Thank you to Spot Shot® Instant Carpet Stain Remover for sponsoring this post.
Keeping your house clean when you have kids and pets is never easy. But when everyone is staying home for an indefinite amount of time it seems downright impossible.
Believe me, I know.
We've been home for over 6 weeks now, with two young kids, two dogs, and a cat. Not to mention my husband and I working from different parts of the house! It's definitely been a challenge to keep up with housework with everything going on, but at the same time, I know that keeping our home clean is important for our mental and physical health. That's why I've worked hard to figure out a few shortcuts and easy ways to keep the house clean when we are all home together, and I have them here for your family too.
How to Keep Your House Clean when Staying Home
I think most of us fall into one of two categories right now. There are the people who are taking the time being home to deep clean all the things, and those of us who are just trying to sweep up the crumbs from breakfast before our kids demand another snack.
You can probably guess which one I'm in, and if you're feeling the pinch of staying on top of things right now too, these tips are for you.
Create a manageable routine
This is my #1 cleaning advice for "normal" times, and it is just as applicable to when we are all at home. Establish a routine by planning out which chores you'll do each day. This will help you keep from feeling overwhelmed by everything you need to accomplish.
Make sure that part of your routine includes set times for "tidying up" - we do this before lunch and at bedtime. We do a quick sweep of the whole house, picking up any stray toys, clothes that may not have made it to the hamper, or papers that have become scattered.
Keeping things tidy on a regular basis goes a long way to keeping the house from getting overwhelmed when we're spending all day at home.
When you're creating a cleaning routine, think first about the things you need to do every day. Write those down, then add in one or two weekly tasks to each day as well. Breaking your bigger cleaning tasks into smaller parts will help you stay on top of things while not letting everything pile up.
Need help? Download my free printable cleaning schedule below!
Need help? Download my free printable cleaning schedule below!
Take care of messes when they happen
I always have a "quick clean" caddy at the ready, and it gets a lot of use now that everyone is home all day!
Keep an easy to transport caddy filled with cleaning essentials so that you can take care of any spills or stains immediately. My caddy includes just 4 things:
- All purpose cleaner for hard surfaces
- Disinfecting spray
- Spot Shot® Instant Carpet Stain Remover for stains on carpet and upholstery
- Reusable cleaning cloths
The all purpose cleaner is great for spills on countertops or tables, while the disinfectant is important as we're all staying healthy from sneezes and coughs. But my favorite weapon for tackling tough messes is Spot Shot®.
I have used Spot Shot® for years, and it is my go to solution for making sure that spills and stains on my furniture and carpet don't stick around.
Spot Shot® is super easy to use. Simply blot up any excess staining material, then spray Shot Spot® directly on the stain. Blot with a clean cloth and watch the stain disappear along with any lingering odors. It's that easy!
Plus, Spot Shot makes Spot Shot Pet, which is non-toxic, so you can feel confident using it in your home even when you have kids and pets. Spot Shot Pet took care of the muddy paw prints my dogs tracked in this week and made my life at home so much easier!
Click here to find Spot Shot® at a Walmart near you, for curbside pickup or for convenient home delivery!
Get everyone involved
This is an important one that many of us moms forget about. When everyone is home, everyone can pitch in to help. Infants and dogs are about the only exceptions to this rule.
Make sure that you're not shouldering the entire burden of keeping the house clean, especially when we are all at home. Little kids can help by picking up their toys, making their beds, emptying the dishwasher, etc.
If you have older kids, this is a perfect time to make Life Skills 101 part of their distance learning: have them help with laundry, taking care of pet areas, or taking care of cleaning different areas of the house.
Set reasonable limits
Just because we are staying home doesn't mean that all of the rules go out the window. By setting reasonable limits with your family you'll find it helps to keep your house from getting out of control.
For example, establish places where food is allowed and not allowed. My kids have to have their meals and snacks in the kitchen or dining room, while drinks are OK in other areas of the house. This helps cut down on stains and keeps me from having to use my Spot Shot® more often than I already do (though my dog wishes there were crumbs on the couch!).
We also have limits on where art projects happen so I don't have paint dripping onto the carpet or marker on the furniture.
Finally, our toys have to be in the playroom at the end of the day. The playroom itself doesn't need to be spotless, but all the toys need to be inside before bedtime. This way I can close the door at the end of the day and not feel like my house is in total chaos all the time.
Give yourself grace
This is a hard time for everyone. We're not used to spending all our time within the walls of our home, and it's totally fine if you're not checking everything off of your cleaning list at the end of the day, week, or month. As long as you're able to function comfortably and keep your family healthy, give yourself a little grace on the rest of your tasks (like that unfolded laundry).
How are you staying on top of housework when everyone is home? Join the Stain Fighting Community on Facebook for even more tips and ideas!
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