7 Realistic Cleaning Habits for Working Parents

Parents have so many challenges these days, especially if one or more parent works. You’re responsible for keeping a little human (or multiple little humans!) alive and healthy, while trying to maintain a household, a career, and your own basic needs. Nothing is ever easy—especially when it comes to keeping the house clean. One way to make this easier is to establish a solid routine. Not sure where to start? Here are seven realistic cleaning habits for working parents. 

Get the Kids Involved

If your little ones are responsible for the mess, they can also help with the cleaning process—at least to the best of their abilities. “You can put them in charge of putting away the clean dishes at the end of the day, for example,” says CEO of SuperMaids, Myco Momplaisir.

There are plenty of benefits to getting your kids involved around the house young—they learn skills like time management and can develop higher self-esteem. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry suggests the following chores based on age:

Make the Bed

Momplaisir recommends starting the day on a good note and making the bed first thing in the morning. “For me, it’s about creating a routine, and that starts as soon as you get up in the morning. I choose to make the bed first thing. It sets the tone for a productive day.” (Though if you’re a sweaty sleeper, you may want to let your sheets dry for a few minutes first to discourage dust mites—you can let them air out while you get yourself and the kids ready.)

Even if the rest of the day gets messy or you’re unable to clean anything else, at the very least you’ve accomplished this task.

Banish the Floordrobe

Momplaisir recommends picking up your laundry throughout the house every day to banish the dreaded “floordrobe,” AKA when your floor essentially becomes a second wardrobe. “It only takes a few minutes, and that way, if laundry day is on the weekend, you already have things separated and ready to go.” 

As a preventive measure, it’s a smart idea to have a hamper (even a small, woven basket works) in every room so the laundry really doesn’t end up on the floor. When laundry is scattered everywhere, it’s an open invitation for other things to not get put away as well. 

Do Frequent, Smaller Loads of Laundry

Does laundry pile up by Friday and make you feel stressed out about the weekend? If you’ve got a little bit of spare time during the week, try to get a smaller load of laundry (or two!) done mid-week. 

If the idea of folding clothes more often pains you, it doesn’t have to! Consider that you probably don’t even have to properly fold most kids’ clothing anyway (what child is perfectly wrinkle-free?!), so give yourself grace and feel free to rush through the process if you must.

And load up on large mesh laundry bags so you can drop socks in there—this will make matching them up when you’re folding so much faster and your machine will never mysteriously gobble up a sock again because they’re contained.

Multitask, Multitask, Multitask!

While studies have shown multitasking isn’t always the most efficient way to get things done, parents have, since the beginning of time, multitasked to keep their households afloat and Momplaisir says this is definitely the cleaning approach you should take when you’re pressed for time.

For example, she recommends while you are brushing your teeth in the bathroom (or right after you’re done), take a minute to wipe down the mirror, faucet, and counter. Keep a towel nearby so you can easily grab it and do it every day.

Her other suggestion for the loo is to keep the toilet brush and cleaner near the toilet. Spray it and brush it lightly every few days, so when it’s time to deep clean it, it’s not a smelly disaster. “I do it every Wednesday—that way there isn’t a lot of build-up by the end of the week,” she adds.

Tidy Up for 30 Minutes Every Day

Rochelle Wilkinson, owner of Dirt Detective Cleaning and mother of four boys, says that dedicating 30 minutes every night to tidying up means you won’t have to do a deep clean every weekend.

She says, “During the 30-minute session, each member of the family should do as many tasks as possible, such as pulling trash from all rooms, starting a load of laundry, folding, vacuuming, and dusting.”

Three to four people doing this after dinner every night—or at least as many nights as possible—can help keep the home in tip-top shape. 

Schedule Super Quick Clean-Ups

If 30 minutes a day just doesn’t fit into your schedule, remember that something is better than nothing, says Claudia Meneses, CEO and founder of Avanti Green Eco Cleaning. “Spend 15 minutes each evening tidying up common areas like the living room, kitchen, and play areas.”

Even 5 minutes to sort through junk mail or put away crayons will make a difference. Again, give yourself grace and don’t feel bad if you don’t get a ton done—you’re a parent, after all, and you’re trying your best!

Delegate Whenever Possible

Even with the best routine and intentions, keeping your home clean can be difficult and time-consuming, depending on the size of your house and family. There’s no shame in delegating and looking for outside help.

Even if your budget doesn’t allow for a weekly cleaning, a biweekly—or even monthly—professional deep cleaning can really lighten your load if you feel stretched thin. Or outsource other tasks that will free up time for you to clean, like grocery shopping, which is sometimes cheaper than hiring a cleaning pro.

While you might feel guilty for seeking help, Meneses says you shouldn’t. Ultimately, this frees up time for more family activities. She adds, “Family time is more important.”