Cleaning routine with small children?

[Equimum]

Okay, so this might soun a bit stupid, but how do you organise and when do you do your housework, while looking after small children?

Before having DS, who is 2, I always kept a fairly clean and tidy house, usually involving a once weekly deep clean which took a few hours. Now, I struggle to find time to get anything done, despite being at home with him.

We only live in a two bed property, although I feel the fact it is an old house and that the front door opens directly into the living room makes the house particularly dirty. Downstairs is all older laminate flooring and upstairs, carpets which seem impossible to vacuum. I try to do a bit each day, but the floors need doing failing, as does the bathroom and bits I the kitchen.

So, how do you keep on top of your housework and when do you fit it in around small (non-napping) children.

TIA

Honestly I don't keep on top of it.

I try to get one room as well as kitchen and bathrooms properly cleaned every week. Apart from that its a basic clean and tidy with dc 'helping'

You've got children, your expectations need to lower. It gets easier as they get older.

I do a lot of it when they are in bed at night. It's the last thing I want to do but it makes my day less stressful if the house is clean and tidy.

Cleaning lady once a week, and a daily whizz round with the handheld dyson covers it!

Washing goes on first thing and is hung up after breakfast. I can do up to an hour after breakfast before we go out. After dinner, my partner takes them up for bed whilst I stay downstairs washing up, tidying, wipe floor and hob. Ironing is done Friday night when they're asleep. The gardening is done when they're out playing in the garden. It works but I rotate jobs so the house is never immaculate.

I think having a few straight hours to deep clean won't happen again until LO, erm, graduates?! My LO is three, and I find I need to do cleaning in short bursts and have something in the room that interests LO so they stay nearby. So they have toy food in the kitchen, and magnets on the fridge, to play with while I do the kitchen. They get given a wipe and happily "clean" a bit of the bath panel while I do the rest. YY to previous poster who mentioned a handheld vacuum - ours isn't a Dyson - that means I can sweep the laminate floors and zap up the sweepings quickly. Bedroom carpets are not done as often as they should be

Loads of washing get sorted and put on while LO is having lunch or supper usually. LO is brilliant at "tidy up time" a few times a day, that keeps things fairly clear and so easier to clean round. As a single parent, I find the garden the trickiest thing to manage - so many of the jobs involve noisy machines or sharp blades, and just cannot be done with a little person roaming about... I do the quiet stuff when they're in bed, and end up inviting family round to play with LO while I cut the grass Rock and roll

Little and often. My home is a tip though - a cleaner helped when we could afford one although have got one back finally.

I would mop floors while DH supervised the DCs, clean the toilet and bathroom after I used it in the mornings, kitchen is done after meals, vacuum with the DCs around as they didn't mind at aged 2. Anything more didn't happen.