With three kiddos running around making messes, my house is never clean for very long. Matt will come home from work, look around, and sigh because he thinks I haven't cleaned at all.
Our normal mess consists of whatever snack the kids were eating crumbled into the carpet, cereal under the couch cushions, and dirt that's tracked in all over the hardwood floor. I sweep, vacuum, and mop every day but it seems like as soon as I step into the kitchen to start working on supper, these house-destroying elves take over or a tornado comes sweeping through or something - and the house is a disaster again.
To make the daily cleaning ritual a little easier (and not so hard on my back) I've found a few things that work great to tidy up the house before Matt gets home without having to spend all day cleaning.
Clean Less Frequently
I know what you're thinking: this is a post about cleaning tips and I'm telling you to clean less often. There's a method to my madness, though! My mom is one of those people that scrub her floor on her hands and knees every day, and she has her whole cleaning ritual that makes me tired just thinking about it. It just isn't necessary to clean every little thing in your house every day.
What do I do? I break it up. On Mondays and Thursdays, I focus on laundry - specifically, folding the laundry. It's my most daunting task since it seems like there's always a load running, so I let it pile up and take two days out of my week to sit down with my favorite show on and catch up on folding. That way, I'm not having to spend an hour in the laundry room every day, plus I've made it into almost a reward for myself.
That chocolate stain is definitely NOT from me dropping a Reese's when season 3 had a cliffhanger...
Delegate Chores
We have a "You made the mess, you clean it up" rule around here that is designed to teach the kids responsibility - but it really does help me out, too. When the kids are done playing with a toy, they know to put it away. After a meal, they clean their plates and carry them to the sink.
We've also been working on giving each child chores that I know they can handle. The ten-year-old helps wash dishes and starts laundry, the five-year-old will take laundry out of the washer and put it in the dryer, and the three-year-old loves to put the silverware away after we finish washing dishes.
The trick is to make chores less like work and more like "helping mom so she doesn't have a breakdown." Really, though, I've turned housework into part of everyday life so it isn't like being punished. I'm teaching them life skills that they'll need when they leave the nest.
Have the Right Tools
This is probably my best tip of all. When you're cleaning, there's no need to break out extra cleaning tools just to get the job done. My old routine included using a broom, a vacuum, a mop, and a duster. Then, I would have to pull the couches out just to make sure I was able to get all the crumbs out from under there too. By the time I had the house clean, I was exhausted.
I recently had the chance to work with Shark® to review their Rotator® Powered Lift-Away™ Speed and this versatile vacuum definitely makes cleaning a lot easier.
Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away Speed™ is a versatile vacuum providing uninterrupted floor to ceiling cleaning. Easily clean under furniture, above the floor, and all those other hard to reach places around your home.
Features
- "Never Loses Suction" Technology
- Powered Motorized Brush in all Modes
- Bare floor cleaning with Dust-Away™ Hard Floor Attachment
- Anti-Allergen Complete Seal Technology®
- Rotator Technology With Enhanced Swivel Steering
- Advanced Swivel Steering
- LED Lights on Floor Nozzle to Illuminate Work Area
I love that this vacuum can do the work of all of my cleaning tools!
Things I love about the Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away Speed:
- Powerful suction. In comparison to my other vacuum, the Shark is a total powerhouse. I was able to get dirt and dust that I didn't even know was trapped in the carpet, not to mention it picked up the bigger pieces like random Cheetos without breaking and scattering them.
- Lightweight. The vacuum I reviewed was lighter than my old vacuum, weighing in at about ten pounds. This makes it easier for me to use every day and means the ten-year-old can help me out with the cleaning too.
- Straight from carpet to hardwood. I love that all I have to do is flip a switch on the handle to go straight from carpet to the hardwood floors. No changing attachments or grabbing the broom; It works just as well on the wood floors as it does the rugs.
What I would like to see improved:
Really, I only have one complaint about the Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away Speed vacuum, and that is that the hose doesn't seem nearly long enough. If it was extended by about six inches, this would be the perfect vacuum. I'm short - about 5'2" so if i detach the wand to clean cobwebs or under the beds, the entire vacuum falls over unless it's right beside me.
Where to find your own Shark® Rotator® Powered Lift-Away Speed™:
Visit Shark's website to compare models and learn more.
What are your favorite ways to cut corners to make your cleaning easier?
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