1. Declutter
When you have kids, stuff accumulates. Baby stuff, toys, clothes...so to make the cleaning process easier, make sure you don't have extra clutter that doesn't serve a purpose, otherwise when it's time to clean, you will just be moving stuff around. If it doesn't provide value or "spark joy", as Marie Kondo says, you may want to get rid of it to free up some space. Once you get rid of the non-essentials, it will be so much easier to keep your home clean.
2. Use A Toy Rotation System
We don't keep all of the twins' toys out at once. I have a plastic storage container that I store in their closet that I keep half of their toys in. I keep the other half of their toys in the toy box. I switch them out every couple of weeks. This keeps the amount of toys we have under control, and the boys get excited to see the "new" toys when we switch them out!
3. Use Decorative Baskets For Storage & Easy Clean Up
Keeping a decorative basket in each room is a great way to have extra storage around the house, and it makes picking up toys quick and easy. I have one similar to this. It's cute and functional!
4. Clean Up Before You Leave The Room
This is an important one! This is something we started doing with the twins when they were old enough to understand how to clean up. It has become part of our routine and they know that it is expected. They play in their bedroom a lot, and when it's time for them to leave the room, they know we have to pick up the toys first. It makes our routine go soooo much smoother, and the times we are in a hurry, or we forget to do this, it makes things more stressful when we come back into the room for nap time/bed time/etc.
5. Clean As You Go
This one is similar to tip #4. You know that quote "do something today that your future self will thank you for"? My future self is always thankful when I clean things up as I go! After meal time, put their dishes away and wipe down the high chair so that it's ready to go for the next meal time. Before nap time, pick up all the toys in their room so that you don't trip over them when you come in to get them after they wake up! After playing in the living room, tidy up so that you don't have to do it later in the day when you're tired. Don't overwhelm yourself by saving everything for the end of the day. I don't know about you, but after putting my kids to bed at the end of the day, I know I don't feel like spending hours cleaning!
These simple tips make it easier for me to maintain a clean home, even with two year old twins. I hope this can help you also! Do you already do some of these? Do you have any tips you would add? Let me know what you think!
