the importance of letting go of things they no longer need. In The Organised Mum Method, Gemma Bray highlights to importance of clearing the clutter in every room in your home before trying to stick to a half-hour daily cleaning routine. Her simple method called The Clutter Buster involves going around the room starting in the left corner and picking up every item to sort in into piles to keep and piles to donate, sell or bin. Decluttering takes time and patience, but it really is the best way to maintain a sense of tidiness and order in your home. Remember to keep each decluttering session short if you’re feeling overwhelmed and to use timers to focus your mind on the task at hand and manage your time more effectively. Remember to include your children in the decluttering of their bedrooms/playroom areas. Rather than nagging at them, you could consider giving them an incentive such as allowing them to keep the money they manage to make selling their unwanted/old clothes and toys on local selling groups or jumble sales/trails and car boot sales. You could also encourage them to think about the benefits of donating their unwanted items to charity to help those less fortunate than they are. Instilling a desire to keep their spaces clean, tidy and free of clutter is an essential part of children’s education, but is unfortunately often overlooked.
- Incorporate Cleaning into Your Daily Routine
Making cleaning part of your routine can prevent chores from piling up. Encourage the habit of doing little things throughout the day, like a quick wipe of the coffee table or putting away dirty dishes after meals. Making beds first thing in the morning and doing a load of laundry at the end of the day are simple tips that go a long way in keeping your house neat. Encourage children to make their own beds (again, Gemma Bray has a fantastic suggestion for how to get even very young children to make their own beds) and put their clean clothes back in their drawers and dirty clothes in their laundry basket. Remember that it’s very hard to clean a house that is full of clutter, so try to prioritise de-cluttering each room before committing to a daily cleaning schedule.
- Focus on Common Areas First
When you’re short on time, prioritise cleaning common areas like the main living area, kitchen, and dining room. Keeping these spaces tidy makes your home feel more organised, even if other parts of the house are a bit messy. A quick wipe of surfaces, organising the play area, and picking up stray children’s toys can transform a messy home into a tidier home in no time. Have a think about the areas of your home that make you feel better when they’re clean and tidy. Perhaps you feel much better (and sleep better) when you having a clean, tidy bedroom free of dust. Perhaps you feel better knowing that you have a tidy, clutter-free living room to settle down in to read a book or watch television once the children are in bed. Perhaps you’re the kind of person who can’t bear having a dirty bathroom (especially the toilet!) even if you can tolerate mess elsewhere in your home. Think about what you want to prioritise from and tidying and cleaning point of view, and then work to make it happen.
- Limit Screen Time to Encourage Participation
Reducing screen time can encourage kids to be more active participants in household chores. Instead of letting them watch TV while you clean, involve them in the cleaning process. This not only helps keep the house clean but also teaches valuable life skills and responsibilities. Why should the kids be allowed to veg out in front of the television while you do all the hard work to maintain a clean and tidy home for them? They may grumble and complain to start with, but they’ll soon get the hang of it if you can be consistent in your approach. And remember, you’re not doing your kids any favours if you do all the tidying and cleaning for them as they grow older. Sometimes they need to learn to prioritise getting the boring things done in the house before they get to have fun (or enjoy sweet treats), just like the adults do!
- Don’t Aim for Perfection
Remember, perfection isn’t the goal. Even clean freaks have to accept that life with kids will always be a bit messy. The main thing is to create a space where your family feels comfortable and happy. A clean home doesn’t have to be spotless—just functional and welcoming. If the visual noise in your home is driving you mad, then it’s time to start getting on top of the mess and the clutter, one step at a time. Keep tasks manageable and try not to let yourself become overwhelmed with it all. Try to find a balance between spending enough time on decluttering, cleaning and developing systems to organise your home and letting it go. Life with kids can be messy, and sometimes that’s okay. As my mum once told me, ‘One day the children will leave, the house will be tidy, and you will miss them.’ So just try to enjoy your kids without getting too stressed about ‘the state of the house’ all the time. You can only do your best and that is enough!
- Consider Professional Cleaning Services
If you’re a busy parent or managing a big family, hiring cleaning services occasionally can be a lifesaver. Professional cleaners can handle deep-cleaning tasks, giving you more time to focus on daily tasks and spending quality time with your family. If you can’t afford a weekly or fortnightly cleaner, consider getting one-off deep cleans occasionally, just to get you back on track once in a while. Again, it’s worth remember that cleaners can only clean properly if the house isn’t full of clutter covering every flat surface!
- Teach Kids to Return Items to Their Proper Place
One of the best things you can do to prevent a messy house is to teach kids to return items to their proper place. Whether it’s children’s toys, art supplies, or dirty clothes, having a designated spot for everything makes cleaning up quicker and easier. ‘A place for everything’ can be difficult to achieve in reality, but its really can make all the difference. Try making a list of those pesky items in your home that keep being moved around the place because there’s no proper place for them. Then see if you can find a home for everything on the list.
- Make Cleaning a Game
Turning chores into a fun activity can motivate kids to participate more willingly. Create games like “toy toss,” where kids race to get their kid’s toys into the right storage baskets, or set up a “cleaning relay” with age-appropriate tasks. Offering small rewards or praise can encourage continued participation and make the cleaning process enjoyable for the whole family.
- Set Up Drop Zones for Everyday Items
Designating specific “drop zones” in your home for everyday items can prevent clutter from spreading. Place hooks for backpacks and jackets near the door, set up trays or a wall-mounted box/hooks for keys and mail, and have a bin for shoes. This helps keep common areas like the living room and kitchen tidy and ensures that items don’t end up scattered throughout the house.
- Establish a Nightly Reset Routine
A great way to maintain a tidy home is to establish a nightly reset routine. Spend 10-15 minutes before bedtime tidying up the main living area, putting away kids stuff, and preparing for the next day. This simple habit ensures you wake up to a more organised space and prevents messes from piling up overnight.
A further note on Gemma Bray’s The Organised Mum Method:
The Organised Mum Method (TOMM) by Gemma Bray has become a go-to guide for many families looking to maintain a tidy home without feeling overwhelmed. The method revolves around a simple, structured cleaning routine that breaks down housework into manageable chunks, allowing people to spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying life.
Bray’s system focuses on dedicating just 30 minutes a day to specific cleaning tasks, with Fridays reserved for “Focus Fridays” where one room gets a deeper clean. This approach helps prevent the buildup of clutter and mess, making it easier to stay on top of things without it becoming a full-time job. Many people appreciate TOMM because it’s flexible and realistic, especially for busy parents juggling work and family life.
What makes the book particularly popular is its emphasis on balance—Bray encourages readers not to strive for perfection but to create a home that feels comfortable and functional. The tone is friendly and relatable, making the cleaning process feel less like a chore and more like a lifestyle shift. Plus, the method is easy to adapt, whether you have a small apartment or a large family home. Having used Gemma’s method in my own home for years, I can honestly say that you should get a copy of her book now! You can purchase it using the following link (this is an affiliate link): https://amzn.to/40OpVzk
Final Thoughts
Maintaining a clean house with kids may seem like hard work, but with these useful tips and some good products, you can develop a cleaning routine that works for your family. By involving the whole family, using timers, and breaking down tasks, you’ll find that keeping a tidy home isn’t as challenging as it seems. In the long run, these strategies will make a big difference, helping you create a more organised and peaceful living environment.
Further Links and Resources:
https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/what-does-clutter-do-to-your-brain-and-body
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