15 Ingenious Hacks And Pointers For How To Clean The House If You’re A Mom With Messy Kids

The thing that makes cleaning feel like such a difficult chore is that when your home gets to "the point of no return," it's intimidating and overwhelming. But the even more challenging thing is that when you live in a home with children, "the point of no return" is always lurking right around the corner. Just a few busy days where you aren't staying on top of everything and all of a sudden, the mess is out of control.

That's why the 10-minute rule is a good one to implement. While you might feel like a short spurt won't go that far, you'd be surprised how much more manageable the mess feels after 10 minutes of power cleaning. It could be as simple as putting away everything that's on the floor — toys in the toy bin, clothes in the laundry basket, and shoes in closets — but it will help you feel a little saner in your messy-house brain.

Repeat after me: I will not attempt to clean my house without music.

Seriously, though. As much as music can help give your workouts a boost, it can also help you find your groove when you're doing most cleaning work, like scrubbing toilets, attacking shower scum, or sweeping out the massive pile of dog hair from under your kid's bed. Trust me, if the dog sleeps in there every night, that pile of hair is scary.

Crank up your favorite tunes when it's time to do a deep clean, because chances are you won't quit so easily. OK, so it might not do the work for you, but it will certainly make the time you're putting in a bit more pleasant.

Bonus points for upbeat music you can sing your heart out to.

This one is important. Do a big purge, as in go through junk drawers, all of the clothes your kids have outgrown, the clothes you never wear that wind up on your closet floor, old makeup, games no one plays, and books that end up in stacks all over the house but are seldom read. It will feel like one of the best home upgrades you can invest your time in. And it doesn't cost a penny.

Yes, it is definitely time-consuming to do a massive purge, but chances are you have far more than you need in your home, and it's making your home far messier than it needs to be. The less you have, the less mess can be created. So take a weekend and purge unused items. Your home will feel tidier for weeks and months afterward.

Doing a huge purge is incredibly helpful for preventing future messes. What's even more helpful is making purging items a part of your routine. Keep a box, bag, or bin in everyone's room so they can deposit clothes, toys, or books that are no longer being used. This will keep the messes from getting out of control. And honestly, kids love to do it. They enjoy getting rid of things or passing them on to friends because it makes them feel like they're evolving. They'll also be more inclined to make efforts to keep their space clean when they feel like it's under their control.

Giving away things rather than holding onto items that aren't serving a purpose can help give back some of that control when the mess is starting to overwhelm the space, as well as your kids.

It seems excessive, but one of the easiest ways to start cleaning, or to remind yourself to start cleaning, is by keeping products in the same places where you're going to use them. For example, if you notice the bathroom sink is a bit grimy but the cleaner is downstairs in the kitchen, you probably won't be that likely to spray it down, even though it takes only a minute. If the cleaner is right in a drawer in the bathroom, however, when you notice that buildup, you'll probably give it a quick squirt and move on with your day.

It's such a simple solution that will definitely help you clean more often. Even if it means you have multiple containers of the same cleaner, it's totally worth it to keep them all over your house or at least in the areas that require frequent cleaning because it gets the job done a lot more often.

The Magic Eraser is called "magic" for a good reason. It's one budget cleaning product that has been responsible for eliminating so many everyday stains for years. If you don't believe it, give it a whirl! Whether it's scratches on the kitchen floor or crayons on the wall, the Magic Eraser is the cure.

For that reason, it should be a staple in every home, especially homes with kids because, well, kids are pretty good stain-makers. It's not just helpful for stains, though. It can scrub grime off the oven, mildew off a bathtub, and so much more. While downsizing is incredibly helpful for keeping your home clean, you should keep a few Magic Erasers around, or even buy them in bulk.

Snag a Magic Eraser Two-Pack at Target for $2.99.

You know those little piles of clutter that seem to show up all over the place? Things like mail on the kitchen counter, random craft projects and toys on the dining room table, chargers, keys, batteries, and more. They are all essential items that don't belong in the trash, but somehow, they always seem to just be strewn about! The problem is, these items don't really have a place, and if you don't know where they go, it's hard to put them away properly. Creating a "home" for all those things is an important part of getting and staying organized.

Take note of what the items are that always seem to be lurking, and find them a proper place. If mail is a big problem, then get a tabletop organizer for your desk for unpaid bills, important tax forms, or other papers that you need to keep track of. Likewise, purchase an organizer where you keep batteries and chargers, and designate a cabinet for unfinished craft projects. Once everything has a home, it will be easier to keep things in their place and also to find them when you need them.

This may sound counterintuitive. Having guests over means more mess and more cleanup. That can definitely be true, but if you never have guests over, it can be easy to get a little too comfortable in your environment. If you invite friends over for a dinner, if your kids have a playdate and you know their parents are going to be poking their heads in, or if you have neighbors over for a potluck, chances are you're going to make sure things look a little more presentable.

Hopefully, no one will judge you too harshly on how your home looks, but just the fact that you know people will be stopping by will probably inspire you to run the vacuum and pick things up off the ground.

While doing quick pickups is a great way to maintain your home and really goes a long way, deep-cleaning — I hate to break it to you — is sometimes necessary. I'm talking about the dusting, the scrubbing, the sweeping under beds, and the digging in the backs of closets to find that long-lost jumper you love and totally forgot about. If we don't do a deep clean every once in a while, those dust bunnies get bad. So it might not be a weekly event, but it's got to happen sometimes. Still, it's totally intimidating when you realize everything that needs to be deep-cleaned.

Instead of attacking the whole house, try breaking it up. Clean one room at a time. When you get that room sparkling clean, it's going to feel pretty good. More than likely, it will motivate you to get another room that shiny and organized. But remember, you don't have to do it all at once.

One annoying thing about cleaning, especially for people who already don't enjoy doing it, is the smells. Strong cleaners often have intense odors that can give us headaches or make our eyes water. People who are sensitive to certain cleaners might avoid cleaning altogether simply because they don't want to deal with feeling icky all day from those harsh chemicals.

Instead of avoiding cleaning, though, a better solution would be to stick to cleaning products that have scents that aren't so intense. There are cleaners out there that smell like lavender or lemon or are all-natural. Find something that doesn't bother you or that has a desirable smell. That will get you cleaning more often, for sure.

When you're tired at the end of the day, the last thing you want to do is give the kitchen a scrub. However, the evening usually means the kitchen is a disaster zone. Even if you spent have the day cleaning up the kitchen, if you made a meal and fed your family, there are probably pots and pans everywhere and a stack of dishes piling up in the sink.

You don't have to give your kitchen a total scrub-down, but abide by the "load the dishwasher before bed" rule. Not only will it help you rest a little easier knowing the dishes will be clean in the morning, but it will also make your morning routine a little smoother. You won't be waking up to a total mess, and everyone will be able to find a bowl for their cereal.

Making your bed is basically a cleanliness illusion. Even if your room is a bit messy, pulling up your sheets and blanket and tucking them in and giving your pillows a good fluff makes your bedroom look at least 75% cleaner than if your bed is a mess.

Bonus points if you can get your kids to start making their beds, too. Getting in the habit of making your bed isn't that tough. You'll probably find that you like how much cleaner your room looks after you do it, and the good news is, this is one cleaning hack that takes only a minute or two.

How do tiny people make so much laundry? Seriously! Even though kids have teeny-tiny clothing items, the laundry seems to pile up and up, no matter what we do to prevent it. If you aren't in the habit of doing laundry every day, you should really start. I know that sounds terrible, but hear me out.

Doing one load of laundry every day is way easier than letting it get out of control. Piles of laundry take up so much space, and no one wants to spend an entire day washing clothes. But one load is manageable, and everyone will always have at least one pair of clean underwear. It's annoying to have to do it every day, sure. But it's way better than spending your whole weekend with your old friend Tide.

Oh RIGHT. This one. I mean, throwing clothes into the wash and remembering to put them in the dryer before they get that day-old-wet-clothes smell is one thing. Actually folding them and not letting them form piles just about everywhere, from your bed to your couch to the laundry table that you couldn't fit any more clothes on top of about a week ago to … eventually the floor, is another.

Abide by the "one load a day" rule for folding your clothes, too. Staying ahead of the laundry piles is half the battle. Fold the clothes as soon as they come out of the dryer, and you're done. If you let that pile become a mountain, you're never going to want to start folding it.

It may be another optical illusion like making the bed, but buying fresh flowers, even if your home is in utter chaos, makes everything seem a little more put together. No, it's not a solution for the mayhem, but a little effort can go a long way. Wiping down the dining room table and popping some flowers in a vase will give the whole room a much more zen kind of feel.

Sure, it's nice if that room is actually clean, but the flower trick might inspire you to get cleaning, too. If not, at least you have a new lovely bouquet to brighten things up and provide that fresh spring scent — even if you aren't a spring cleaner.