Can I ask those of you with little DCs and clean homes...

[everythingisawesomee]

To please share your wisdom?

I have one DC at home and one in reception.
Love cleaning/hoovering/mopping but hate tidying before being able to clean and doing mind numbing stuff like folding and putting away laundry.
It seems like my house is permanently covered in sticky handprints, Lego, stuff not put back in its place or everything piled on worktops and surfaces.

I've recently visited a new acquaintance who has twin toddlers and her house was like a picture out of a magazine. She's always so chilled and organised, in clean, uncreased clothes and a freakishly clean car so I guess the perfectly clean and tidy house makes sense but it's like black magic to me.
She also always seems to have lots of spare time when she's not working so it's not as if she spends days upon days scrubbing her house.

Can anyone managing to achieve a clean, tidy, uncluttered home without spending most of your emotional energy or time on it please tell me how you get it done?

My first thought is she secretly hires a cleaner like the lady with a gardener for her allotment last week.

Either hires a cleaner or locks her kids in a cage. 🤷‍♀️

This is a work in progress for me but I think the main things are:

Declutter
Do tidy up time with the kids every day before bed
Sensible storage - mostly things won't be put back because no one knows where they go
Outsource what you can afford to - e.g. cleaner

If it makes you feel better I have a 3yo and a 7yo and this is the current state of my living room. I’m sat on the sofa mumsnetting and having a cup of tea. It will all be cleared up tonight but right now a show home it isn’t!

I have no idea how other people keep their house so organised!

How much of her house did you see? I used to manically clear before visitors came round, which included throwing much of the junk in the lounge into a cupboard/bedroom. But if you'd just seen my lounge you might have thought I was super efficient :)

Little and often is my secret. I do 15 minute stints of cleaning every hour or so, and get rid of the clutter every night after they are in bed.

Definitely has a cleaner and probably doesnt let her twins explore much.

Many dc here..
Ime tidy up at tea time only. Tea /bath /bed - not much scope for making much mess then. Tidying up before that is like shovelling snow when it's still snowing ..
I even hang washing out after dark...

I once watched an episode of super nanny. The mum was very into having the children and the whole family look immaculate and dressed very nicely. Her house was also spotless. She didn't go to bed till all her housework was done and was in bed about 2/3am every night 😮 So either she's like that and never sits down or she's got help!

Don't compare yourself. I refuse to run myself into the ground to keep a spotless house. It's hard enough keeping up with the dishes, washing, folding/putting away and the constant tidying of toys and whatever mess the kids have created. I feel like I clean and tidy all the time and the house only looks gd when it's just been cleaned and the 3yr old is at nursery. Soon as she's home the mess begins again 😫

Oh I agree though I always make sure place is tidy and clean if I know someone is coming round 😂

But the washing will get darked on @Sunnydaysstillhere, how do you cope?!

A cleaner.

A partner who does their fair share.

Ensuring children clear up toys after themselves if old enough, and do age-appropriate chores like clearing the table as they grow older.

1. I get the kids to tidy up every single day. From about age 2 onwards. Before bedtime we all tidy up together. It takes 20 mins but they don’t go upstairs unless the downstairs is tidy.
2. DH then does bath time. I run the dishwasher. And wipe down the kitchen counters and do a quick hoover if necessary.
3. We take turns to do the laundry. We try and do a small load every day or every other day. Housework should not be your job alone.
4. Change sheets and clean the bathrooms over the weekend.
5. Make sure the kids keep their rooms relatively tidy. Again I am a stickler for this. I I am not the family skivvy.
6. We have a cleaner once a month (but haven’t had one since the pandemic started).

@Sunnydaysstillhere think of all the spider willies wiped on your washing whilst it's being darked on

Everyone in the household has to love cleaning/tidying, not just you. I like a tidy house but with 4 others who seem to think we're in the middle of a game of Jumanji and losing it's a losing battle. Dh doesn't even see things like handprints on walls and cupboard doors needing wiped.

I have had to lower my standards since returning to work or I'd lose the plot I think. Plus I am outsourcing labour- window cleaner, cleaner, pay teen dd to clean kitchen daily after dinner. Plus 3 hour family 'jobs time' on Saturday or Sunday morning which includes getting everything sorted for the week ahead (eg uniforms, signing homework diaries, book diaries, spellings, plus cleaning/ beds/tidying)

I'll be famed if I know op. I have one in yr1 and 9 month old twins. Get back from school run at 9, feed the babies, change them, then suddenly is lunch time then back or for school run. No idea what happens between 9-2.30 whilst in at home. They don't nap for long or together.

Home at 4, feed babies, cook dinner, eat dinner, feed babies, and it's 7 pm. DS goes up with DH and I get the babies to bed then we do a quick today. It's suddenly 9.30pm and were both exhausted.

I have a 2 year old and a 5 month old and my house is nearly always clean looking and organisation helps. Comments like the above that she must not let her DC do much etc is unfair and judgemental tbh many people can have a clean home and happy kids.

Anyway OP it took me a long time to get in to a routine, I would let it get on top then have a mad whizz round, run out of energy and give up. Things that help me are - DP will take the 2 year old for a bath in the evening. In that time I sort the frontroom, put toys away (I have a big otterman type storage box that everything gets shoved in) then I go up and do bedtime with both around 8ish. Come back downstairs with headphones and some music to motivate me and do half hour then. That pretty much gets the kitchen and hallway done. I mop 4 times a week and sweep daily but I do have 3 dogs. Thank god for wood flooring.

I have 2 washing up baskets. One stays upstairs in the landing for dirty clothes and 1 in my kitchen back cupboard. When clothes are dry I fold away Into back cupboard so they're not laying around and work through it during the week adding more bits taking DC clothes up etc. After morning wee wipe toilet and sides, put some bleach down and close lid. Whilst brushing my teeth I wipe down the sinks and windowsill. It becomes second nature. Also agree with PP. Short bursts of cleaning is better. When DC are occupied and I'm waiting for the kettle to boil il wipe down sides, wash up. Little jobs. I have a kallax box In the kitchen and all 4 cubes have crayons, stickers, playdoh etc in. When I start dinner DD plays along side me. I also have a blackboard cover on the bottom part of my fridge that DD and me love to use.

Many people will say lifes too short to clean and stress about it but it really affected me when my house was messy. It never used to, but after having DC I need some sort of organisation.

TLDR = kallax boxes are your friend.

My friend's house is like this. Her three-year-old watches a lot of TV

I think you naturally just have the gift. It comes very easy to me to clean and keep an immaculate home. Even with a little one!

I grew up in that kind of house too which helps.

@Mamawell

I think you naturally just have the gift. It comes very easy to me to clean and keep an immaculate home. Even with a little one!

I grew up in that kind of house too which helps.

You're welcome to visit anytime, I'll buy cake

And my husband is VERY tidy and clean now too.

Also I go straight out from breakfast most days then come home around 12. Less time for mess 😁 my 2 year old still has a 2 hour nap so that helps greatly.

Also - STORAGE! Loads of organised storage and boxes!

I’ve got a toddler and Labrador and it is hard work cleaning and washing, when she’s gone to bed. Feel like 🧟‍♀️this sometimes. I only work 3 days a week though and hubby does help. Don’t wear shoes in the house, wash dogs paws so that helps. Wash clothes and hang them in hot cupboard so Incan get away with not ironing some things... sometimes!