I don't get the mindset of people who don't prioritize cleaning even when there are small kids. You don't have to be perfect/obsessive, but if your kids don't see you clean, and don't grow up in a relatively clean/orderly environment, who is going to teach them those good and healthy habits?

Cleaning is really important with small children in the house. Think of what they pick up or could choke on when they are scooting/crawling/playing on messy floors!

No need for anyone to become exhausted or crazy in the process, but there is no good reason not to have a decently clean and tidy home.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Start at an early age to get kids in the habit of picking up and organizing their toys.

Did you notice that her baby is SEVEN MONTHS old?

We started singing "Clean Up, Clean Up" just when we were picking up toys if my daughter was around when she was about 11 months old. She started helping out or at least babbling along to the song shortly thereafter. It was reinforced at daycare. Both at home and at daycare, no one was telling her to pick up, we just modeled a behavior, and she started wanting to participate on her own. Now it's just something we do as routine every evening before the bath.

She's 2.5 now, and some days she's less naturally helpful/into it than others, but she cheerfully helps with picking up 90% of the time.

Anonymous wrote:Start at an early age to get kids in the habit of picking up and organizing their toys.

Did you notice that her baby is SEVEN MONTHS old?

Roomba

Bins and vacuums. We also only use a couple of rooms, so that helps too.

Anonymous wrote:Eh... wait a few more years. Things get easier as they get older. At 7 months, you are still in survival mode. If I showered, it was a good day.

So true! Best tip - relax. Because if you don't you'll go crazy. And I say that as a neat freak. At this point, if your house doesn't reek of dirty diapers you're doing good.

Vacumns on each floor is a good idea, but make them stick vacs for convenience. I use lots of baskets to hide clutter. Empty and load the dishwasher when you're cooking. Speaking of cooking, double recipes for leftovers so you don't need to cook the next day. The best thing you can do for your sanity is to teach family members (starting with your husband) to PUT STUFF AWAY. Easy in theory, not so much in practice.

I only do dishes twice a day. In the morning, I unload the dishwasher and the sink rack. We rinse all dishes that need it and stack them by the sink, leaving the sink clear. At night, I load the dishwasher and hand wash everything else. I wipe down all counters and sweep the floors. All the kitchen trash is emptied after dinner. I have eliminated all magazine and newspaper subscriptions except for a couple which I switched to digital. I tell everyone to put their shoes and clothes away and everything off the floor.

Boy, it isn't the priority,I hope. Lighten up and enjoy.

I recommend keeping a cordless stick vacuum near your dining room. I got tired of crawling under the table after meals and it's also helpful in the kitchen and by the front door. Less stuff is less mess, so I try to be as minimalist as I can.

What do you define as a clean freak?

Start at an early age to get kids in the habit of picking up and organizing their toys.

Eh... wait a few more years. Things get easier as they get older. At 7 months, you are still in survival mode. If I showered, it was a good day.

1. Spend large chunks of time out of the house. If you're not home, you're not there to make a mess.
2. Clean as you go. I prep dinner, and while it's in the oven I clean up the prep dishes.
3. Institute a "touch once" rule in the house. Don't take off your jacket and toss it on a chair, then put it on the door handle of the coat closet, then hang it. Just take it off and hang it in the coat closet. We literally never put dishes in the sink. We bring them over, rinse them in the sink and then put them directly into the dishwasher.
4. Clean while you're doing other things. If I see that the master bath garbage needs to be emptied, I swing by and pick it up on my way out of the house. If I see that the dryer has stopped, I bring the basket of clean clothes into the bathroom and fold them while supervisiing bath time.

I have a bin on each floor to put crap in that either I don't have time to put away or I don't know where it should go at the moment. Keeps the clutter to a minimum. Then, once in a while, I'll clean out the bin. Careful it doesn't start to overflow. It can be a nice looking bin, one of those wicker basket kinds or cloth bins.

Hi everyone, I have a seven month old baby. I stay at home. I am not a clean freak, but I am a clean person. In other words, in my house, dishes get done every day, the sink is wiped out and clean, the toilets are clean, there are no piles of dirty laundry around, and beds are made. I don't like food lying out, I wipe down tables, kitchen counters, and surfaces. I don't like crumbs. although my son is an easy baby, I find myself exhausted from constantly picking up. It seems like a never ending cycle of laundry, dishes, trash, wiping up counters, wiping up floors. One huge thing that we have instituted is no shoes in the house. I am also trying to be very vigilant about what is allowed to be on counters. In other words if I can keep the counters relatively clutter free, I can wipe them up more quickly and easily. This goes for kitchen and bathrooms. I would like to hear from some similar minded, clean people, about what tips I can help to Institute, to make picking up around the house more quick and easy. For example, keeping a vacuum on both floors, etc. thanks!!