Best Products for Keeping Your House Clean

Over the past few years there have been a number of instances where decreasing the time and effort required for cleaning has been more than necessary.  From cleaning when pregnant, to cleaning when recovering from birth, or cleaning with a newborn.  Then cleaning with a toddler, cleaning with a toddler while pregnant, cleaning with a toddler and a newborn, to now cleaning with two toddlers where the mess seems to have exponentially increased disproportionately to the number of children.  My general philosophy has been that all things house related can pretty much wait when my kids are young- the laundry and the cleaning, so that I can focus on what is truly important- them.  The reality is however, no one wants to live in a cesspool, and for me at least, mess and disorganization make me anxious, so I have had to find ways to adapt my cleaning methods to be compatible with my changing time constraints.  So, I have strategically chosen cleaning products that help to streamline the cleaning process.

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Top Products:

• Toilet drop-ins to reduce the frequency the toilets need cleaned- I prefer the Clorox drop-ins because to me the smell of bleach is reassuring that it’s clean, I prefer the uncolored tablets, and you can usually buy a multi-pack at Costco.

• Multisurface disinfectant wipes (Seventh Generation, Clorox) for the bathroom and kitchen- I recently purchased Seventh Generation cleaning wipes and while the label says it is a disinfectant, the smell of the wipes makes me suspicious. They have an herbal scent to them, thyme, and since I associate lemon and bleach with clean, it doesn’t smell “clean” to me. But I like that they are natural, and if they really do disinfect then it’s probably better for the family. I will still stick to Clorox Wipes for the bathrooms though.

• Weiman cooktop and granite wipes for fast cleanup. I prefer to use wipes for cleanup because it cuts out one step and helps keep the grime at bay. The granite wipes work very well and don’t need touch up. The cooktop wipes are best for day-to-day cleanup, but a more thorough cleaning with a polish will still be needed from time to time.

• Pledge multisurface wipes– I like to find products that can be used for multiple jobs so these wipes are great for cleaning mirrors and dusting furniture.

• Swiffer duster- I like to use a swiffer duster for dusting most surfaces from furniture, shelves, to bathroom surfaces before I clean them.

• Stick vacuum– A stick vacuum is convenient for keeping up with the dust, hair, and lint on bathroom and laundry floors between mappings. I prefer a cordless vacuum.
• Broom– to keep up with the constant dust, dirt, crumbs, and food on our hardwood floors I sweep to keep the floors looking more presentable between cleanings with a hardwood cleaner.

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I have also found that keeping a cleaning caddy makes it a lot easier to get the cleaning done.  All I need to do is grab the caddy and everything I need is there at my fingertips, no searching for products.  I also started keeping the more frequently used products in each of the respective rooms, disinfectant wipes in the bathrooms and kitchen, multisurface wipes in each bathroom, and the stick vacuum charger upstairs.

So whether you are pregnant, a new mom, or a seasoned mother, you can use these suggestions to quicken your clean-up so you can spend time enjoying the things that are more important.