How To Keep Your House Clean with Kids: Three Tactical Tips That Actually Work
As a mom of three, I know life with kids can be beautiful and a little chaotic (okay, a lot). Between school runs, snack times, and random toys scattered about—I get it. A tidy home might feel impossible, but with a few practical shifts, you can create a space that feels calm, cleaner, and joyful.
Here are some tactical, real-life tips I use in my own home to keep things under control—without spending hours each day cleaning up.
Declutter First (And Often)
Before we talk about cleaning, let’s talk about stuff. The fewer items you have, the easier it is to clean up—and to teach your kids to help. When every shelf, drawer, and basket is full to the brim, it doesn’t take much for the whole house to feel out of control.
Start small: one drawer, one toy bin, one shelf at a time. Focus on what your family actually uses and loves.
Need help getting started? Read How to Declutter Your Home Without the Overwhelm for a gentle, doable approach.
quick decluttering tips:
Create a list of the spaces to declutter and organize based on priority
Utilize the four-box method: categorize your items into four boxes - throwaway, donate, sell, and keep
Take on one space at a time to avoid overwhelm & take breaks throughout
Many of my clients understandably struggle with letting go of items that hold sentimental value. I encourage you to remember, getting rid of physical items does not mean erasing the memories associated with them. However, there are ways to preserve sentimental items without keeping them in our everyday spaces.I recommend organizing and storing them in secure plastic bins and creating a repository of memories that can be shared and cherished with future generations.
2. Give Every Item a Home
If clutter is the enemy of clean, systems are your best friend. Every item in your home—especially the stuff your kids use daily—should have a designated home.
This will look different for every family, but I recommend tackling this similarly to decluttering. Start with one area at a time and create systems that work in that space before moving to the next one.
This can include tackling your natural storage systems that already exist, like closets, shelves, or pantries—however, in some instances, you may have to get more creative to build a system that works. Consider adding a four or six cube organizer to a playroom to provide functional storage and style for toys, or opting for an armoire in an entryway to utilize the vertical space for storing coats and shoes.
Designate a Home For Items Such As:
Shoes go in the bin by the door
Markers live in the art caddy
Legos get their own box (with a lid, please!)
Backpacks go in the closet
When things don’t have a home, they end up everywhere. When they do, your home practically cleans itself. Okay, maybe not quite, but it helps so much. Need help creating those systems? Check out my favorite organizing finds (baskets, bins, drawer dividers, and more!) on my LTK.
3. Teach your Family Where Everything Goes
This part is key. Even the best systems won’t stick unless the whole family knows how to use them. When kids know exactly where to put their puzzles or school papers, they’re more likely to pitch in. It takes time, repetition, and patience—but I promise, it’s worth it.
Tips For Teaching Kids To Help Clean:
Label bins with a label maker (for younger kids, print photos to label bins)
Do a quick clean-up together before dinner or bedtime
Celebrate progress (not perfection!)
Home isn’t meant to be spotless. It’s meant to feel safe, loved, and lived in. And when everyone in the house knows how to pitch in—even in small ways—it creates a lighter load for everyone.
4. Bonus Tip - Sell Your Used Items
I couldn’t help it, I had one more tip that I just had to share. I wrote a whole blog post around this, which you can read here, but selling your gently used items is a great way to help keep your house clean. If something isn’t serving you in this season of life, it’s time to part with it—instead of throwing it away, consider re-selling it!
There is a huge market online for reselling second-hand items. This allows you to find a new home for items you loved in a previous season of life without them heading to the landfill. As a bonus, the cash you make from the sale can be used to grab baskets or bins to help maintain your new storage systems!
My Favorite Places to Resell Online:
Facebook Marketplace
Local Garage Sale Groups
Local Mom Groups
Selling allows us to declutter our spaces, make some extra money, and contribute to a more sustainable approach to consumption. It's about embracing the idea that "stuff" is just stuff and that its value lies in the joy it can bring to someone else. Less is more.
Need Some Help Organizing?
My services can help.
Let’s work together on a professional home organization project or schedule a virtual design consultation to optimize your space. Organizational systems will help you maintain the cleanliness of your home long term.
Not sure where to get started? Pantries, mud rooms, playrooms, and kitchens are just a few of the spaces I can professionally organize for you.
Your home doesn’t have to be perfect. It just needs to work for you. With a few small shifts—and a whole lot of grace—you can create a space that supports your family’s rhythm and brings more peace to your everyday.
You deserve a space that feels good to come home to.
