Successfully Keeping Your House Clean with Six Kids: My Proven Strategies

As a mother of six, maintaining a clean and organized home is no easy task. However, with the right mindset and practical strategies, it is possible to achieve a neat and tidy living space despite the chaos that comes with having multiple children. In this article, I will share my proven strategies for keeping a house clean with kids, including fostering responsibility and regular cleaning routines.

Encourage Kids to Clean Up After Themselves

One of the most important steps in maintaining a clean house is teaching your kids to take care of their belongings and contribute to the household. This starts with making it mandatory for them to clean up after themselves. Instead of doing it for them, take the time to demonstrate the process and ensure they understand the importance of putting things back where they belong.

For example, if your child is playing with toys, encourage them to carry the toys back to their designated play area as soon as they are done. Make this activity playful and engaging to keep their interest. When they finish playing with certain toys, teach them to put them away and choose others for the next play session. This simple habit helps them develop responsibility and organization skills.

Establish Regular Cleaning Habits

A key to maintaining a clean house is establishing a consistent cleaning routine. Daily and weekly tasks should be done regularly to prevent clutter and mess from accumulating. For instance, as soon as your children sit at the dining table to eat, they should put their empty dishes on the kitchen counter instead of walking around the house with them. This helps avoid messes and keeps the house clean.

Other daily habits that can make a big difference include:

Taking off coats and jackets immediately and hanging them up. Putting shoes in the designated shoe cabinet upon entering the house. Cleaning up spills and wet clothes as soon as they happen. Quickly wiping down the stove and cleaning the toilet after use.

By cleaning up immediately, you minimize the amount of work that needs to be done later and prevent dirt and grime from settling on surfaces.

Involve Kids in Household Chores

Fostering responsibility and helping your kids contribute to the household are essential for maintaining a clean home. Assigning age-appropriate chores can be very effective. For instance, younger children can help with simple tasks like putting toys away or wiping down surfaces, while older kids can take on more responsibilities, such as light cleaning and organizing.

One effective strategy I used was to get the kids to clean up the house with the family on a weekly basis. This could be done on a Saturday morning before a day out or on a designated weekly cleaning day. A shared chore chart can help keep everyone accountable and remind them of their responsibilities. Showcasing the amount of work each person does can also help reduce whining and complaints.

Organize Proper Storage for Minimal Mess

Proper storage solutions are crucial to minimizing clutter and mess. Shelves, storage bins, and cloth storage cubes can be very helpful in organizing items. Encourage your kids to put their belongings away properly and off the floor. This not only keeps the house tidy but also teaches them organization skills that will benefit them in the long run.

For instance, each child can have their own little clothes hamper. After their bath, their clothes can go directly into the hamper. This makes laundry sorting much easier when it's time to do a load of washing.

Be flexible with storage solutions. You can find creative ways to store items that work for both you and your kids. The goal is to make organization a part of your daily routine, not a burden.

Quick Pick-Up Before Dinner and Family Cleaning Day

Another helpful habit is doing a quick pick-up before dinner. This not only helps keep the living area neat but also sets a good example for the kids. As a mother, I used to do this with my kids, especially when they were younger. Once they got older, they started helping more and more with the cleaning tasks.

In addition to the pick-up before dinner, establishing a family cleaning day can further enhance the habit of cleanliness. A shared chore chart can be used to outline what each family member is responsible for during this cleaning day. This can be a fun and productive way to spend quality time together while also keeping the house clean.

By following these strategies, you can successfully maintain a clean and organized home even with a large family. Consistency, involvement of kids in household chores, proper storage, and regular cleaning routines are key to achieving a neat living space. Remember, the goal is not just to keep the house clean, but also to teach your children valuable organization and responsibility skills that will benefit them in all aspects of life.