Cleaning, Cleaning for Kids

How to Clean House After the Baby Arrives

by angelasays

Most mothers know how to clean up before the baby arrives, but once your new little bundle gets to your home, cleaning can often take a backseat. Babies, especially newborns, are an adjustment for everyone in the family and they can affect simple, everyday tasks, such as cleaning the bathroom or taking out the trash. So how exactly are mommies and daddies supposed to clean whenever you are watching your little one like a hawk?

The answer is simple organization. Organization is the answer to everything when it comes to baby. Most importantly, though, you should listen to your baby. Newborns are very good about having a meticulous schedule, and as the weeks go by, and you really get to know your baby, you’ll know what kind of routines you can create around their eating and sleeping schedules.

Here are just a few tips to keep your house clean after the baby arrives:

• Keep cleaning wipes on hand in every room of your home. Welcome to motherhood, where spills can happen at any moment, and meal time can often become a war zone. I absolutely love these diy green wipes that I found on Pinterest:

•  Have a place for everything. I know you might be tired of the old adage, but nothing could be more true once you have a baby in your home. For such small little people, they come with a lot of equipment that can easily take over your house. The best way to combat this is to just be organized. And just because you have a baby does not mean that you have to settle for bright, kid-colored storage bins. In today’s market, you can buy storage that compliments your style and your decor.

• Each time you get up, make a commitment to put away one thing. If you just pick up a little bit at a time, then your mess isn’t overwhelming or scary. Make this commitment stick, but don’t over commit. Don’t start with one thing and pick up a whole room if you don’t have time. You only get this time with baby once, and you need to make the most out of it.

• Create kid-friendly areas.Once your little one starts to walk or crawl, don’t just let him/ her have free reign in the house. Don’t allow food in the living room if you don’t want to clean up crumbs, don’t allow play-doh to be anywhere but the kitchen table, and generally keep an eye on where they play with messy toys/ toys with a lot of pieces. Kids will inevitably spill, draw on, tear apart, or get something sticky on something that they’re not supposed to.

• Prepare yourself for meal time. Once your baby starts eating baby food or solids, things especially have a tendency to get messy. Even though they’re sitting in a high chair, babies like to throw food or spit mushy bananas everywhere, leaving a sticky mess for you to clean up. Put a few newspapers or a mat below your baby’s high chair to collect some of the mess. After meal time, all you have to do is throw away or place it in the washing machine.

• Hire a professional. Look, I know you’re not superwoman. Sometimes us moms just need a little bit of help. Call a professional to clean up your house before the in-laws come, or when your daughter stains your carpet with grape juice right before a big holiday party.

Do you have any go-to tips for cleaning up the house with a new baby? Write me one in the comments below!