baby bunching Q/A: the clean sweep

We received this question from Sara a few weeks ago on our Facebook page. Please feel free to chime in with your thoughts and if you have other questions, let us know. We're trying to get to them each Wednesday.

Q: I have two boys under 2 right now; 17 months and 4 months. How do I keep my house clean without going crazy and spending all my free time cleaning?

A: First of all, try not to get discouraged when you look around and realize that your house looks like it was hit by a tornado. In the early months of Baby Bunching, this is pretty much unavoidable, so don’t beat yourself up. Once upon time before kids, we would spend a whole day cleaning the house. Now we both tend to clean in stages. (Clean the bathroom while everyone is in the tub.) The easiest (and most expensive) solution is get a cleaning lady. But even with that she many only come a few times a month so you have to keep it together in between.

The number one thing to keep in mind is to let things slide a bit. Lower your expectations and do what you can, when you can!  So surrender to your house and let the mess roll off your back. We promise that this, too, is temporary.

Here are a few things to help you hold down the fort and "fake it" in the meantime.

• Bunch your babies = Bunch your toys! Buy big bins or containers and shove your toys in them. Organizing toys for babies and toddlers is an exercise in futility – spare yourself.  You can go through once a quarter or every six months and pare down/organize, but day-to-day just shove/hide it in a container.

• Along these lines, have bins/containers on each floor. Let it go that toys are everywhere.  You will save yourself trips trips upstairs to the nursery/playroom if you have toys on the ground floor where you will spend most of your time – next to the kitchen.

• Do yourself the favor of “re-setting” – pick up toys, clean kitchen each night and enlist hubby’s help.  It is a sanity saver to start the next day with a clean slate.

• Have one room that is picked up/organized (or easy to quickly pick up) that you can spend time in. Even if it is only your bathroom or closet.  You will at least have one place where you can go and feel like some aspect of your life is under control.

• Likewise, have ONE ROOM that toys can just get tossed in (bedrooms or out of the way playrooms are great).  When guests come and you need to look clutter-free, just throw everything in there.

• Have one major chore assigned to each day (ex. only do grocery shopping on Monday, only mop on Tuesday, etc.)  This alleviates some of the overwhelming “Where to start?!” feeling that comes with 5 free minutes of time and gives you some focus for what to do that day when you get a few free minutes here and there.

• Don’t clean your kitchen 15 times a day.  Clean it once after lunch, if you can get to it, and once before you go to bed.  All other times, shove stuff in the sink and wipe down the counters – at least it will feel tidied.

• Only sweep your floors once a day (but wipe up sticky spills as soon as they happen).  Resist the temptation to get a dog to lick up crumbs if you don’t already have one.  While this may seem like a great idea, you do not have time to keep one more thing alive.

• Keep Clorox wipes under the sink. (What did we ever do without these!) Once your youngest is safely able to sit in the tub, swipe down the sink/toilet while the kids are bathing. Along these lines, keep a small container of all supplies you need to clean your bathroom under the sink, as well as extra rolls of toilet paper.  This way, when you find yourself with 5 extra minutes, you can quickly clean instead of running all around the house to chase down supplies. 

Comments

[kelly]

I second the baskets/bins for toys. I have to pick up a little during nap and bed time b/c i can't relax in the living room when the floor is covered w/ toys. I have 2 bins. one for toddler toys, one for baby toys and i just toss everything in. takes 2 mins tops. :)
Also, i tend to straighten up a bit as i'm playing on the floor (b/c playing trucks gets reaaaallly old) at least then i feel slightly productive.

[jesspond]

I'll third the bins! BINS BINS BINS! And naptime and bedtime are the only times I pick up, too. Otherwise, screw it!

Now I'm starting to try to get the kids to help pick up (ages 24m and 31m) and though it's usually more hassle than it's worth, they have to learn. One day it'll be worth it....riiiight? RIGHT?

[Melissa]

I love this site's home organization plan:

http://www.justmommies.com/articles/home-organization-plan.php

At first I thought it was a little crazy to follow someone else's plan to clean my house, but I've found that it reminds me to do things I would probably let slide for MUCH longer than I should. I also used to feel better if I got EVERYTHING cleaned and done at once, but taking it day-by-day has helped me just appreciate what IS clean, even if its never everything at the same time!

I'm pretty type-A and love lists to keep me on top of things, so I've found it pretty helpful.

[Natasha]

I have always used www.flylady.net and I know other Bunchers do too. It lets you in slowly, helps get the kids involved in tidying & just gets you used to doing things in a routine way so they just kind of happen. Our kids are now 5 and nearly 4 and they have learned to unstack & stack the dishwasher, load and unload the washing machine, tidy away their toys in the proper places, set the table and strip their beds - they still need lots of encouragement, and don't always do it 'right', but it all helps!

[Amanda]

I try to keep things picked up during the day, but with a 15 month old and 3 month old it can be exhausting. I "kick" the hubby and kiddos out of the house for one weekend morning so that at least gives me time time to do some deep cleaning...or take a hot bath...having the quiet, uninterrupted time is actually relaxing, even if I am cleaning.

[Sara]

Thanks so much for the ideas! I'm Sara, who asked and I've been trying to let things slide, but some days it's just too much. I don't think it helps that I'm working part time too...

I think I'm going to have to try Amanda's tip of "kicking" out the hubby and kiddos. I've heard other people rave about flylady.net too, so I'll check it out!

Thanks again :)

[jean grow]

I had a great moment the other day realizing that since I refuse to keep cleaning supplies under the sink, the dog food and water bowls fit in there nicely. I just can't keep twin boys out of a cleaning cupboard less than five feet above the ground!