Oh how I love a clean house. I just feel at peace when I know our home is spick and span. Unfortunately, cleaning is easier said than done with a baby in tow. Over the months, I've developed a system that helps me and today I'm sharing with you my ABC's of house cleaning.
In my pre-mama days, I thought it would be no problem to keep the house clean if I was a stay at home mom. You just clean when the baby is sleeping, right? I also figured I could do plenty of cleaning while my husband helped with child care. It all sounded so simple. Boy oh boy was I wrong. First of all, I do use nap time for cleaning, but I also use it to catch up on emails, take care of on-going projects, dig my hands into the garden, oh and sit down and eat for a few minutes! Then there's the daddy daycare plan. Well, he is more than willing to help, but my little guy just wants his mama most of the time. (Which is the BEST, but also very time consuming, right?) What I do now is by no means a perfect system, but it's working for me and I'm excited to share it with you!
A: Allow Baby to Participate
I know what you're thinking: HUH?!?! Let me explain. We all know that babies are naturally inquisitive and get the biggest kick out of things that seem mundane to us. So why not see if baby is interested in any of your cleaning tasks? My little guy, for example, adores sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming. He scurries after the swiffer and is thrilled when I let him "help" vacuum. So while I'm cleaning the floors, I'm also entertaining my sweet boy. How perfect is that?!
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Of course, if baby is around for cleaning time, it's important that he's not exposed to anything toxic. Personally, I use a combo of homemade mixes and store bought non-toxic supplies. For my homemade solutions, I label the bottles with the purpose and the recipe to make refills simple. If you want to get fancy (and now that I've seen this, I have every intention of getting fancy), you can print lovely labels from Little Ms. Robinson.
B: Bring on the Toys and Babywear
We're lucky to have the space for a playroom in our home, but leaving my little guy in there while I clean is not an option. So, I've tucked baskets of toys around the house. That way, baby is happily playing while I'm working away. Actually, my favorite toy area came to me on a whim. Got tub toys? Plop your kiddo into a dry tub of toys while you clean the rest of the bathroom. (Of course, it's still important to stay in the bathroom with a close eye on your little one if you try this trick.)
There are those times when no amount of toys will substitute for mom's arms. Usually, these will be the days when company is arriving and you're desperate to get the house clean as a whistle. Well, that's when babywearing is your best friend. Pick up your little one and plop her in a carrier, wrap, or sling. Check out my last post on Babywearing 101 to find the right carrier for you!
C: Create a Cleaning Calendar
I'm the kind of girl who is best kept on-task with checklists and schedules. When I came across this post about a cleaning calendar, I knew it was a perfect fit. The calendar makes things managable and keeps me from feeling overwhelmed by the idea of cleaning the whole house in one day. Mine is posted on the fridge and I've had a ton of questions and compliments about it from visitors.
So that's it. Cleaning with baby in tow made easy (well, easIER) with A-B-C! I'll leave you with one last image that always makes me smile. My little guy has his own ideas about how to clean the shower doors...
