Effortless Cleanliness: 8 Game-Changing Cleaning Tips From Busy Parents

By Ridwan S

Maintaining a picture-perfect home straight out of a Pinterest board might be a dream, but when you throw kids into the mix, the reality often involves sticky surfaces, scattered Legos, and a perpetual trail of crumbs. Achieving a spotless house seven days a week may be challenging, but busy parents have discovered clever cleaning hacks to make life easier. Here are eight must-know tips to help you keep your home mostly clean and orderly without sacrificing your entire schedule.

Do a Load of Laundry Every Day

The laundry pile multiplies exponentially with kids in the picture. Make laundry a daily routine instead of facing a weekend overwhelmed with clothes. Tackling a small daily load is more manageable and prevents laundry from taking over your schedule.

Clean During the Weekdays

Rather than reserving a majority of house chores for the weekend, consider doing the bulk of the cleaning on weekdays. This allows you to enjoy a relaxed weekend with your kids, free from the stress of household tasks. Though it might require some weekday energy, waking up to a clean house on the weekend is a rewarding trade-off.

Clean Baseboards with Dryer Sheets

Cleaning baseboards can be a tedious task.

Simplify it by running a dryer sheet along the baseboards. The anti-static coating on the sheet repels dust and dirt and makes it easier to vacuum away, reducing the frequency of baseboard cleaning.

Use Aluminum Foil in the Dishwasher

Place a balled-up piece of aluminum foil in the dishwasher’s flatware caddy to maintain the shine of your flatware without spending extra time polishing it. The chemical reaction between the dishwasher detergent and the foil leaves silverware sparkling clean.

Make Your Own Dust-Repellent Spray

Combat the constant dust accumulation

by creating a DIY dust-repellent spray. Mix a drop of dish soap, two tablespoons of olive oil, one cup of white vinegar, and two cups of water. Put the solution in a spray bottle and spritz on surfaces to repel dust, extending the time between dusting sessions.

Keep a Squeegee Next to Your Sink

Embrace the help of your kids with the dishes, but avoid the puddles. Keep a squeegee handy to quickly sweep water spillage back into the sink. Some models even come with bristles, doubling as a tool to brush crumbs off the counter.

Try a DIY Grout Cleaner

For parents, bath time might be about relaxation, but it’s all about splashing for kids. Mix baking soda and hydrogen peroxide in a 2:1 ratio to combat grime in the grout. This DIY solution is less toxic and more cost-effective than store-bought cleaners while effectively removing stains and brightening grout.

Get Kids to Help

Transform mundane chores into entertaining activities by adding an element of silliness. Sing a funny song while folding clothes, perform amusing dance moves while vacuuming, or incorporate silly sounds during toy cleanup. By making cleaning fun, you capture your kids’ attention and increase their willingness to help.

These time-saving and labor-reducing cleaning tips from busy parents can help you balance maintaining a tidy home and enjoying quality time with your family.