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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

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Original poster

Keeping house clean and tidy with a newborn - is it even possible?

27 replies

wondering7777 · 18/04/2020 15:36

I’m due to give birth soon and have been on a mission to do a massive clean, tidy and declutter before the baby arrives.

I was wondering how realistic it is to maintain a clean and tidy home once the baby arrives - is it even possible and if so, does anyone have any tips?

It’ll all be down to me unfortunately as DH is working crazy hours to keep his business afloat during the corona crisis

Am I being naive to even consider it possible - and will I even care about a tidy home when I have a newborn to look after? It really helps my mental health when everything is neat and tidy but perhaps my priorities will change so much that it won’t be an issue...

OP posts:

ChanklyBore · 18/04/2020 15:41

It’s very easy when they are a newborn. It gets harder when they move, but still doable. Then they have the crazy phase but the good bit about that is they can’t be unattended either so although it’s harder, the potential for real chaos is dimmed somewhat. By the time they are old enough to be unattended they are also old enough to help clean and tidy, so there is that.

If it’s important to you to keep clean and tidy, you will, there’s no reason to lower your standards. Another person in the house will increase the time needed to keep things ticking, but it all happens in stages, and newborn is the easiest so you get used to it bit by bit. In many ways it’s easier with the newborn than when you are pregnant, physically.

NuffSaidSam · 18/04/2020 15:45

When they're tiny they don't make any mess/move anything. Fairly easy to keep on top of stuff if you have the energy. If you don't because baby is a bad sleeper, then you'll probably also not have the energy to worry about hoovering!

It's harder when they get bigger, but cross that bridge when you come to it.

A general lowering of standards will make the entire parenting journey an easier one though. So if you possibly can work on that from the start!

Hagisonthehill · 18/04/2020 15:53

If your house is tidy and organised before you will be ok as wielding Hoover's and dusting is something you can ignore initially while you and your baby settle down together,the dust won't go away so will be there when you get around to it.
Your husband can simply help by putting things away after they're used.Otherwise a box on the corner that you drop things he leaves around will help!
Do anything that makes life easy,it gets harder as they get older and when you hit winter the laundry will start to increase solids =interesting nappies that can move onto clothes,more interesting stains on your clothes that make the ones do far puked down you seem tame.
So early days rest,sleep,nap,eat when you can and let the rest go for a while and once you get your head around that you will stress less and enjoy the early days.

Twaddledee · 18/04/2020 15:56

It largely depends on how quickly you recover from the birth. You won’t want to be doing too much for the first few weeks if you have any stitches as you could get an infection. Can you batch cook ahead, or order some good quality ready meals to reduce the work once the baby is here? A tumble dryer can be handy if you have room for one, also a lightweight stick type hoover would be easier so you’re not dragging a heavy hoover around.

CameraObfuscated · 20/04/2020 17:16

The tidiest my house has ever been was when I was on mat leave. Just because I was there more, there were people visiting regularly and most of the time I had a mobile baby who put everything in their mouths. It's been so much messier since going back to work, which isn't entirely a bad thing. I think I got a bit too fixated on cleaning when I was off. Keeping your perspective is also important.

TKAAHUARTG · 20/04/2020 17:18

I am the most untidy person I know, but my house was immaculate with a newborn. All the baby did was sleep and I had bundles of energy. It was quite astonishing, I have never had a tidy house since though.

YinMnBlue · 20/04/2020 17:27

OP, it will depend on lots of things. How 'fussy' your baby is, how easily you both fall into feeding, and how much sleep you are getting.

Obviously the key priorities are caring for your baby, with all the time that that takes, and then looking after yourself.

You really should not be doing heavy lifting, or hard work, within a few weeks of giving birth. And you need to catch up on sleep when baby sleeps, where possible - so a nap in the afternoon.

Then, and only then, might you want to think about cleaning and tidying.

Enjoy yourself - the newborn days are for enjoying your baby.

Sereyus · 20/04/2020 17:49

It's very easy to keep a clean and tidy house with a newborn. I think a lot of new parents do use a baby as an excuse to be lazy though.

If you are generally organised and clean, you won't notice much difference. Your house isn't going to become a stinking heap of dirty nappies and stale milk bottles as soon as you give birth! You will be perfectly fine

Biensur40 · 22/04/2020 14:32

Personally, I didn't find it easy with a newborn who was feeding every two hours and not sleeping much but what helped was before DH left in the morning a 20 minute quick clean - unload dishwasher, clean worktops, Hoover main traffic areas and then squeeze another 10 to 15 mins at end of day. That was enough to maintain basics.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 22/04/2020 14:35

Depends how you cope on broken sleep. I was in pure hell- my husband had to do so much as I was basically a 24/7 baby feeding machine.
Tbh I wish I’d stressed less and just rested even more.
Thing you come to terms with is you don’t have times for those giant blitz’s anymore, your whole house perfect for days. Nope it’s keeping on top of little jobs frequently

YinuCeatleAyru · 22/04/2020 14:42

the letters "e" and "r" are your friends. maybe sometimes "clean" and "tidy" will be out of reach but "cleaner" and "tidier" are always achievable.

mynameisntlouise · 22/04/2020 15:13

It depends how important having a clean house is to you? It's really low down on my radar and every moment I got without having baby feeding or asleep on me, I fed myself, had a shower, had a nap or just watched tv, these sometimes changed order of priority, but cleaning would come after.

If you love your home being clean and tidy then I imagine you'll find time and ways to do it.

bookish83 · 22/04/2020 15:35

I find it easy but I have a very tidy and helpful husband too.

Things that help/helped:
A huge declutter pre baby. We moved furniture away that we didn't need etc
Good storage
Keep baby 'things' to a minimum. Babies don't need a million toys and books out!
As above, I do a toy rotation and keep a basket of baby toys out and thats it
Changing caddy upstairs and downstairs
Store only the sizes out you need. I have newborn-3 in drawers. Other sizes are stored away.

It is hard when feeding 2 hourly but I try and do small things each day especially when husband around.

Bear in mind recovery time too. No cleaning from hospital!! Xx

Original poster

wondering7777 · 22/04/2020 18:44

It depends how important having a clean house is to you?

I know it sounds sad but it is really important to me - I’m quite an anxious person and it makes a massive difference to my mental state if everything is clean, tidy and in its rightful place

Things that help/helped: A huge declutter pre baby.

I’ve been on a huge decluttering and tidying mission for the past few months in preparation for the baby, and the house is almost there. There’s a couple of rooms I probably won’t manage to finish before the birth (spare room and bathroom) but it’s all a million times better than it was! It should make everything easier to maintain once the baby is here as well.

OP posts:

MotherWol · 22/04/2020 21:09

Keep baby 'things' to a minimum

This is really important! When they’re little they really don’t need much, but the more stuff you have, the longer it takes to clear up at the end of the day.

Nixen · 22/04/2020 21:16

Possible with a newborn. A LOT harder with a toddler!

beargrass · 22/04/2020 21:24

If you've had a good clear out and so on now, it'll help. Honestly I was utterly wiped, for a long time. I think my mum did the cleaning, I can't even really remember!

PeachesandPie · 22/04/2020 21:25

Completely depends on what type of baby you have! Newborn DD1, who would not be put down ever and hated the sling, never slept, the house was a tip. DD2 just lies around content all day so the house would be spotless if it wasnt for DD1 making it a mess again!

Floridasunset · 26/04/2020 12:08

My house was spotless with a newborn and for a long time after as dd1 was a good sleeper. Same with dd2, if i could get them to nap at the same time I could tidy. Or sleep myself. After ds1 arrived, eldest didn't nap anymore. Now only my youngest naps, we've moved house and renovated. We have millions of toys and my house is now a permanent tip!! At some point we stopped being people who put things away as we go along and can't seem to get that habit back.
You'll be fine with a newborn especially as you're a tidy person. Just don't get out of your good habits especially if you have 3 babies in 2 years

Barbararara · 26/04/2020 12:24

I didn’t find it easy. I struggle to function well on very little sleep and simple tasks that I’d normally do without a thought take me ages if I haven’t slept properly. The raging post natal anxiety took up a lot of energy too.

But apparently that was just me using the baby as an excuse to be lazy

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 28/04/2020 12:44

If you’ve de cluttered well then I think it will be easier to keep on top of. I would say do 30 minutes when baby naps and another 30 to tidy after bedtime will on top of it. Get DH to either tidy too or do bath and bed while you tidy.

Good luck with your baby!

Dranktoomuchpepsi · 28/04/2020 12:47

Yes it's easy OP, if you really care enough and are naturally clean and tidy.

Newborn stage was the blissful time I had more time than I knew what to do with! Once they're walking etc it's tricky but doable, I have a 2.5 year old and my house is clean from top to bottom every day

IWouldLikeToKnow · 28/04/2020 13:27

Gosh. I must have been shit then because I didn't find it as simple as most PPs here. My son couldn't be put down without crying, feeding was a nightmare and he never slept without being held. So what I would say is some people find it easy, others, not so much.

beargrass · 28/04/2020 14:21

What @IWouldLikeToKnow said!

CameraObfuscated · 28/04/2020 16:02

Yes IWouldLikeToKnow, I think I missed the newborn bit in the title and replied about the year of having a baby as a whole. I'm sorry about that.

I stand by the fact that my house has never been as tidy since I went back to work as it was in the last few months of mat leave. I do have low standards though - my main way of making myself clean is to invite people round, and I was at the peak of that in baby group days. But had I read the title properly, no of course we weren't on top of the vacuuming and bathroom cleaning with a newborn. Keeping that little person alive is all-consuming in the beginning. But with babies, nothing lasts long including the newborn stage, and OP I'm sure the work you have done will all make it easier to keep on top of long after your newborn is sitting up and starting solids.

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