Creating an Easy Clean Family Home
#AD – This is a collaborative post
Having lived within these four walls for the last 6 months, I have become so much more aware of my surroundings. I notice the cracks in the ceiling that I hadn’t spotted before, the marks on the carpet from where the girls spilled a drink and didn’t even bother to tell me, the dust reflecting in the sunlight from the TV that I swear I only wiped down yesterday. I’ve spent so long in the same place that suddenly it’s become even more apparent that I am not the greatest housewife. In fact, I’ve come to the conclusion that I pretty much such when it comes to creating domesticated bliss. I hate cleaning with a passion and the more we’ve been stuck here, the more of a constant cycle of cleaning and tidying I seem to find myself in.
Given the choice, there is so much I would do to our house to create an easy clean family home. Here are the changes you can make to make staying clean and tidy a far easier task.
Ditch the carpets – With two young children at home, the cream carpets we had fitted in our living room were never going to be a good idea. Not only do they seem to be forever covered in hair, toast crumbs or the odd fleck of salt and vinegar crisps (Neve!) but despite having an annual full clean they still end up looking dull and dirty.
When we come to next change the carpets in your main living room space I will definitely consider engineered wood flooring instead of carpet. Not only is it cheaper than real wood flooring but with a similar look and feel, but it is much easier to clean than carpet. If you have children at home with allergies like Neve, it is also a far better option for air quality as it doesn’t absorb the dust and air particles like carpets can. If drinks get spilled, you can simply just wipe them up! Much less stress!
Make wise fabric choices
As much as I love the velour or soft look fabric sofas, they just aren’t hard wearing enough. With leather furniture, there is far less risk of damage from spills or food spillages. Alternatively, you can opt to use fabric sofa covers that can be removed and washed as required, and can change colour schemes to suit the seasons too!
Rethink your tiles
The tiles in our bathroom ALWAYS look dirty, and I feel like I spent hours of my life that I won’t get back attempting to brighten up the grout or remove build up between the cracks. Next time we do our bathroom I will be opting for a darker colour grout which is far more forgiving!
Fitted Furniture
If you want an easy clean bedroom, avoid dust with fitted wardrobes that run all the way from floor to ceiling., Having little nooks and crannies which are unreachable or wasted space becomes a safe harbour for dust germs and even worse – spiders to hide! The extra space can be great for hiding Christmas presents too (win win!)
Kids Toys Storage
Make the most of all the storage space you can get. We have lots of extra storage in our home (mostly budget items such as the Kallax sets from ikea (although rumour has it that these are about to be discontinued – hopefully for a better alternative!). Stashing toys away in these at the end of the day is a great option for leaving floor areas clean and uncluttered.
Wipe it Away
Next time you freshen up the kids bedrooms or your living space with a lick of paint – opt for the scrubbable paint, which is great for knocks and accidental works of art moments by the kiddies. Rather than having to paint the whole wall again you can wipe down to remove the offending creations – great for peace of mind with children who don’t always follow the rules!
Clever Storage Options
Choose furniture with built in storage such as footstools or under sofa storage. This keeps everything to hand and easily accessible without you having to move things every tine you want to clean.
Clean as you go
For me the most annoying part of cleaning is that it takes so bloody long. Opt for short bursts of cleaning and housework rather than blocking out a whole day for cleaning at the weekend. Doing tasks in short 10 minute intervals makes it far more manageable. You can also clean as you go, e.g. washing up the pans whilst waiting for dinner to cook, cleaning the rest of the bathroom or toilet whilst the kids are in the bath. Multitasking is the winner!
Share the Load
Don’t take it all on yourself. If your children are old enough, get them to help too by offering a chore list in exchange for tablets / iPad or treat. Simple tasks that the kids can do such as pairing socks, putting clothes away, getting uniform ready for the next week etc can really take off the pressure and offer some great life lessons too!
Ditch the Shoes
Encourage family members to take off their shoes as soon as they get home. Having a shoe rack or rail with a box for each family member not only avoids the risk of muddy footprints on your flooring, but reduces the clutter of shoes, bags and wellies blocking access in your hallway.
What other cleaning hacks do you have for an easy life? I’d love to hear them!
