Updated December 4, 2018
Working at home has its advantages. Flexible schedule, I can be there for my kids whenever they need me, no set hours to have to adhere to. I’m my own boss, and if I don’t hustle I don’t get paid. It means working unconventional hours (like now, how I’m typing this post up while watching my littlest in her dance class), staying on as best of a schedule as possible, and knowing your priorities.
I decided this school year that I refuse to let cleaning the house worry me. It’s always been a struggle to clean the house. It all started when I was a full-time working mom. I could never ever keep up. It somehow hasn’t gotten any easier. At the end of the day, I refuse to think I can do it all. That includes cleaning!
So, what I did was hire a cleaning service to come once a month to take care of the deep cleaning for us. Surely I can take care of the light cleaning. At least that’s what I tell myself.
In between our deep cleanings, there are a few busy mom cleaning hacks that I swear by. Anything to help keep the house from looking like a total disaster, am I right?
My Favorite Busy Mom Cleaning Hacks
- Wrinkle release spray is a lifesaver. Because who really likes to iron or has time to throw a shirt in the dryer for ten minutes?
- Magic erasers truly do erase all problems. From crayon marks on the wall to tile grout, they truly do work miracles!
- Using daily shower cleaner spray really does help keep the shower looking fresh in between those deep cleanings.
- Keep Clorox wipes under the sink in bathrooms. If the countertops start looking a little dirty, I do a quick wipe down.
- I recently learned this trick and love it. Microwave a bowl of vinegar and water for 4-5 minutes, and then once you take it out, you can wipe off any hardened food and/or grease that has stuck to the microwave.
- Throw kitchen sponges in the dishwasher or washing machine to clean them. You’ll go much longer before having to replace them.
- Clean up white Converse by throwing them in the washing machine with some detergent and a little bleach. Make sure to tie the laces beforehand! They come out looking brand new.
- A microfiber duster is awesome to have on hand for quick dusting, and all you need to do is throw it in the washing machine when it gets dirty.
- Knowing how to master the 5-minute quick clean up really saves you in a time of panic. Wipe counters, throw things in storage and light some candles. Boom. Perfectly clean house.
- Invest in a bObsweep PetHair Plus Robotic Vacuum Cleaner. We recently did some big renovations to our home, one being ceramic wood look tile on the entire first floor. It’s absolutely gorgeous and nearly indestructible. Since the entire level is tile, we had to switch up the way we clean the floor. No more carpet = no more traditional vacuuming. bObsweep sent us the PetHair Plus robotic vacuum cleaner, and this is my favorite way to clean – not actually cleaning!
Bob does an amazing job of sweeping up our tile. It has 4x boosted suction power, has an add-on wet mop, and can cover 1000 square feet for 75 minutes in one cleaning! We love having him around the house and put him to work multiple times a week.
What are your favorite ways to keep your house clean when you’re short on time?
My favorite cleaning hack is the way I clean my bathroom. I sprinkle baking soda all over the tub right after a shower, into the toilet bowl, and into the sink. I pour vinegar into the toilet bowl and let it sit while I get dressed and do my hair. Then I scrub the toilet with the toilet brush cleaner. Spray vinegar all over the tub, curtain and walls of the shower. Spray down the counter and sink with vinegar. I take a wet rag and wipe the counter and sink, wipe down the shower, then finally wipe the edge of the bowl and seat; rinsing the rag in the sink after the counter and sink and shower. Flush the toilet and throw the rag in the dirty clothes. Clean bathroom in less than 8 minutes of cleaning time.
If we ever go back to hard floors I will be looking into getting that bobSweep.
I had no idea you could wash the converse shoes in the washing machine! I’m definitely going to try that, mine are starting to look a little sad. I’ve put sponges in the microwave to “sanitize” them (though I’m always convinced they’re grosser than before and I throw them away anyway, haha) so I’m definitely going to try the dishwasher cleaning!
We don’t have a Bob, but I LOVE my Roomba. I feel like such a lazy bum for having one… I mean I’m not a tiny human keeper so I feel like I should have plenty of time to keep a perfectly clean house, but seriously having a robot vacuum has been a game changer. Dog hair be gone! 🙂 I have some lower back problems that cause me not to be able to sweep/vacuum/mop (which is why we hire someone to clean the house!), which is the primary reason we got it in the first place, so it’s been super helpful from day 1.
I love those robotic vacuum cleaners, they save so much time and effort from everyday sweeping and moving things around. I also have a very cool and lazy trick for cleaning the oven – just spread some baking soda inside the oven, spray it with white vinegar and leave it overnight. In the morning, just wipe the oven, the dirt should come off easily.