Getting housework done can seem totally impossible now that you have a baby. In this article we will show you the most effective and efficient ways to keep your house clean with your new baby.
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While the first 12 weeks of new parent hood is probably the most challenging time of your life, living in a chaotic living space at the same time will make it much more difficult to cope!
How to clean your house with a baby
Here are some little tips to help you contain the mess when it all seems too much and to get your house nice and tidy and clean again.
1) Pre-baby Deep clean
Before baby arrives, use your nesting energy to have a big clean out. A clutter free home is MUCH easier to keep tidy. Deep cleaning is really just going from room to room and really getting everything properly cleaned out and clutter free. Wash the carpets, mop the ceiling, wipe the baseboards, dust the lightshades, those sorts of once or twice a year jobs. The more you do now, the longer you will have before it needs done again.
Get stuck in and get your place clean from top to toe before your little one arrives.
This can also be a good time to organize your baby clothes and other baby items, making sure everything is clean and where you need it to be.
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2) Invest in some storage
Large clear plastic tubs with lids are invaluable in sorting excess toys, clothes that are too big and too small (for both mum and baby!).
Before you buy them, measure your storage cupboard to make sure they fit! Use a marker pen to label them clearly.
Use them to tuck away older children’s toys and spare clothes, as well as your crafting items or excess books.
Storing excess items in storage bins keeps them tidy, away from the dust, away from mice and you can stack them out of sight without worrying about them being ruined or lost.
3) Ask for help
If a friend or family member says “just let me know what I can do to help” they actually mean it.
So ask!
A simple “Actually would you please turn the washing on for me?” or “Could you please watch the baby for 10 minutes while I put the washing out” is all you need to say.
Mothers, sisters and best friends are probably the easiest to ask without feeling like you are a pest.
The might not do things to the same standard that you might, but they are usually more than willing to help you out.
4) Get your older kids to help
Even a toddler can help do some simple dusting, or run their toys or washing to their room.
Try to make tidying a race or a game with afternoon tea as a prize at the end. Encourage your kids to put away one game before they start with another. Keeping the house tidy after each activity will stop it from becoming overwhelming later in the day (or week).
If you have older children, give them age appropriate household activities to do – putting dishes away, vacuuming or even hanging out washing or cooking dinner.
5) Use a baby carrier
A sling, or wrap-style carrier or a front pack are wonderful when you need to get a few things done but baby needs mommy time. This is great for vacuuming, getting groceries or folding washing or all sorts of other household tasks.
Some skilled mamma’s even manage to breastfeed while baby hangs out in a sling.
Tip: Avoid spraying nasty chemicals or hanging upside down while baby is being carried.
6) Don’t waste your time
Instead of constantly tiding and going backwards and forwards all day, use a washing basket or similar and put things that need to go away into it.
Then at the end of the day carry it room to room putting away things (or better yet, get someone else to do it!).
When folding washing take a little more time to have a pile for each drawer for each person, this makes putting away so much easier.
7) Get things done as you can
There’s no rule that says you have to clean your house all on one day, all before lunch.
Complete a few cleaning tasks each day to get housework done while still leaving you plenty of time for bonding with your newborn.
8) Create a cleaning schedule
Having a regular cleaning routine will help keep structure in your week and stop tasks from building up to insurmountable levels.
For example: make Monday fold washing day, vacuum on Wednesday, shop on Thursday etc, this allows you to ignore it until then, knowing you have a time set aside for it.
It also removes the self-imposed pressure to have a spotless house with a newborn which is actually really unrealistic!
9) Check your cleaners
With a baby in the house, now is the time to have a good look at the harsh chemicals you are using to clean with.
White vinegar, baking soda or dish soap are all nontoxic cleaners with will do most cleaning task as well as (if not better than) the most harsh cleaners, add in a microfiber cloth and you are away laughing.
10) Use the noise of the vacuum to help baby sleep
Secure your newborn into a bouncer seat or bassinet and let the sounds of the vacuum send him off to sleep.
Hopefully he’ll get a good rest while within eyesight while you accomplish some household chores! Newborn babies will often find the sound of a vacuum soothing, and many will nod off to sleep to it.
11) Spray and walk away
Spray your kitchen and bathroom down with white vinegar and leave it for a while, when you go back the grime will have broken down and a simple wipe with a microfibre cloth and you are done!
12) Use a baby monitor
If you baby is one that will sleep in his own bed, plug in the baby monitor and use some of the time you have to whip around and do the most pressing tasks. Remember to sit down and take some time to yourself as well, this is as (if not more) important as having a clean house!
13) Set a timer
Taking time for yourself each day is important. Set aside a small space of time to blitz the house quickly before getting on to other tasks. Set a timer for 15 or 30 minutes and get as much done in that time as you can. When the timer goes off, stop and relax knowing that you can do more another day.
14) Focus on where annoys you the most
If you spend 99% of the day in the living area, focus your cleaning time on there, as it will be the place you notice the most during the day.
15) Use Baby toys
Does your baby love their bouncer seat, baby swing, play gym or exersaucer? Park your baby right next to you with their favorite toy and get some housework done while they play happily.
16) Get your partner to help
Often the parent that is staying at home to look after the newborn baby is expected to also do most of the domestic chores. However, in the first 3-4 months, this might be very unrealistic.
This is a good time for your partner to step up and either do some of the cleaning themselves, or to spend some bonding time with baby while you get some cleaning done.
If you don’t have a partner, maybe a good friend, or family member might fill that role for you.
17) Make a cleaning caddy
Get a small basket or bucket and make a cleaning caddy with a cleaning product or two, and some cloths, rags, paper towels or even baby wipes.
Leave it in your living room or bathroom and it allows you to quickly clean messes as they happen.
18) Employ a cleaner
For busy mums who aren’t comfortable accepting help from friends and family, consider hiring help.
Paying a cleaning service to take care of household chores will let you focus on bonding with your newborn without the guilt of letting friends and family pitch in when there are chores to do.
Cleaning services are more affordable than you might think and they can keep on top of the basic chores for you.
19) Relax your ideals
A messy house is not a sign of moral failure. House chores can become overwhelming when you are trying to cope with caring with a newborn baby.
Don’t let the house cleaning overwhelm you, sometimes letting go of the ideal of a clean home and embracing a little bit of crazy mess is the easier way to surviving the time with a new baby.
Try giving someone else (husband, friend, professional or kid) your least favorite household chore, even if it is just for a short amount of time while your baby is little, and then don’t complain about the standard it is cleaned to.
At the end of the day, people come to see you (and baby) not your house, and most of us live day-to-day in more mess than we would like anyone to know. So RELAX and spend some time on you and baby, after all no one ever wishes they had spend more time cleaning and less time with their baby!
