10 Cleaning Hacks for Busy Moms: Tips to Stress Less about Cleaning and Enjoy Life More

Creating a clean and maintained home is rightfully on many a to-do list. But, when it gets down to it, having a clean home is not what matters most. So we don’t want to spend all day cleaning or stressing about messes. These 10 cleaning hacks for busy moms will help us spend less time cleaning, less energy stressing, and more moments embracing the simple beauties of everyday life.

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A messy house can be a cause of a lot of stress. There’s the stress and overwhelm of always having it on the to-do list and never getting to it. Plus studies show that simply having a cluttered home environment is associated with a higher level of the stress hormone cortisol.

If a messy or cluttered home is stressing you out, you’re not alone!

Ninety-one percent of Americans polled in a Huffpost survey reported feeling stressed recently. Almost half of those listed among their stressors “Worrying my home isn’t clean or organized enough.”

We naturally feel less stressed and overwhelmed when our home is clean.

Keeping a clean house always takes time. However, we can learn to do it more effectively, so that it takes less time than otherwise. Additionally, we can learn to stress less about cleaning and the everyday messes that result from living life, especially living life with kids.

Incorporating these time-saving cleaning hacks for busy moms into our routines can make a big difference in living a simplified parenting life.

If you’re ready for more than hacks…

This free challenge will help you transform your chaos to calm as you set-up effective routines for cleaning and home management.

10 Cleaning Hacks for Busy Moms

These house cleaning hacks, tips, and tricks will save time cleaning and decrease stress and overwhelm.

1. Just One Thing

We don’t always have time to do everything, but we always have time to do something. If you could only get one cleaning task done today, what would it be? Decide what your Just One Thing is and then feel content when you get that done.

If we get one thing done per day, that’s quite a bit accomplished by the end of the week.

2. Use a Timer

We can get necessary cleaning done by making good use of little pockets of time we find throughout the day or doing routine quick cleans at the end of a day or activity.

Set a timer for fifteen minutes, and clean as fast and hard as you can until it dings. Our brains kick into gear when there is a limited amount of time. We don’t put as much effort into making decisions and instead just get the work done. Additionally, we’re generally more motivated if we know when a task will end.

This is one of my favorite cleaning hacks for busy moms because we can use this tip for helping our kids clean too. And getting the kids on board will cut an incredible amount of home management stress! (There’s another tip for you. 😉 )

Add some fun by using a play list as your timer: “Let’s see how much we can clean for five songs. Ready, go!”

3. Clean with the Ones You Love

Cleaning together can become memories of being together. Turn on some music, strike up a conversation, and cherish these simple (even if chaotic) moments of teaching important life skills. This is more feasible than waiting for alone time to get the cleaning done. Plus, again, it gets the kids pitching in.

Related: The Five E’s of Teaching Kids to Work

4. Let the Science of Heat Work for You

Molecules at a higher temperature have more kinetic energy. This kinetic energy can do some of the work for us! Take advantage of this by leaving a hot rag over a spill on a stovetop, soaking dishes with hot water, or wiping down the steamy shower or bathroom mirror right when you finish bathing.

One caution here is with fabrics. Get to know your types of stains. For example, protein stains like blood will generally get worse in hot water.

5. Wipe Spills and Spray Clothes Immediately

When we clean-up a spill immediately, there’s no time for that cereal to be crunched and spread all over the floor or for the stain to set. Keep bottles of your favorite laundry spray in the kitchen or bathroom. When you feel too busy, remember it is actually saving time to clean now.

OxiClean Laundry Stain Remover is my favorite spray and wash. It’s probably a laundry cleaning hack just to use this! 🙂

Click image for purchasing information.

6. Don’t Wash Clean Clothes

Not every piece of clothing needs to be washed every time it is worn, especially if it hasn’t spent time on the floor. Recognizing the difference between clean and dirty clothes and putting clean ones away quickly cuts down on laundry.

7. Store Things Strategically

Paint, four 1,000 piece puzzles at a time, and a bucket of beads are only three of the countless messes that have ended up on our floor. These are instances where I didn’t follow this house cleaning hack. Store messy things strategically, like on a high shelf or in a cupboard. In general, if a person can’t clean it up, they shouldn’t be able to reach it to begin with.

This will save time from cleaning a lot of preventable messes.

Additionally, keep some toys stored, and periodically rotate which ones are out for play. This keeps the amount of mess limited, while also allowing toy options to feel fresh.

8. Have Less Stuff

When we moved overseas, cleaning up suddenly became easier than ever because we took so very little with us. It’s generally harder to get rid of stuff after we already have it, so try to limit accumulation. Additionally, the first step in dealing with clutter or a mess can be, “Do I even want to keep this?” Very often what sits cluttering around our home could be a service to someone else if we choose to donate it.

9. Establish Cleaning Routines

The best thing we can do long term to avoid household cleaning stress and overwhelm is to create effective cleaning routines.

Link new routines to habits you already have. For example, if you’re in a habit of watching a show each night, fold a bucket of laundry while you watch. Make a simple plan for keeping the house clean and with a bit of consistency, that plan will become routine.

Do you want some tips and motivation to set up effective cleaning routines?

10. Take a Picture

Our tiny apartment living room was bursting with stacked boxes. Each day I rushed to get everything done in preparation for our move across the country. One afternoon, I emerged from the bedroom to find my toddler hiding under a desk, covered in flour. So much flour. An entire canister had been emptied onto the carpet like a fresh snow pile in winter.

For some reason, I saw that moment for what it was. It wasn’t an attempt to ruin my day or make my job harder. Nor was it the end of the world. This was simply a child being a child.

I grabbed my phone and snapped a picture of my toddler in her bright pink pajamas, covered in flour, having the time of her life.

Rather than rushing through these messy moments, take a picture. Create a memory to laugh about in time. And remember that this season won’t last forever. That toddler is now a twelve-year-old who no longer dumps flour all over the floor, and it has gone way too fast.

And Here’s Your Bonus Cleaning Tip…Remember the Why

There will be more dishes tomorrow. The laundry will never end. Our homes may go through seasons of never having a clear floor for more than ten minutes. But when we take a moment to ask why, we’ll feel important truths much more clearly.

There will be more dishes tomorrow because we are fortunate enough to have food on the table. The laundry will never end because our families are busy living full and fulfilling lives. And we can never see the floor because our children are discovering, enjoying, and growing into the best version of themselves. Our homes may not look perfect because in our homes we are concerned with the business of truly living.

I hope these cleaning hacks, tips, and tricks help you be effective and efficient in the time you spend cleaning, and help you embrace the mess of living and enjoy the simple beauties of everyday life.

What are some of your favorite cleaning hacks for busy moms? Please share in the comments! If you’re looking for more help to decrease overwhelm and create a life you love, I invite you to schedule a call.

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