Proudly sponsored by Carpet Court
We all know that Mum that has the endlessly perfect, tidy home. And we’ve all wondered how the heck she does it!
Stop lamenting that you’re the only one struggling to stay on top of the jobs; with our tips and tricks you’ll soon be a certified domestic goddess yourself!
Having a young family is an endless task! From the toys to the spills there’s never enough time in the day. The good news is that you’re not alone. We understand that a tidy home can seem an impossible task yet many of us yearn for a place where we can relax and feel the queen of our own domain. What’s a Mum to do?
Having a cluttered or untidy home can often lead to feelings of anxiety and tension; the saying mess causes stress is certainly true for many. If you’ve found yourself knee deep in parenting, swimming in toys and with the morning’s toast crumbs still on the table it’s time to take control with a few clever household hacks. Regaining some household order does wonders for our sanity, especially when there are little people around threatening complete destabilisation!
Never fear, the Mum Central crew are here to get you started with some ‘fake-it-til-you-make it’ tips! Here’s a list of our favourite home cleaning hacks to help you take your home by the horns… you’ll be relishing the cleanliness in no time! (Be warned, implement them all and you may even become one of those ‘perfect housewives’ yourself!)
[mc_block_title custom_title=”1. SHINE THE SINK”]
When you’ve got 5-10 minutes up your sleeve, start with the kitchen sink. Get the dishes out of the way by washing up or stacking the dishwasher. Quickly clear any food or muck from the drains and wipe over the sink and surrounds. Steelo Soap Pads work a treat to bring back that original stainless steel shine. A clean, dry, sparkly kitchen sink will help you feel sane every time you look at it. If guests arrive and your benches are clear and your sink shined you’re never caught out without an acceptable place to usher them to.
Got another five minutes? Wipe the kitchen table and clear any stacks of craft or colouring the kids have stored there into a basket or box.
[mc_block_title custom_title=”2. THE CLASSIC LAUNDRY BASKET TRICK”]
Tame your household clutter by whipping around the house with a laundry basket and popping in all the displaced bits and pieces. Take the filled basket to your spare room/laundry/study/garage, place it in there and close the door. Voila!
Okay, we are kidding! (Well not entirely, this is a great hack for when you get that short-notice text that someone’s dropping by!)
Of course to really complete this task you should then walk around the house and put everything back where it belongs. If the kids are old enough ask them to put away their own items. Doing this hack daily will result in less annoying clutter and should only take ten minutes once you’re on top of the home.
[mc_block_title custom_title=”3. START WITH THE FLOORS AND VACUUM!”]
Regular vacuuming doesn’t only make the house look tidier it actually helps to extend the life of your carpet or floor. Second to a cleaned sink, having debris-free, vacuumed carpet is one of the best hacks for keeping your home a place of sanity!
As well as helping your carpet last longer, vacuuming is a simple way to keep your home fresh and healthy by not allowing dust and dirt to settle. A good quality vacuum is in fact a hack in itself! This lifesaver will see your carpet look fresher and the labour time to maintain it reduced.
If you are in the market for a new vacuum cleaner, here are three key things to keep in mind!
1. Adjustable Height: always use the highest setting on the vacuum as appropriate for the carpet style
2. Efficient Airflow: try to avoid vacuums with very concentrated or sealed suction
3. Large Wheels: your vacuum should glide easily across the carpet and feel light to work with
Carpet Court has a number of recommended vacuum cleaners if you’re thinking it’s time to upgrade!
[mc_block_title custom_title=”4. FEEL FRESH WITH A WELL VENTILATED HOME”]
Ventilation makes the world of difference to the way a home feels! Fresh air removes odours and makes us feel invigorated but it also protects the overall structure of your home by eliminating excess moisture from the air. Sunshine is a natural antibacterial and has proven positive chemical impacts on our brains! Lastly a bright home that smells fresh still feels great even if it’s not 100% tidy! Draw the blinds, open the curtains and allow your home to have a good ‘blow through’. There are so many reasons to ventilate!
[mc_block_title custom_title=”5. SHUT THE DOOR AND TURN OFF THE LIGHTS!”]
This tip might seem silly but it’s actually quite clever! Being a Mum with small children may mean coming to a place of personal acceptance that the whole house can’t be tidy all the time. If you feel overwhelmed decide the spaces you want tidy and the rooms you can concede on. For me the kitchen and lounge room need to be clean so I’ve somewhere to retreat to at night plus an un-shameful place if friends arrive! I’m prepared to let the toy room be an epic mess for now. Sometimes you just can’t do it all. Shut the door, turn off the lights and take your post bedtime wine into your happy place!
[mc_block_title custom_title=”6. GET YOUR CARPETS CLEANED AT LEAST EVERY 12-18 MONTHS”]
Professional cleaning every 12-18 months is important for the health and longevity of your carpet. With young children and a busy home our floors can become filthy! The best way to deal with ingrained dirt and wear and tear is have someone else do it for you! (Who doesn’t love that!?) This is a true housekeeping hack because freshly cleaned carpets make your home look, smell and feel new.
TIPS: Ensure you choose a reputable cleaning company for the job and stay off your freshly cleaned carpet until its fully dry!
[mc_block_title custom_title=”7. SWISH THE TOILET AND WIPE THE VANITY”]
There’s nothing worse than having a guest head to the bathroom and having that moment of complete panic while you wonder just what they might find in there! Here are a couple of hacks to deal with this never-ending challenge! Some liberally swished around toilet gel each day keeps the toilet clean with minimal effort. Wiping the vanity with a baby wipe and then dropping it into the bin quickly and conveniently removes splashes and toothpaste gunk. Lastly seek storage and hanging solutions to make daily life easier. Big families need adequate hooks for towels, spaces for toothbrushes and places to store toiletries (preferably out of sight!) It’s much easier to keep a space clean when everything has a home.
[mc_block_title custom_title=”8. TRICK THE KIDS INTO HELPING WITH A RACE”]
Children love a racing game so when it comes time to tidying up this is an extremely quick and effective way of getting them involved. It’s as simple as asking who can get everything packed into the tub the fastest, or who can beat mummy? Someone always wants to beat mummy! Watch the Lego disappear before your eyes!
[mc_block_title custom_title=”9. MAKE YOUR BED WITHOUT FAIL”]
A freshly made bed makes a room look organised! It’s only a three-minute job but this simple task can make a room feel tranquil and tidy with so little effort! An added bonus is that it’s so much more relaxing (and romantic!) to hop into a nicely made bed each night. Encourage your children to make their own beds as well, this is a task easily appropriate for a five year old and you’ll have fewer eyesores to witness as you move around the house!
[mc_block_title custom_title=”10. DEAL WITH SPILLS IMMEDIATELY!”]
Spills are common in the family home! From a leaky sippy cup to a knocked over glass of wine or a bloody nose – mess is everywhere! There are no real hacks that can overcome spills but dealing with them straight away is the key to a quicker and more successful remedy. Here’s the four important points to know when dealing with spills:
- Act quickly – remove any solids with a knife or spoon and then use an absorbent material to lift up as much moisture as possible.
- Start at the edge and work your way in
- Leave some paper towel over the area to keep absorbing.
- Do not rub stains! Blot don’t rub!
For those common spills and “uh-oh” moments like spilt red wine remember, blot don’t rub!
Note: Did you know that carpet often comes with a warranty to protect it against wear, anti-soiling and stain removal? Be sure to check your carpet warranty to ensure that you get the best out of your carpet (and your purchase).
So there you go! Implement these quick hacks into your home and keep your house clean and tidy (or appearing that way!) with minimal effort. Do you have a home hack you think we should know about? Share it with us in the comments or over on Facebook!
