Cleaning Survival for New Moms

So, you are a new mom. Congratulations! There is nothing better in the world than baby giggles and the smell of a newborn! I remember my first baby. I could have spent hours just looking at him and snuggling him close – which is good because he isn’t nearly as co-operative for those mom snuggles now!

But with all of the joys of motherhood, there are definitely some challenges as well. Top of the list – exhaustion! It is fine for the rest of the world to say sleep when the baby sleeps, but do they understand that that is the only time you can get anything done! After all, just because there is a new little person on the scene it doesn’t mean you get a pass on making dinner, cleaning the house or even taking a shower!

Sure you can order take out now and then, but at some point you will need to make a real meal! And a shower may be optional for a day or two, but before long it becomes pretty clear that baby vomit and B.O. do not mix! As for cleaning the house, you have got to learn to just let some things slide – or drive yourself insane trying to be the perfect new mom, housekeeper and a dozen other things that you may have been pre-mamahood. That’s not to say that you need to let your house become a royal disaster, but you do need to pace yourself, take care of the most important things and maybe, just maybe, let a few things go.

You don't have to do it all at once!

Here are some cleaning tips that will help you keep ahead it, but won’t leave you feeling exhausted and defeated.

Laundry – The nice thing about laundry is you can throw a load in and then go and grab a nap while it washes. It may have to sit in the washer until baby’s next nap, but that’s fine, just toss it in the dryer before your next nap. Folding can be done while baby plays.
Dishes – Everyone’s favorite job – NOT! If you have a dishwasher, make sure dishes are loaded after every meal, so that it is just a matter of adding soap and turning it on when it is full. And remember, you don’t have to do all the loading. Your partner can help.
Meal Prep – Weekends when hubby is home to help out with the baby or around the house is a great time to do advance meal prep for the week. There are plenty of simple recipes for casseroles, stir fry, etc that can be prepared in advance and then just need to be thrown in the oven. Other great tools for meal prep are slow cookers and the instant pot!
Floors – This is a tough one since when baby is sleeping the last thing you want to do is be scrubbing floors. So, instead of doing a heavy duty clean, grab a wet jet and clean the worst of it. Then, when your partner is around, one of you can do a more thorough cleaning.
Dusting – This doesn’t need to be done daily – give yourself a break! Maybe pick a room or two and take care of them when you have the time and energy. It doesn’t all have to be done at the same time!
Bathrooms – I vote we hand this one over to hubby!! But if he absolutely refuses (which I think is either really brave or really dumb since you are so sleep deprived and can’t be held accountable for your actions!), then use cleaners that do most of the work for you! Spray, soak, wipe. And if it’s not perfect, then dare the man to complain!
Cut yourself some slack! – Your most important jobs right now are to take care of you and that adorable little person you brought into this world. So don’t beat yourself up if your house isn’t as spotless as it once was.

Isn’t there an old saying that goes something like “If you are coming to see me, come ahead. If you are coming to see my house, stay home.”….Ok I may have improvised a bit on that, but you get the point. Give yourself some grace and focus on taking care of you and enjoying those baby snuggles and giggles! After all, they are only little once.

I Need it Clean!

If you absolutely can’t live with a house out of sorts, call us and we can help with weekly, bi-weekly or monthly cleanings. Oh, and we know how to be very quiet when we clean since we have had babies too!

Older kids can be a big help around the house as well. Check out our blog “Keeping the House Clean – Let the Kids Help!”

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