I didn’t know the meaning of ‘mess’ until we hit the toddler stage. I’ve never been one for a perfect home, there’s always some type of clutter – but being a toddler mom, my house became an absolute disaster, and cleaning was overwhelming, to say the least… This is what caused my discovery of the #1 cleaning hack for toddler moms!
I would be lying if I said my house was spotless, but now, my house is liveable in the sense that my kitchen is not overrun with dishes, I’m not searching for the last pair of little boy shorts (potty training is no joke), or stepping in-between Hotwheels and jumbo legos. It’s a manageable mess.
So what’s the *magical* cleaning hack? Interval cleaning!
What is Interval Cleaning?
While I’m not 100% familiar with what it’s officially referred to as, what I’ve dubbed Interval Cleaning refers to exactly what it sounds like – cleaning in intervals.
Now, this works best after you’ve planned a ‘catch-up’ cleaning day where you ATTEMPT to get as much cleaning done as possible (don’t worry about perfection). This will give you a good base to work from and you won’t be as overwhelmed to get started.
Interval Cleaning is cleaning over short intervals of time, usually 15-20 minutes. Shorter periods focused on one task allow you to keep up with the mess without stressing about getting everything else done – plus, it fits into nap time!
SIDENOTE: If your toddler has ‘outgrown’ naptime, start implementing ‘break-time’ or ‘quiet time’ for a period of 30 minutes to 1 hour. Encourage them to read, think, and function independently. Learn more about why break time is so important for toddlers here.
Why Interval Cleaning?
As a stay-at-home & work-from-home mom, I’ve come to realize that I get quickly overwhelmed when focusing on everything that needs to get done in a day… Which often causes me to get nothing done. Interval cleaning is the only way I’ve managed to stay sane and is therefore the golden cleaning hack for toddler moms (at least in my book).
Interval cleaning is a way to reduce stress while still keeping the house clean. You’re able to focus on one thing at a time rather than the entire house, and it’s a set period of time so it’s not taking over your entire day. You’re also able to clean when you can – you’re not fighting your toddler so you can wash dishes, you wait for some free time, wash the dishes, and then you’re done for the day.
The main benefit of cleaning this way is that you get to set your restrictions – you can decide how many times you want to clean if you want to go past the set amount of time, and what room you need to conquer.
How to Get Started with Interval Cleaning
Getting started with Interval cleaning is actually pretty simple, you just need a timer! The first couple of sessions are going to be the hardest – and you have to push through for it to be successful.
Even though you’re ‘pushing through’ don’t put too much pressure on it. Even if this interval ends up more of a decluttering than a cleaning, we’re considering it a win!
You’re going to need to choose an interval length, the best way to do this is by thinking about the length of time your toddler easily independently plays. This could be 5 minutes or 25 minutes, every toddler is different. This is going to be the length of time you use for your intervals.
Next, you’re going to mentally section off your house. You can do this by room or by general ‘area’ but you need to make sure you have it pictured in your head and the space is not too big. For example, each room in my house is a ‘section’ except my den.
My den is the largest room and where my toddler plays throughout the day. Therefore I’ve sectioned it off, one section is the couch/TV area and the other is the play area where the toy boxes and play table are located.
Then, decide how many times you want to clean in a day. I choose two. One in the morning, one in the afternoon. Don’t set a specific time, just be ready in that timeframe.
Now, all you have to do is take action. Wait for that free moment, set your timer, and start cleaning. Once your timer is up, do something else! If you’re feeling motivated – as we sometimes are – keep cleaning! Interval cleaning is all about cleaning when you can.
For you to get the best results, pair it with a monthly cleaning schedule for your tasks that require a little more time although you can do them less frequently.
If your house is a mess (no shame), it might take a little longer to see significant results, but as long as you keep up with doing your cleaning intervals, you’ll have a tidier – but still toddler-chic – home. How’s that for a cleaning hack for toddler moms?
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