Cleaning Hacks For Busy Parents

There is no question about it. Cleaning as a parent has a whole new meaning than it did before I became a mom. The amount of messes made in our house on a daily basis? Countless. The number of times I follow the kids around to make sure they don’t spill? Lost count about 3 years ago. Guess what - I still and will continue to have to do those for at least another 17 years (when Graham goes to college). However, being home with the kids has given me a chance to discover some incredibly useful and practical cleaning hacks. I can’t begin to tell you how much more efficient some of these have made my life which is why I am sharing them today, in hopes they will do the same for you!

Not Your Average Household Cleaners

Discovering the versatility of some of the staple groceries I buy has blown my mind. From oil, to fruit, and even vodka, if you don’t want to research the “best” and safest cleaning supplies - use things found at home! Here are some unique cleaning supplies that you probably already own!

• Olive oil - buff out stainless steel spots, leather chair cleaner, silverware, label remover (for those pesky sticker labels that refuse to come off in one try), remove water rings.

• Lemons - detox garbage disposal, cleaning microwave, wood cutting boards, streaky faucets, soap scum remover.

• Lemon essential oil, btw, is amaaaaaazing for removing stickers and sticky stuff

• Vodka - (make a cocktail and then...) carpet stains, glass and mirrors, deodorizer (mix with a few drops of essential oils), degreasing.

• Baking Soda + Vinegar - makes the perfect shower/tub and toilet cleaner but also great for giving your mattress a freshen up

Buy a Steamer!

There are two that I recommend. You might have a floor steamer and these are amazing as an alternative to mopping (add some essential oils!) - but you also need to get a handheld steamer. These are AMAZING for quickly getting stuck on food and dirt off of your cabinets, counters, appliances, and really - anywhere - OFF. You can also use it on kids’ toys and other plush items that can’t go in your washer.

Put it in the Dishwasher

So that magical tool in your kitchen that cleans and dries your dishes? Yeah it does WAY more than that! Throw these things into your dishwasher and never look back at deep cleaning pesky items again:

• Rubber flip flops

• Makeup brushes

• Hair brushes/combs

• Gardening tools

• Shelves of your fridge/freezer

• Rubber kids toys

• Bath toys and holder

• Soap dispensers

• Toothbrush holders

• Clogged shower head

• Grimey faucets

• Sponges

• Microwave tray

• Baseball hats

• The removable plastic pieces of a fan

Weekly Cleaning Schedule

I started using my kids’ construction paper and markers to make chore lists for the weekends. During the week - there is too much going on and most of the time, we are already eating dinner super late after we JUST straighten up from the day. On the weekends, my chore lists rotate between bathrooms, bedrooms, outside areas, and other random tasks we want to accomplish. John typically takes the outdoor stuff, and I handle the inside. It’s too much to do the entire house in one go - I split up the rooms over several weeks during the month, but find a system that works for you!

Designated Clean-Up Time

On that note, I’m really bad at making the kids clean up their messes and toys because my Type A personality just wants it DONE.  I have been trying to implement a designated clean-up time right before dinner where we clean up phase 1 of the day. Lol “Clean up, clean up, every body every where..” you know what I’m talking about. John and I will tackle phase 2 of play after their dinner, because for some reason, everything is brought back out again. ANYWAY, try to pick a time each day where everyone has to help clean up in order to XY or Z. (sit down to dinner, have a snack, have a treat, go outside to play with the next thing) - maybe you don’t finish everything but there is a set time of 5 minutes to see how much you all can get done.

Are there any things that you find particularly helpful that we should add here? Let me know below!