Sometimes when there are children in the house it can feel like a constant hurricane of clutter. Below are ten tips on how to keep your house clean WITH KIDS underfoot.
I hold this motto close to my heart… 
Yet the chaos of a cluttered home can be exhausting.
Before you read through this list, know the first step to maintaining a clean home is to talk to your family. Start by explaining that you want to keep the house clutter-free so you can spend more time with them. Let your family know how much their support means to you!
10 TIPS & TRICKS For Keeping Your House Clean With Kids
Below are different approaches and ways to keep your house clean with kids:
1. Establish playtime rules.
Teach your children to take out one toy collection at a time. Before they move on to their next playful endeavor they need to put the previous items away. Before our girls went to a Montessori preschool, I would have said, “Yeah, right.” You would be amazed what young children are capable of if you set an expectation and routine.
2. Everything has a place.
Kids (and adults) are more likely to keep their space clutter-free if items have designated areas. Our girls have nice wood bins for their toy collections, but we also use things like upcycled shoe boxes for trinkets. Create a simple system using labels, so kids know how to easily fulfill your “put this away” request.
3. Let kids EARN toys back.
If (or I should say when) your child refuses to put their things away, simply reply, “That’s so sad. Mom will have to pick up your stuff.” Keep a box of cleaned-up toys elevated in your garage. When your child asks for a specific item, your child will have to do a chore to earn the item back. If the box gets full, take the older items to the nearest donation center!
4. Let the children take turns being the boss for 10-minutes.
Kids will love playing this game and it helps them learn to pay attention to details. Their job is to supervise the other children to ensure everything gets picked up as requested. Of course, take turns amongst siblings to keep this game fun.
5. Whatever the vacuum touches goes in the garbage.
Tell the kids whatever the vacuum touches either gets sucked up or gets thrown in the trash. This approach can be playful or a consequence, depending on the day!
6. Create put-away baskets.
Designate and label a bin or basket for each child. As you clean throughout the day, throw items into the basket for your child to put away. It’s easier to carry a basket full of things to their room than it is to carry individual items. Plus, it helps keep your floors clean during the day!
Before we move on, tip number seven is really important…
7. Choose your battles.
Being a parent is hard and keeping a clean house is exhausting. Remember to give yourself some credit. Trust me, you are not the only person whose home looks like it was hit by a tornado.
8. One decent space can save your sanity.
Sometimes the chaos of it all can feel overwhelming. Create a safety-zone for yourself, pick one spot that you can control in your home. Then when the chaos of the rest of the house gets to you, head to your safety zone.
Maybe your laundry room is your safety zone. I’ve seen great organization tips and adorable tutorials for sprucing up laundry spaces on Pinterest. Never mind the laundry, find joy in the details. Make the space yours: Paint. Hang family photos. Be creative. Love this quote…
9. Teach them to clean properly.
I know having kids clean isn’t always “helpful.” In fact, I know a few good friends who feel the need to re-clean after the kids have done a chore. Here’s the thing. Don’t just let your child “play clean,” get down and teach them how to properly accomplish the task.
For example, my girls LOVE the step-by-step process of cleaning the bathroom sink. We use a homemade cleaning spray, scrub, use toothbrushes for the faucet nooks and to clean around the grout, then in the end they love polishing the faucet dry to get a nice shine. Search for chores that won’t drive you crazy if not 100% properly executed and teach your child to get it just-so.
10. Make it a singing and dancing party.
Crank the tunes and make cleaning a PARTY. We’ve got a “Cleaning Tunes” playlist in iTunes full of songs to get the kids energized to move. Be sure to sing! We tend to use our vacuum as a microphone stand.
Remember…
Life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change. —Jim Rohn
Happy cleaning friends,
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Rachel Golden says
Something that’s lightweight and small would make it so much easier to clean up all of the crumbs my kids leave behind! Thanks for the giveaway!
Beth garrison says
Love the versatility and that it is lightweight and cordless! Can see using it all over but would definitely lead to a cleaner van if I had one.
Heidi Peters says
We have the Dyson Animal and love, love, love it. I think this Purdy pink one would be a great replacement, or perhaps an install to the second floor. 3x the suction of any other cordless vacuum in use??? Yes please. 4 small kids and their crumbs mean we need 3x the suction. I’d use it 3x a day in my kitchen. The space that we try to keep the most sane is our master bedroom. My husband calls it “the sanctuary” where no kid items (or kids) are allowed. At times, he can be known to yell, “SANCTUARY!” and run to his happy place 🙂
Ana Vojvodic says
Being so slim and powerful is a keep component of having it in my kitchen. With two kids and a dog there are constant spill and messes to clean which makes it IDEAL!
Emily Strab says
I’ve wanted one of these for so long! Right now my 3 1/2 year old and I use a Bissell sweeper and a broom and dustbin to try to keep the first floor clean, but my 1 1/2 year old is such a crumb maker! I’ve even made a spot for it by installing an outlet where we hang our step stool! I’m so ready for one! I might even let my son use it!
amber says
I love that it is so sleek and cordless! We could put it to good use over here! 🙂
amber says
It’s such a piece of art!!
Melissa D says
3x suction power and the lightweight handle. If it’s lightweight, my kids can help!
Mandi says
Wow! So slim and cordless. My quilt room is my escape area and this would help keep the unruly threads in check!
Toni Perry-Crunk says
Love every little thing about it! I have twin boys and boy can they make a mess. It’s such a pain getting out the massive vaccum cleaner every time a mess is made! This thing would be heaven to me!
Sarah W says
The light weight feature allows my kids to help!
rachel says
wow. everything about this vacuum is awesome. I love the easy way to clean it out (hello? an easy button and it dumps out? so awesome). And that I don’t have to find a plug that’s within reach of whatever crackers have been crunched all over the floor. My clean haven should be my bedroom, but it’s piled high with back to school stuff right now, so…. =) Thanks for the fun giveaway!
Heather says
I was just talking about how the daily (hourly??) mess I am constantly cleaning up after my children is making me an insane person. these were some really useful tips — and a lightweight vacuum that goes from hardwoods to carpet would be ideal in our house. this would be amazing!
As for my “sane room” — I keep my kitchen clean. and the sink clear. it’s my one space where I feel like I have an ounce of control.
Noelle says
Being cord-free – I’m tired of our vacuum’s supposedly extra-long cord getting caught on the corner of furniture and not reaching enough to go around a complete area from a single outlet. The center of gravity in the handle is cool, too. I could clean window blinds and high up heater vents at the end of a season more easily. The place in my home that I try to keep clean for sanity – my main floor. I have an open floor plan living-room/kitchenette/dining-room/reading-space in a “micro” condo, so the first thing a person sees when they come inside is…almost everything. Space is at a premium, so any clutter or mess is an obvious eye-sore.
Alexandra Taylor says
Cord-free and light weight! Sounds great!
Amanda G says
The carbon fibre filaments that remove fine dust which is then spun out so it doesn’t get back in the air! Of course, being cord free is a HUGE plus as it means I can carry the baby (and toddler!) without having to bend down and unplug/replug over and over!
Susie says
I love how sleek the vacuum is, and from the reviews it sounds powerful (which my current one isn’t). Maybe I’d vacuum more if I actually liked my vacuum!
Misty Lackey says
The versatility of one product to clean across all types of floors and get under the hard to reach places! We only have one bathroom so I try to keep it as my sanity – plus you never know when a guest will come and need to use it!
Megan says
I would love the cordless and lightweight feature. I hate getting my big canister vacuum out for little messes and this would be so much easier to keep the busy areas clean.
Tiffany says
I love that it picks up all the micro dust and has a clean disposal! This would help me most in my living room to get all the dust and dog hair off my hardwoods. It never seems like my crawling baby boy has clean knees from all the hair and dust….no matter how often I sweep!
Meagan says
As a single-mom and full-time college student with a home full of hardwood floors, the fact that it’s lightweight, balanced and cordless would be such a tremendous time (and sanity) saver for me! And the one room I’m super picky about keep clean and “sane” is the kitchen. When the kithchen is a mess, it seems like my whole day is a mess!
stephdub says
My dream space would be a big bright craftsman home with lots of sky lights and open windows and a cozy home office. All hardwood floors with brightly colored rugs.
My favorite features of the DC59 have to be the carbon fiber bristles for picking up the fine dirt and dust from the hardwood, and that it captures the microscopic dust. Living in LA our house is filled with so much dirt and dust and I hate having to lug out our big vacuum every few days! So the size and portability is also a fav feature. We’d mount this on the wall and it’d be so easy to grab and do a quick round over the floors! I’ve been dreaming of owning a Dyson so I would be SO happy to win this!
April C. says
I love the DC59 Motorhead’s slim design! Makes it perfect for me to clean high spaces like window blinds. I’d use it with the brush tool. My dream space would be an open, airy family room for my family to enjoy!
Christine says
Favorite feature-3x the suction of any other cordless vacuum.
I try to keep the living room nice and sane 🙂
ValH says
I love that the Dyson is so versatile and lightweight. My ‘sane’ room is my kitchen, if its cluttered my brain feels cluttered 🙂 thanks for the chance to win
CyC says
I love the carpet to floors feature save time . But 3cd more suction is great . My sane room is my bedroom. If everything is still a mess I can close the door de-stress before tackling the rest of the house. Or if its at night sleep
Rebecca B says
Wow, may be my dream vacuum! What don’t I like about it?! If I had to pick a favorite, it would be it’s slim design and versatility to clean any space even to the car and stairs. My bedroom is my sane room 🙂
Paula Shamrell Thurmond Flynn says
I want to vacuum under my bed so badly. The dust bunnies are staging a revolution.
Ann A says
I find it impressive to have both a 24 minute battery life with 75% more brush bar power. It’s a perfect combination to effectively clean several rooms in one charge. My sane room is my cozy dining room.
Jennifer Bennett says
It’s so compact! I have two cats I need a vacuum with more suction to keep the cat hair from matting to the carpet. Ug! It gets especially bad in the living room with all the traffic.
Rebecca says
Cordless! Amazing!!! I felt like the possibilities are endless 🙂
James Myers says
My dream space would probably be a man cave with lots of big leather couches and a large screen tv. I’d like the dyson because it is cordless and lightweight. My wife loves her regular dyson but it is too heavy to lug up the stairs and she cant use it to clean the stairs. This would be great!
Erin Krumm says
Dream space is a neutral room decorated with vintag-y furniture. I would love the DC59 motorhead because it would work so well in my small condo. The lightweight and cordless aspects of it would make it so nice to seamlessly transition from my floor to steps. I have a regular dyson and love it, but want something lightweight and powerful for my new condo 🙂
LD says
My sane space is our living room. I love that the DC59 is cordless and can be used in a variety of places like floors, stairs, and vehicles.
Victoria says
I would love to have this vacuum because I could clean in the car. It never gets vacuumed. I also love that it is lightweight? Does that mean kids can use the vacuum and vacuum their own room?!
Heather says
Would love to use this under the couch and bed. In the car too! Funny, my son’s room is my sane space (for now!).
Vessi says
I love products that are light and compact and give me hope that I can use them with one hand. I mean, shouldn’t all products be like that already!? I am amazed that you need two hands to open ALL baby food products, I mean, come on, guys, give it some thought, what mother has two hands, really!? So yeah, this vacuum looks like a pretty amazing alternative to the thing I lug around here, causing me shoulder pains and all…
Laura says
I try to keep my living room tidy since that is where my 8 month old spends most of his day. I love love to have this handy vacuum to help keep the floor clean since he puts everything in his mouth and I struggle to keep on top of the tidiness.
Robert says
I would love to have a cordless vacuum like this to help me keep my front room clean and tidy for entertaining.
meganesota says
Would love to have a cordless for my family room and to get under all the end tables or dressers where we have hardwood floors! Two kids + lotsa art projects = lotsa mess!
melissa says
Being pregnant with my fourth baby, this lightweight vacuum would do wonders to help me get from the basement to the second floor! Plus, I love the cheerful color. For my sanity, I focus on keeping the dining room clean which is literally the center of our 1920’s home. Thanks!
Kerri Schwartz says
My family don’t only want this awesome vacuum we need it my three children have asthma and my eldest lots of allergies so the fact that it cleans up the micro dust would be fantastic that’s where’s so many of our asthma triggers are. The fact that it’s cordless just puts the icing on the cake the kids can help vacuum their own bedrooms and we don’t have to worry about the plug or pulling on that cord:)
Marie Hansen says
I love, love, love the Dyson. I love this post and know that this awesome vacuum would make such a difference for my family of six. Nothing feels better than bare feet on a clean floor. I’m already imagining all the other places and ways to use this stellar tool!
Molomatic says
What an amazing vacuum! I love that it is light weight and cordless. We have lots of stairs in our house so this Dyson would be fabulous! I’d keep it in our mud room since that’s where most of the dirt comes in. With such a light weight vacuum it would take close to no time to suck up the dirt before it gets tracked around the house. Thanks for the wonderful giveaway!
Hannah says
This vacuum sounds absolutely phenomenal! It would be such a blessing to receive such a powerful cleaning tool! My favorite feature is that its cordless…so much less hassle! With kiddos I try and keep my living room the most sane…we have hardwood floor and couches that have legs so dust always seems to accumulate…my current vacuum is unable to reach these hard spots. 🙁 SO I’m Praying for the Dyson!!
simplesidedesign says
I am in love with the 6 minutes of power feature. I would use it in my living room, where messes seem to happen most!
Maggie Miller says
The Dyson DC59 Motorhead looks like a wonderful vacuum!! I think there are two features about it that are most appealing to me– that it is cordless and that it has the 6 minute max mode option. I have three kids, plus I take care of my almost one year old niece 50 hours a week. We would use this vacuum daily to keep the kitchen floor free of choking hazards and I think the max mode would be awesome for keeping the stairs vacuumed. We try to keep our kitchen area the most sane in our household– it’s the hardest working room in the house and it being tidy really has a big impact on how living in our house feels. Thanks for the introduction to this wonderful product and for the chance to win!
Jennifer says
I love my canister vac, but the kids complain that it’s too heavy. I would love this more lightweight vac so they can vacuum without complaint (if, indeed, that’s possible!)
Laura J says
I am so, so in love with this. I have a Dyson animal (And LOVE its power and agility), but I will say that vacuuming the stairs with it is still quite an effort. I am loving how the motorhead is made for stairs, and it will store beautifully in our itty bitty townhouse closet… not that anything that pretty has any business hiding in a closet. 🙂
NikoTheImpaler says
With a newborn in a carrier all day, it would be awesome to have a lightweight and cordless vacuum that I can use on the stairs without help from the five year old – along with all the complaining that comes with the help. If I actually get some time to myself it would have to be in the kitchen with a cup of tea and a peanut butter cookie. 🙂
susitravl says
Most of my time is spent in the living room, so I always like that to be clean (well, I like my whole house to be clean!). Love that it picks up microscopic dust – I hate dust!!
Shanna says
Hair on the floor (human or dog) drives me crazy! Having a powerful cordless vacuum would be awesome to whip out quickly (like when guests are about to pop by). AND vacuuming the stairs will be a breeze with this machine!
Marlene || Jade and Fern says
I’m with Shanna, hair (and cat litter) are the worst! My favorite feature about this vacuum is definitely the portability…it would make a huge difference in being able to clean more frequently, as our current vacuum is so clunky and unwieldy that we avoid using it! The room I try to keep the most sane is the living room, so we can really relax. 🙂
Brooke says
I love the thought of vacuuming the stairs without having to lug the whole huge thing with you! The ease of emptying the bin also sounds pretty great! Our living room is the room I try to keep clean the most. Knowing that if company stops by there is a clean place to bring them keeps me more relaxed with keeping everything else so clean.
Keri says
“Captures microscopic dust..” Yes, please! I have wood floors in every room and no matter how much sweeping/vacuuming I do, there’s always dust about 5 minutes later. I like to go barefoot at home, but by the end of the day, my feet feel just gross.
Nana says
wow, I would love this to clean cat hair up with in my office.
Becky Blahnik says
My husband wants a lightweight vac, but I want one that has all the tools and attachments. This looks amazing!
Jenn I. says
The size of the Dyson DC59 Motörhead would have to be my favorite feature. We have 5 people living in a small 2 bedroom apt. We have kids, pets, and wall-to-wall carpet.. Needless to say its a battle to keep any area sane. We need all the extra space we can get. My huge $60 vaccuum just takes up too much room but the normal cleaning power of cheaper smaller machines just won’t cut it with 2 kids and 3 animals! Thank you for the opportunity!
raquel says
The ability to get up all the dog hair from the hallway corners without having to drag out a vaccum with a cord I always get tangled in!!
TiJo says
I like how the Dyson DC59 Motorhead is light and easy to use for quick clean ups. Grandma and the kids would be able to use it with ease. I keep my bedroom clean as well…the kids are only allowed in there by invitation.
Crystal says
Wow, fun giveaway! Me and my daughter shed like crazy and the cat doesn’t help.
Joelle says
What a pretty vacuum! I love how versatile it is, easy to clean everywhere and easy to store. It would be perfect with my house full of boys, dogs, and cats.
bobobluemonkey1 says
This looks like it would do good on wood floors!
Elizabeth G says
My favorite feature is how light it is so I could grab it to use for quick messes! I try to keep my bedroom as my clean space! Thanks for the chance!!
Thrifty Frugal Mom says
I love the versatility and how small it is. Would be perfect for my kids to use. And as for the space that I try to keep clean? Our living room. It’s the room that you walk into first when you enter our house so lots of people see it.
Natalie Brookshier says
I’d love the new cordless Dyson! Id use the staircase tool and the car tool mostly! Thanks!
Elizabeth G says
Has the winner been selected yet?!? 🙂
Samantha Hummel says
The vacuum would be great for quick and easy cleanups because it’s lightweight and cordless with enough power to get the job done properly.
Catherine Carr says
Love it! I have 4 girls, ages 6, 4, 2, & 4 months. My 3 oldest def help each day w/ cleaning up their room & the play room. When you begin at a young age & you are consistent they know what’s expected & I have them tidy things up before a special privilege such as “watching a show” or before we “go play at the park” or whatever. Such great skills & character to instill. It’s so much easier later on in life when you’ve been taught at a young age & it’s always been just a way of life. Good job Mama!!