How do you keep a clean house as single mom?

How do you find the time to keep your house clean? do you follow a cleaning schedule? I am a single mother who works 9 to 5. my kids are not home all day as they are at daycare but when i get home theres the mess from the morning and i am drained and either dont feel like cleanign or id rather hang out with my kids…how do i break this cycle? i am exhuatsed

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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How do you keep a clean house as single mom?

Chores make them fun rewarding and age appropriate

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clean as you go put every thing where it goes when done with it teach kids to do that to

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Even just putting aside 15 minutes a day to do a quick tidy up helps a lot. I know it’s hard and being so drained, but it has to get done. Also, try to get your kids involved too.

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Spend 20 mins doing it in the morning before u leave, then kids gone all day an u gone, come home to clean house, depending on kids ages, get one to wash dishies after dinner an one to put away

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Teach the kids that part of the morning routine is to put things back. After breakfast, dishes go in the sink that mom already filled with hot soapy water. Let them soak until you make dinner. Do those and dinner dishes while making dinner.
Bath time after dinner, they can help do some chores before a bedtime snack.

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I clean when they sleep

I usually clean up after the kids are in bed now matter how tired I am.

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I’d do 15-20mins of tidying and then spend the time with the kids… my grandma told me, one day they’ll be gone but the housework will still be there❤

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Early morning cleaning, after work cleaning, weekend deep cleaning

I was a single mum that worked and went to school. I kept it simple, when the kids went to bed I cleaned one room every night. I still do this today

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Break it down on different days

You don’t…:woman_shrugging:t2: stop making high expectations for your self, thre is a difference between dirty and lived in…
Get a chore chart to help with things, even little stuff like restocking the water & juice boxes in the refrigerator, they like that one!
Make a game of clean up!
For a quick clean up: Gets some baskets or something to keep in the living room, one for toys, shoes, and mommy stuff.
Paper plates!! Yes girl!

What are ur biggest cleaning issues???
What is ur morning routine?
How many little ones? Ages?

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Have a cup of coffee and a five hour energy and get that cleaning done

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Make your expectations realistic
Do one job a day
Celebrate little steps and dont focus on what isnt “perfect”

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I’m a single mom of 4 kids that I raised mainly by myself. I had to get them to put their toys away early and to put their dirty clothes in the box in their bedroom. I also worked and had sitters or day care. Have your kids pick up their clothes and toys and put them away instead of leaving their mess for you. I taught my kids to put their toys back in the basket after they were thru playing with them from age 9 mos on. When they didn’t put their toys away they didn’t get to play with them the next day. One of my friends did the same with her son. It helps your kids to become better at behaving and also to learn how to do things instead of relying on you for everything. Kids need rules instead of being allowed to toss their clothes all over and leave their toys everywhere. This works for putting their bikes, trikes, and other outdoor toys away as other people are bad about stealing. Good luck in teaching your kids to put their things away and help with dusting, sweeping, dishes, etc. Kids need to have chores to do and then praise for doing them right! I had lots of chores growing up and so did most of my friends - it was very good for us to!

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Get the kids involved.

Put their dishes in the sink.

15 minutes every morning picking up their stuff from the common area

15 minutes in the evening picking up their rooms.

Every body puts things where it belongs when they are done with it.

Take minutes to clean up after yourself as you go than to leave a bigger mess to accumulate.

On the weekends dust, sweep, vacuum, laundry have the kids help.

Hire a cleaning lady!!!

Um. …u keep it clean by keeping up with it everyday.

Girl i have this same struggle! I just try to tackle one thing at a time. Like during my daughters bath time, I’ll clean the bathroom. Or during nap time on the weekends I’ll sweep and mop. I make her clean her toys in the living room so then I vacuum. That’s how I’ve managed without feeling overwhelmed

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Include your children in the smaller things-age appropriate chores. Do one thing a day. Like vacuum all the rooms one day. Make one day just for laundry. Just set a goal to do that one thing for the day. It helps you feel accomplished setting a goal and finishing it when you’re supposed to. However as long as your house isn’t completely trashed- make time for yourself and your kids too.

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Sometimes it just stays messy. Can’t do it all.

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Just go with the flow.have time with your kids
. the house will be there long sfter the kids are grown dont sweat the small stuff.

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The kids have to help… Chores. They live there, they help make the mess, they have to help clean up.

Turn some Zack Williams on and get it done.:slightly_smiling_face: I have 8 kids

No schedule just do what I can cook tea , wash pots ,empty bins and wash clothes are essential in my book , anything beyond that will be done as and when lolxx

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I haven’t figured it out yet. Single mom of 5 with similar hours and still don’t get home til almost 8pm and my legs are in sooo much pain right now. I’m lucky to be getting laundry done. I’d do anything to have enough room for a dishwasher.

I work part time and I’m a stay at home mom and I can’t keep my house clean…

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Me and my husband both work 9 to 5:00 jobs kids are teenagers and out with their friends and I still manage to keep my house clean I’ve got six Huskies that destroy it everyday and I still manage to keep it clean I’ve never had a problem. My kids help me with the chores around the house. Recruit your kids give them things to do they make messes too it’s their house too. You shouldn’t be the only one cleaning. My husband even helps me here and there.

Take 30 minutes and divide that time between the kitchen and another room, each day.
Small time frames get quite a bit done and you still have time for your family. Never worry about perfection. :blue_heart:

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Depending on how old your kids are, have them help you. My kids got cordless stick vacuum’s when they were 6 & 4 and loved getting them going and cleaning. Now they do almost every chore in the house but we also do a 15 min pickup at least 2 times a week.

Play your fav 3 songs loud- we all have until the final song finishes to get as much done as possible. Sheets changed, shoes put away, floors cleaned, dishes, table wiped down. Make it fun.

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My daughter never stops,shes always picking up and cleaning up constantly, her house is so clean,but I bet she is so exhausted.

You have to clean as you go to stay on top of it. It helps that I have ocd and can’t stand a mess.

Your children are the most important people in your life. Raising them to be happy, healthy independent adults is the most important job you’ll ever have.
You dont say how old they are . Im assuming young if they’re at daycare but even very young children can be taught to help…putting toys in a box, putting dirty clothes in the washer.
Make it easy for yourself. Bathroom & kitchen are a daily clean. Do it immediately or they end up a total mess and unhygienic.
Laundry gets done when the washer is full…you dont need to separate colours unless you’ve got something like new jeans…ironing is definitely optional if you hang clothes up straight away.
I keep a multipurpose spray…a little bleach /lemon floor cleaner topped up with water…5 minutes cleans the bathroom and I use it on kitchen tops/cupboards/white goods too. A carpet sweeper is great for a quick run round the living room …works on hard flooring or carpets…and a feather duster makes short work of dusting skirting boards/doors etc .
Once a week do every room properly …different one each day.
If youve a dish washer load dishes as they’re used. Turn it on leaving the house…dishes are already dry when you get back. If not…its a five minute job to get them done…much longer if you leave them dirty.
Routine is everything…but don’t feel like a failure if the home is not perfect. You have happy, healthy, secure kids…youre a success

So my strategy is when I get home I recruit the kids to help clean their mess, I do dishes and sweep. I save laundry for weekends and deep clean on Sundays or Saturday night.

I cannot keep up with it either i just tackle bit by bit so it its not a dump bit its never completely clean

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I had three in kids, five years apart which meant three schools -no buses. All in sports & other activities. I work full time. House still gets clean every day. Might not be perfect but it’s clean

Do what you can and don’t stress mama. As kids grow youll have more time. Just enjoy yourself

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Make it a fun thing to do with all the kids. Bonus, cleaning and hanging with the kids… dance it out mama! It’s hard. Some days there will be a mess. I make a chore chart and try my best to stick with it. I split up the hard messes like deep cleaning for one day a week then the rest of the week everyone has a job, we do dinner together everyone has a daily dinner task to help set the table or pour drinks. Then after dinner we do our chores together with some music then hang out for a hit before bedtime. It’s hard but once you find the groove that works for you you’ll feel better. And there’s days we all say ehhh. Let’s just do it tomorrow. And that’s okay too. You’re doing a good job. I hope this helps a lil.

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What I have learned over the years of being exhausted and beating myself up over a “clean” home…
Is as long as their are kids in the home, your house is going to be lived in. You’re going to be tired from taking care of everyone and everything. Enjoy the moments while you can. You can have a “clean home” when they are grown up and gone out of the house.
(Obviously you gotta keep up with bare minimum so your house doesn’t become condemned.) but don’t stress yourself trying to keep everything tidy ALL the time.
When they kids are old enough, assign them duties to help. Reach out to a friend for a cleaning or organizing day.

Or hire a maid. If you can afford that.

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I used to spend 30 min cleaning the house after the kids went to bed.

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When my kids were younger, I used to leave home at 7am, get home at 7pm, feed kids, get school/work clothes ready then pass out from exhaustion. Saturday was spent catching up on sleep and relaxing, while Sunday was spent cleaning the house, ready for the next week.
I now work 4 days a week 7am-3pm and I can keep up with life.
5 working days is too much for any mum, let alone single mums.

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We started a chore chart that changes out every week. I have 3 girls ages 11,15,&17 we sat down and put a list together. Wrote everything on strips of paper and split chores … put in a paperbag and pulled out chores no matter the age the child did whatever was chosen. They don’t get paid but they get a date night/day one on one as there pay. It seems to be working.

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Girl same just let it ride if it gets done it gets done if it don’t it’s ok too

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Clean as you go but don’t stress it as long as it’s not nasty disgusting you’re good

We really don’t, it’s either clothes ir toys clutter, but their worth it!!

I do one thing at a time. One day I clean the kitchen. The n2xt the bathroom. The next the living room. The next sweep and mop. And then repeat the next week. With a 1 yr. And two adults. The house can stay clean. Just that I’m tired and I get up with the baby. Dad is the provider. But it’s all worth it.

Glass of wine, music, and pick up the mess

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Just a little here and there when I get home at 6 - still gotta do dinner but deep cleaning once a week on the weekend Sat or Sunday - and I make one weekend day a lazy day just movies cook movies again lol! I am already overwhelmed I do laundry as I feel with my 4 and 11 yr old

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I have a robo vac that I have programmed for every second day and vacs while at work. Dishes get done every night and kids keep their rooms clean.

One room at a time…clean as you go.

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Once kids are in bed I clean, I fight the urge to sit down lmao jus clean then sleep. Love waking up to a clean house, get the kids to put dishes in sink after they done eating and pick up any garbage in morning before u leave.

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Are your kids old enough to help? Even young children can put things away.

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Every night I would pick up the house so it is clean in the morning Saturdays was my deep clean days and I do a load a laundry every day throw it in washer in morning dry and fold while kids are in the bath

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Change your routine to being cleaner in the morning.

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Once they can walk they can help. They “make” their beds, pick up toys, learn to put dishes and cups that they use in the dishwasher, and clothes into the laundry machines. I also teach them as they age to clean up after themselves (use a toy put it away, use a plate wash it, re cap things, wipe things clean, etc). It helps my load at the end of the day. Then I designate times and days for big tasks and just do a light load of laundry, sweep, or vacuum daily. (Because let’s face it kids tend to leave crumbs everywhere haha and this mama don’t do bugs or mess). When they’re chore age I tend to give them a chore for mornings and one for evenings to be completed prior to school and prior to bed.

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I start at the front door, and clean one room at a time until the house is done on my days off. It helps me to not get overwhelmed looking at the whole mess. I also start as soon as I wake up that day so that my house is nice and clean by lunch. Clean as you go. The absolute MOMENT you are done with a dish, wash it. Never let them even sit in the sink. Once you get one basket of clothes full, toss it in the washing machine. Etc. Keeps it from piling up

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The only way I can is if I’m constantly cleaning. Also get the kids to do age appropriate chores… I’m assuming they’re pretty small as you said daycare but putting toys away is A good start. When they’re older make sure they clean their rooms, take out trash etc

You could always set it on fire. It will be spotless afterwards.

𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐢 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐦 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥:point_down::point_down::point_down::point_down::point_down:

When I was a single mom I’d work 8am to 5pm and I’d come home and clean 2 rooms a day. You don’t wanna over whelm yourself. I started with doing 1 room a day then I worked up to 2. Also depends on how many kids you have. Like me I can only handle 2 rooms at a time while I took care of my 2 kids at the same time.

I can’t keep mine clean as a married dad so I have zero advice :joy: