With three daughters ages five and under, the idea of spring cleaning is almost comical. I’m also a freelancer without childcare, so free time is basically nonexistent. Despite these challenges, I have recently found realistic ways to get my house under control.
Make it fun
This is not a trick, I promise. Get the entire family involved. Sometimes, my family has a dance party while putting toys away or while the adults clean the kitchen. Music also helps make the process more bearable, even if you’re cleaning solo. There’s something about lighting a candle that motivates, too.
Add a play element
Turn cleaning into a competition. Who can clean their area the fastest? My daughters love vacuuming alongside me with their matching Dyson vacuums, which have working suction. Mom hack: when selecting gifts or toys for your children, find ones that center around cleaning. It’s more of a hit than you’d expect. Melissa & Doug has great options like dusters, brooms, and mops to foster future helpers and cleaners!
One Room at a Time
I prioritize the spaces where we spend the most time or the ones seen most by our company. This usually means the kitchen or family room. I ask myself, what’s the best use of my time? Cleaning my oldest daughter’s desk, which is going to get messy the same day, probably isn’t the right choice. Putting away laundry always feels like a productive choice.
Eliminate clutter and chaos with storage items like containers, baskets, spice racks, stacked drawers, etc. Places like Ikea, The Container Store, and Target have more options than you’d ever imagine for storing toys and other household items.
Declutter aka Purge
Dedicate a space for organizing piles into the trash, donate, and sell categories. Every day I toss broken toys, dried-out markers, worn-out shoes – you name it. As your kids outgrow items, you’d be surprised what you can also sell. Put it in a designated pile as you notice that it no longer fits, etc. A few avenues for selling:
Where to Sell
Facebook Marketplace: Big-ticket items like strollers, car seats, furniture, and so on are coveted. Price items to sell by searching what other people in your area are charging for the same product and slightly undercut the lowest price. Join Facebook groups in your area for increased exposure. The best part is that people can pick it up from your front porch and pay with cash or Venmo.
Note: To keep transactions safe find designated locations at law enforcement offices where buyers and sellers can meet in public under surveillance to complete in-person transactions. There’s no charge for the service. https://safetradespots.com/
Consignment: Plato’s Closet or Once Upon a Child are local consignment options and great for reselling clothes. Do an internet search for places in your area. Many accept furniture, artwork, toys, strollers and more.
Yard Sales: Organize an annual yard sale with your neighbors. Springtime is great as people are outside more and can walk from one sale to the next.
For anything that I can’t sell, I typically donate to Goodwill or other families in need. I’ve passed along maternity clothes or baby items to friends too.
Cleaning Sprints
When I get home from school pickup, all three kids need something at once. It resembles a tornado of coats, shoes, bags, arts and crafts, and water bottles. After I get my two youngest down for naps and my oldest occupied with an independent activity, I go on a cleaning sprint. Post-meals are another great time for a short cleaning sprint because you’re already cleaning dishes or putting items away. Lastly, before putting the kids to bed is another time when everyone pitches in to leave the house in the best possible state for the next day.
Do One Small Task
When you have the chance to give yourself some self-care, like a manicure or pedicure, take a minute to toss old nail polish. The same goes if it’s a date night and the babysitter has arrived while you’re finishing your makeup. Toss old makeup brushes, mascaras, or other old items. You can also do one small task like this before bed each night. It will add up quickly!
Ask for Help
If you unexpectedly make some extra cash from selling items on Facebook Marketplace, consignment, or yard sales, you may want to consider treating yourself to a cleaning service. A few times a year, I take my kids to my parents’ house so a cleaning company can give our home a deep cleaning that I can’t always get to. If you don’t have the budget for a cleaning service, you can ask a neighbor to swap childcare so you can both have productive cleaning time. You can also ask a relative to babysit while you go through old toys so your kids don’t resist giving away ones they never play with.
In closing, my biggest piece of advice is to give yourself some grace. If you’ve just had a baby, started a new job, or had another big life change, cleaning might need to take a back seat. For me, spring cleaning is no longer a once-a-year activity. It’s a year-round habit that I chip away at. It’s far less overwhelming now. Thank goodness for that.