House maintenance tips for busy parents

Storage and keeping things organised is key for keeping on top of things

So you run a busy household, balancing day-to-day tasks such as cooking and cleaning with taking care of the kids, and at times, if you are being honest, it all seems like too much. An easy remedy is to ensure that home maintenance is kept to an absolute minimum, freeing you up to focus on other tasks or even increasing your leisure time.

Keep it simple

A great way to ensure that your house is easy to maintain is to keep the furnishings and layout simple. A minimalist approach to interior design ensures that there is less to clean and, just as importantly, fewer tight spaces to get into for the purposes of cleaning. Having an open-plan design in the house means that you can see what needs to be cleaned and when, thus preventing a backlog of cleaning tasks.

Trying keep clutter to a minimum in a family home can be hard but worth it

A follow-on tip from minimalist furnishings is to prevent clutter from building up around the house. This is easier said than done when there are kids involved and toys, books and clothes will tend to be put where they do not belong, but a great way of teaching kids the importance of maintaining a tidy home is to encourage them to tidy up their own clutter.

The importance of routine

Scheduling daily cleaning tasks is a great way to keep a house looking tidy. One way of cleaning is to adopt a clean-it-as-you-go approach but if you have kids pulling you in one direction and a sink full of dirty dishes pulling you in another, how do you prioritize? A better approach might be to divide the time you do have into manageable chunks, setting aside 15 minutes – to give an example – to tidy up the kitchen and 10 minutes to clean the bathroom. It can be hard to remember all of the day-to-day tasks that need to be done, so write a list and keep it in a place where it can be seen – the refrigerator door is one obvious spot. If cleaning tasks are to be divided among family members, write down who does what. 

How simple and stylish is this kitchen, bet they don't go to bed with an untidy kitchen (image)

Something worth remembering is to never go to bed leaving the kitchen untidy because in the morning you might not have the time to tidy up and one mess will be piled on top of another. In many ways, the kitchen is the heart of the home because so much activity takes place there. So, keeping it tidy should be a priority.

The bigger jobs

Day-to-day cleaning is essential of course but there are times when bigger cleaning tasks need to be done and scheduling such jobs as carpet cleaning on a regular basis means that you can keep your house maintained to as high a standard as possible. Effective house cleaning services can be a real game-changer and help reduce your stress levels and daily tasks, but it does require the company to have the right equipment and expertise. Make sure to go with a top-quality cleaning service that has the added benefit of being environmentally friendly. They should have an approved method for cleaning carpets and upholstery fabrics that has the approval of their manufacturers.

I love clean and crumb-free carpets (image)

Follow these tips and you will find that maintaining your home becomes easier and you have more time to spend with your kids - or even by yourself.

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