How do you keep your house clean with 2? I need HELP!

I_want_a_Pot

I can actually keep my house in some order, but as for deep cleaning, this is a tough one! Even vacuuming 1x a week is a challenge! And with 2, I def need to be doing more cleaning!!!!! How are you handling this?

Raffes484

I do the everyday cleaning (dishes, laundry, sweeping) while the kids nap (there is usually at least a 30 minute overlap in naptimes) or at least when DS goes down for a nap. I vacuum after they're awake.

Any deep cleaning happens on the weekend when DH is here to keep an eye on them or if I'm really lucky, I can get him to take them out of the house for a couple of hours so I can clean.

CaitlinJ22

I vaccuum the hardwoods every morning while they are playing to almost done eating. I vaccuum the carpet 2 times a week while they are playing in their rooms. I wiped down counters every morning ebfore eating. I have a cleaning service that comes once amonth to do deep stuff. I do the toilets and wipe the sinks 1 time a week, and mop all the floors 1 time a wk too. I have a tiny house. 

 

rgtsmom01

I put on baby Einstein first thing in the morning and they play with there toys and watch it.  That gives me some time to knock it out early. 

I_want_a_Pot

Wow Caitlin! That's awesome!! When do you find time to shower? I usually shower while they nap. Do you bring them out everyday? Why am I having such a hard time with this?!!

laura1

We have a cleaning person come once every 2 weeks.  

Other than that, they both nap at the same time, so I do some cleaning of the kitchen, play areas every day at that time.  Otherwise I do more after they go to bed.  

I love having our cleaning people - that way I can usually get free time after they go to bed.  That, and I hate cleaning!

laura1

I_want_a_Pot:

Wow Caitlin! That's awesome!! When do you find time to shower? I usually shower while they nap. Do you bring them out everyday? Why am I having such a hard time with this?!!

She obviously does way more than I do, but I shower in the  morning.  It used to be during DD's am nap (9ish), and DS would watch Sesame.  Now they both watch Sesame after breakfast while I shower.  

My shower/getting dressed takes much less time than an episode of SS, so after I am done, I unload the dishwasher, prepare their snacks, and get ready to get out of the house.  

When we get home, they eat lunch and go down for their naps, and I clean up the kitchen and play area from the mess they made in the am!

Like I said before, if we need big cleaning of other things - bathrooms, mopping, etc, that gets done after they go to bed, and by the cleaning people every 2 weeks  

I_want_a_Pot

I would love cleaning people, but unfortunately there are no funds for that at this time. Around how much do you pay???

sweetpea2003

I tidy up every night after they go to bed (dishes, laundry, toys, etc).  I vacuum a few times per week (my home is 100% hardwood so I only have to vacuum area rugs) and sweep busy areas 1-2x per week.

BUT...  I have a cleaning lady who comes every other week to do the DEEP cleaning.  She mops my entire house, deep cleans the bathrooms, takes the stove apart and cleans it, dusts all of the surfaces, puts new sheets on beds, etc. 

My husband is deployed and I told him that if he wanted to come home to a wife who wasn't committed into an insane asylum that a cleaning lady bi-weekly was mandatory.  I'm only half kidding .

Daisy22

I work at home on top of having DS2 at home with me. DS1 goes to school M,W,F but those are the days I work. I had to make a schedule and stick to it. Here it is:

Sunday - change sheets, dust and vacuum upstairs

Monday - vacuum hardwood floors downstairs

Tuesday - bathrooms

Wednesday - dust downstairs

Thursday - vacuum and clean with the cloth mop hardwood floors downstairs

Friday - nothing unless I missed a day/laundry

Saturday - nothing

lkf041

Our house is on the market so I have to make this work.  I clean as much as I can while they are playing in the morning.  As soon as they go down for a nap I run around and do the rest.  And I agree with Caitlin, I have to vacuum at least 1x a day... my kids get crumbs everywhere and it drives me nuts.  I only deep clean when I have a showing and that's been 1-2 per week.   

saturdaynightdoubletree

Raffes484:

I do the everyday cleaning (dishes, laundry, sweeping) while the kids nap (there is usually at least a 30 minute overlap in naptimes) or at least when DS goes down for a nap. I vacuum after they're awake.

Any deep cleaning happens on the weekend when DH is here to keep an eye on them or if I'm really lucky, I can get him to take them out of the house for a couple of hours so I can clean.

All this. Except DH is a clean freak... so I take the kids out while he deep cleans, or at least keep them occupied. 

mexicolombiana

I try to clean for at least 30 min. every night when I come home from work.  It sucks but works really well for making sure things don't pile up. 

DH does most of the dishes after dinner, I do all the laundry and I also try to sneak in a quick load of laundry during the week so I don't have to do it all on weekends.

My mom also tidies up if she comes over and last week my babysitter cleaned my bathroom and left it so clean it freaking sparkled.  I could have eaten eggs off the toilet seat it was so clean.  That was really nice of her!!! She also used to clean homes for like 25 years so she's very good!

Other than that, I really try to do some deep cleaning on either sat. or sun. morning.  and we have NO carpeting at all in our house because I hate carpeting.  We have all hardwood floors that I also sweep 2 times a day (since DD is always on the floor). 

So basically constant cleaning= semi-clean house!

EDIT: though of course I still don't technically have 2 under 2 since I'm still pregnant so I'm sure my cleaning streak will probably end soon!

vanessaNOV2

I clean during thier nap, usually kitchen stuff. I vaccum 2x a week but thats easy bc I can do it at anytime of day bc they arent afraid of it. Laundry is the one thing I do when dh comes home, I cant put away clothes with kiddos, they want to help & end up making a mess. On weekends I will try to complete 1 deep clean area, *** the car or washing floors. Im ok with a semi dirty house though, dishes can be done later bc these kids are more important.

Bride2b2004

Wow.  I am amazed at some schedules here.  I honestly don't clean regularly.  I straighten up, throw dishes in and out of the dw and wipe down counters/table a few times a day-whenever I can (naps or when kids play or eat).  I try to do a few loads of laundry on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  The vacuum calms DS2, so I frequently find opportunities to vacuum the floors, but it isn't on a schedule.  I sweep the hardwoods (esp the kitchen) constantly... they are always full of crumbs and I am scared what it will be like with 3 kids!  Everything else is sort of shared with DH.  When we have a party or something, we have a cleaning service come in.  When we have company, DH and I divide up the chores.  One thing I wish I could do more is mop the hardwoods, but it takes SO much time and is not something I can do with the kids around.  Overall, I have no problem with my current laid-back approach to cleaning and often messy house... my step-mom cleaned our house constantly and always regrets she didn't just enjoy the children more when they were young (and who remembers how clean her house was anyway?).