(0:00) Keeping a clean house is hard, but keeping a clean house with kids, (0:04) now that’s on a whole different level. Between the sticky fingers, toys everywhere, (0:08) and spontaneous trash or breadcrumbs, I mean, that’s a losing battle. But here’s the good news, (0:15) a clean, calm, and pristine home is possible, even with the little rascals running around.
(0:21) Today we’re breaking down 12 science-backed, realistic methods and strategies to keep (0:27) your house clean so it doesn’t take your entire life. Let’s start with the foundation of a clean (0:32) home, which is clutter-free. Clutter isn’t just a visual nuisance, it’s mind-blogging, (0:40) stressful, causes anxiety, so it’s best not to have it.
Research shows that excessive clutter (0:48) can cause procrastination, excessive stress, anxiety, and mental fatigue. Now in homes with (0:54) kids, clutter can run amic, and here are a few simple habits on how to prevent them. Lead by (1:02) example.
I mean, it’s one of the foundations, right? If your kids watch you clean and organize, (1:09) they’re gonna have a role model to live up to, and naturally they’re gonna do it by themselves. (1:13) But if you’re a wreck yourself, your entire home’s gonna be a wreck. Assign a place for everything, (1:18) whether it’s socks, legos, play-doh, and books, everything needs its assigned place.
You could (1:25) color-code it, leave boxes open, and train your kids and label them to be able to store everything (1:31) properly. Keep surfaces clear. Clutter is not only about physical disturbances, but it’s also (1:37) visual, hence why the mental disturbances that are caused by cluttered homes.
So make sure to clear (1:43) off your tables, counters, window seals, and whatever else you see. Use strategic storage. (1:50) Remember to have baskets under benches, labeled bins in closets, and hammocks in playrooms so (1:57) kids can go ahead and put everything away where everything is accessible and not too hard to do (2:03) the objective, which is clutter-free home.
The power of habit is key here, so make sure to make (2:08) cleaning a routine at the same day, same time, and before any type of sequence. For example, (2:15) set a 10-minute timer before dinner and lunch to make sure to clean your kids will be programmed. (2:21) Habits are the backbone of a consistent clean home.
Once it becomes a habit, it’s not a burden, (2:26) becomes routine, and it’s just like waking up or brushing your teeth or even eating. The experts (2:31) do say that habits form within 18 to 254 days, with an average around 66 days. So be consistent, (2:40) consistent, and consistent.
Also, establish house rules. You might want to write them down (2:46) or make your little commandments at the house. For example, everybody cleans their own plate (2:51) after dinner.
Before bed, all the toys are put away in the hammocks. Use and implement the (2:58) two-minute rule, which is, if it takes less than two minutes, do it, as Nike says. So for example, (3:05) after making a sandwich, do the dishes.
Throw away the trash immediately after. You take off (3:11) your socks, put it in the bin. Once again, build routine habits.
Structure, structure, structure. (3:18) So on Monday, you could do laundry for shirts. On Tuesdays, for pants.
On Wednesdays, for those (3:25) dirty socks. Vacuum every Tuesday and Friday. Mop the kitchen every Sunday.
So ideally, (3:32) after the 66th day, once this habit becomes established and ingrained in your brain, (3:38) you literally do it like a robot, right? As the author Charles of The Power of Habit, (3:43) once you do a routine and it becomes a habit, it becomes second nature and no longer becomes a (3:50) Invest in good quality cleaning equipment. That’s exactly what we do here at Rucci Cleaning. (3:56) But anyways, when we clean with quality, efficient, effective equipment, not only is it faster, (4:02) is it better, you have a sense of this feels good.
You feel good about yourself, right? You get a good (4:09) haircut. You’re looking good. You feel good.
You get a nice clean shirt. Feel good. You look good.
(4:15) Whereas, if you spill coffee all over your shirt, you’re not feeling too good, right? (4:20) By the same token, when you have quality, effective, efficient cleaning equipment, (4:25) you’re just more likely to do the due because you have better equipment, feel good doing the process. (4:30) The vacuum feels good in your hands. It’s cleaner when you vacuum.
The mop doesn’t leave streaks on (4:36) your floor. So you have a better end result and a better product. Therefore, you feel better about (4:43) yourself and the habit might form a little quicker than the 66-day rule.
Essential tools (4:49) to invest in. Number one, HEPA vacuum. Why? A regular vacuum, when you vacuum, it recirculates (4:56) the dust.
Now, if you have asthma or any type of allergy problems, this is going to abrogate the (5:02) problem. Not only that, but you’re getting dust into your ears, nose, eyes, and all over your TV (5:09) and the crevices of electronics. So what’s the purpose of vacuuming if you’re just going to (5:14) recirculate it, right? Microfiber towels.
Why are they better than paper towels? Well, (5:20) as the name says it, they have thousands of microfibers that when you put over a surface (5:26) and slide it through, it’s going to pick up all the micro dust in the process. So it’s very (5:32) effective in the cleaning process. And not only that, they’re reusable.
A steam cleaner. Now, (5:37) who doesn’t like a steam cleaner, right? As you’re doing the process of cleaning, for example, (5:43) your bathroom or your grout lines or your tile, it just makes it fun watching the steam come out. (5:50) Not only that, you’re not using chemicals.
It’s sanitized, effective, quick, and fun. (5:56) Eco-friendly sponges. Cellulose sponges are fun, biodegradable, and clean just as effective as a (6:02) regular sponge.
But most importantly, you’re doing something good for the environment. Now, (6:07) when the tough gets going, you want to use something more aggressive. And we’re going to go (6:11) ahead and get an abrasive scrubber.
You can use this on when there’s food stuck that’s been left (6:17) there. Maybe somebody didn’t remember their habit and you have to go back and clean it or in the (6:22) bathroom to get the soaps come off to get it off effectively. Choose quality chemicals.
Avoid harsh (6:29) chemicals with VOCs. If you already have respiratory problems, it’s just going to make it worse. (6:35) In addition to that, you don’t want those harsh chemicals touching you.
As we know, (6:40) our skin is very absorbent. So anything that lands on it will hit your blood system. It varies per (6:47) chemical and by how much.
So always remember to wear gloves as well. Now, as parents, (6:52) cleaning doesn’t have to fall on our shoulders. We have kids growing up that need to develop (7:00) very, very good habits.
So therefore, we need to bring them in and bring in the fun with them. (7:06) Now, I understand that kids vary in ages, so you’re not going to assign the same (7:12) cleaning habits to a two-year-old compared to a seven-year-old. So for two-year-olds, (7:17) what do they do? They play with their toys, so they have to put away their toys.
Ages four to (7:22) seven, they can start doing laundry, sorting it, maybe doing dishes. Ages eight and above, (7:29) they can start vacuuming, mopping, thoroughly cleaning the entire house, basically everything (7:34) that an adult does. Why not? Why does this work? Cleaning together ideally, number one, (7:41) makes the family bond together in a group activity.
This fosters relationships within (7:47) each other, makes them stronger, and it makes everybody whole. It also gives children a sense (7:53) of ownership of their own stuff. Don’t believe me, believe the data.
Psychologists have figured (7:59) out that kids that participate in daily chores with their parents have better self-esteem, (8:05) are more confident, and are more successful in life. Now, nobody wants to do anything for free, (8:10) and habits are really hard to form if there’s no reward. Hence, the Q habit reward system (8:17) explained by the power of habit.
An effective and efficient way to create a habit is to (8:23) have a reward at the end of the habit. By the same token, you can use charts with reward systems (8:29) and a reward financial plan for your kids. For example, they do this chore, they do this chore, (8:35) they do this chore, they earn points, a certain amount of points, they get rewards, there’s (8:40) different prizes.
Get the idea? Implement organizational techniques. Disorganization (8:46) is one of the reasons why homes get messy so quick and so bad. The more structure you have within (8:52) organizing your home, rules, systems, the more effective and easier it is to maintain it.
Once (8:58) again, assign a place for everything. Make it a rule. If you want, you can create a handbook for (9:05) it.
Label it, color code it, program your kids to memorize where everything goes. Scream at them if (9:11) you have. Once you get everything in place and organized, you have a structure and a system, (9:16) it’s a lot easier to keep it going.
Now, if your kids are spoiled, you need to implement (9:21) this rule. Try the one in, one out. What this means is anytime you get something new, (9:28) something has to go out.
One in, one out. You get a new toy, an old toy goes out. Of course, (9:34) you let them pick.
It might be a little bit painful for them, but they’ll get used to it (9:38) and they’ll create good habits, especially not to become a hoarder. Going into the data, (9:44) studies show that having a clean and cluttered space reduces cortisol levels. Have you heard (9:51) of that? Cortisol is the hormone that causes severe stress.
Anything that we could do to (9:56) mitigate that and reduce it, we’re going to have a stronger household within the family. (10:01) Draw up a cleaning schedule with a clear plan. It sets order in havoc and everybody knows what to do, (10:08) when, how, and what.
For example, Monday kitchen, Tuesday bathroom, Wednesday living room, (10:14) Thursday day off, Friday bedrooms, and so forth. Once again, kids are varying in different ages. (10:21) I’m not sure what stage your kids are in, but parents should handle the heavy stuff and the (10:27) bossing around, whereas the kids need to handle the light stuff.
Organize books, clear the table, (10:33) make the table, put your toys away. Having a schedule removes the guesswork, keeps everybody (10:39) organized, on point, on track, and removes the guesswork. Once again, implement a reward system.
(10:45) Everybody loves a reward, and when kids know at the end of the goal there’s a reward, (10:50) they’re more likely to do the task. Now, we don’t have to get all extravagant here. They could be (10:56) minor rewards, such as 30 minutes more of screen time, 30 minutes later of bedtime, (11:02) choosing dinner, going on a play date, getting a new toy.
Over time, as the habits form and become (11:10) ingrained, the rewards have to be less frequent and less extravagant. Where in the habit forms (11:16) and solidifies, becomes strong and becomes second nature for them. Teach kids to titty as they go, (11:22) when they’re doing a project like baking, clean as you go, instead of waiting till the end.
(11:27) Encourage mini resets throughout the day to stay on top of things. This not only keeps your house (11:32) clean, but it creates an executive function into your kids. The ability to manage time, (11:38) tasks, and transitions.
Clean little and often. You don’t have to sit there and clean for one (11:44) hour, which is going to drag and seem dreadful. You can do 10 minutes here, there, here, and over (11:49) there, and bam, it stays clean, it stays organized, cortisol’s are low, everybody’s focused, (11:55) everybody has an executive brain now, and everybody becomes successful.
For example, (12:00) sweep while dinner is cooking, wipe the bathroom mirror while you’re brushing your teeth, (12:06) fold laundry while watching your kids play. Remember that it’s all about working, cleaning (12:11) through your day, instead of trying to carve out an entire time out of your day to clean, (12:17) which is sucky, right? Make cleaning fun. Cleaning doesn’t have to be boring, especially for kids (12:22) that are easily bored.
Make it a game. For example, clean before the music ends. See who (12:29) could fold the clothes faster.
Give stickers and points for completed chores. Just as we have our (12:35) toys, kids need their toys. We can convert that into cleaning toys.
Give them a cute little broom (12:41) that’s colorful. They’re going to enjoy cleaning. Give them a miniature vacuum, a kid’s version of a (12:48) microfiber cloth, colorful cleaning gloves.
I mean, that’s going to make them feel special. (12:53) And don’t forget to praise their effort. Positive feedback is always a reward.
It doesn’t have to (12:59) be monetary. It could always be a positive feedback that’s going to help their self-esteem. (13:04) Have realistic expectations.
Your house doesn’t need to be immaculate, perfect, the best one on (13:10) the block. It just needs to be clean, clutter-free, enough for you to be able to function throughout (13:15) your day without being disorganized, discombobulated, have your cortisol levels rising out (13:21) of the water. Just good enough to be able to function on a day-to-day basis.
Focus on what (13:28) really matters. Kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, visible areas that are greatly affected. Remember (13:34) that even though we instruct our kids to put their toys away, it’s okay to have them on the floor (13:40) here and there.
Don’t be a perfectionist. Be a realistic person with common sense. With the (13:46) right systems, smart tools, and intuitive routines involving the entire family, you can have a clean (13:53) house with kids.
It’s reasonable, practical, and it’s obtainable. This is Giovanni with Richie (13:59) Cleaning. Follow, like, share, and stay tuned for our next episode.
