Keeping a clean house can seem like a Herculean task when you have kids and pets running around. The spills, pet hair, toys, and occasional accidents can easily transform a tidy space into a chaotic one. However, it is entirely possible to maintain a clean and welcoming home with the right strategies and tools. This guide will help you find peace in your lively, love-filled home.

1. Evaluate the Factors in Your Home

The first step to keeping a clean house is evaluating the factors that can cause the most messes. Whether it's pets, kids, or hobbies, it's important to categorize the factors you're facing and make a game plan with them. Everyone, no matter what factors are in their home, needs a deep clean house checklist. You might have a few more slots on your checklist if you have a dog or cat, and you will absolutely have a few more slots if you have kids!

How Do You Clean Your House When You Have Pets

You love your furry children, but the dander, dirt, and hair they drag in or leave means you must keep up a daily cycle of dusting and vacuuming, especially if you are trying to achieve a hypoallergenic home. You will also likely need to know how to clean dog pee from the carpet, and probably more than once. Prepping in advance by having the materials on hand and knowing that these messes will happen allows you to clean your house with pets and feel comfortable with the results. 

How Often Should You Clean Your House With a Dog?

Keeping your home clean with a pet, especially a dog, requires frequent maintenance. Aim to vacuum multiple times weekly and mop hard surfaces regularly to tackle paw prints and spills. Washing pet bedding and toys weekly can also significantly reduce overall pet odors.

2. Every Family Member Cleans

Is It Possible to Have a Clean House with Kids?

While children add another layer of dust and clutter, they also contribute helping hands once they're older. For the baby and toddler stage, utilize storage containers and schedules and prioritize what's needed. With older children, involve them in the cleaning process by assigning age-appropriate chores. Use simple checklists to help them understand their responsibilities and ensure everything has a designated place to minimize clutter. Regularly decluttering and organizing play areas will also help maintain order.

How Do You Deal with a Messy House with Kids?

A messy home adds stress and anxiety to your day, but it doesn't have to be that way! Create a positive cleaning routine by making it fun for kids—consider rewards for completed chores or turn cleaning time into a game. Use storage bins and organizers to make it easy for kids to tidy their rooms. Leading by example and maintaining your organization can inspire your children to follow suit. You can also use these tips to motivate yourself. If a messy home impacts your mental health, keeping a tidy home should be your utmost priority!

3. Invest in the Right Tools and Products

Choosing the right cleaning products is vital, especially in homes with pets, and is integral to keeping your home clean, especially with kids and/or pets running around.

Cleaning Products 

Opt for non-toxic cleaners that are effective against stains and safe for use around animals. High-quality tools like microfiber mops and cloths can also enhance your cleaning efforts, making the process quicker and more effective. Don't be afraid to invest in deep cleaning checklists and agents to keep your home smelling and looking beautiful

Tools Your Love to Use

While we all feel a bit grown-up shopping for vacuums, having cleaning tools we enjoy using helps us want to keep a clean house. Find a vacuum you love, ensure your organizational systems fit your personality, and discern what laundry rotation you need. There's nothing worse than trying to do a chore you don't enjoy with a tool you despise.

4. Clean Up Messes Right Away 

There's truly nothing worse than needing to clean dog poop from the carpet - except if that mess has been sitting there for a while. While it's impossible always to know where your pet is, keeping an eye on it and giving it plenty of outside time (or litter box time) allows.

Deep Clean to Remove Deep Odor

If you've discovered that your home smells like a dog no matter what you do, it may be time to do an intensive deep clean (including carpets). A deep cleaning checklist allows you to ensure that you're checking off your deep cleaning checklist and making your home smell like there are no pets about!

5. Declutter and Remove Stress

Less is More

While maintaining a clean house with kids and pets involves challenges, it's certainly achievable with consistent effort and the right approach. Implementing these tips can make cleaning less of a chore and more a part of your routine, allowing you more time to enjoy the joys of a lived-in home that is also neat and tidy. Sometimes, you may even need to declutter the house in one day to give yourself a fresh start. That's where cleaning out closets and being generous with the donation bin comes in handy. 

6. Communicate with Your Partner

Too often, housekeeping labor is unseen and under-appreciated, leaving those doing the work feeling frustrated. However, communicating with your partner and identifying who accomplishes which cleaning roles is an integral part of keeping a clean house and a happy life. If you are feeling overwhelmed, then a conversation is in order. 

7. Invest in Outside Help

Hiring a housekeeper as a working parent is a practical decision that supports work-life balance. It ensures a clean, organized home, reducing stress and freeing up time to focus on family and career. This choice prioritizes well-being and efficiency, making it a responsible and beneficial move. You might be surprised at how affordable it is!

What Do You Do with Your Dog When the Housekeeper Comes?

Your fur baby loves you and your home. However, your safety and efficiency are paramount when the housekeeper visits. Consider crate training or designating a safe room for your dog during cleaning sessions. This keeps your pet safe and allows the cleaner to be more efficient and thorough without distractions. Even cats sometimes need to go to a safe space while visitors are home. The best house cleaners understand that your home is your pet's home, as well, and will appreciate your fur babies being comfortable.

8. Do Something Small Every Day

Small messes turn into large messes if they are not immediately cleaned up. A clean house will cause you to feel happy and comfortable at home and make your household function smoothly. Dishes, laundry, and vacuuming all keep your home functional, comfortable, and smelling fresh. This also gives pets and kids a routine, sets expectations for how tidying the home will go, and limits any surprise messes you may find from pets and kids. 

You Can Keep a Clean House with Kids and Pets

While it feels daunting at first, with these tips, you can keep a clean house with kids and pets, thrive in your career, and even have hobbies. Your home should be your haven, not where you feel overwhelmed. You spent a lot of time choosing the right home to live in, but keeping it up is just as important. We hope these tips for keeping a clean house with kids and pets inspire you and give you your time back. 

Connect with Country Classics

At Country Classics, we want to bring you home, no matter what your household looks like! We're here to serve your family. We don't just provide a place to live; we provide lifestyle hacks and local pro tips to make Frenchtown a great place to live. 

Contact us today if you're looking for the perfect place to live in Frenchtown.