Top tips to keep the house clean over the holidays
We all know that the school holidays mean quality family time together, a break from schoolwork for the children, and hopefully some rest and time off for the grown-ups.
However, it's also a juggling act of keeping the kids entertained with playdates, trips out and fun activities, housework, and working.
The school holidays are there to be enjoyed and cherished, so hours upon hours of housework each day are out of the question, but here are a few top tips to make the chores and cleaning that little bit easier.
Have an organisation system in place
Having a place for everything in your home can make tidying up so much easier. Even young children can get involved – for example, having different colour storage boxes for different types of toys! Even if it’s just an empty cardboard box to pop all the loose bits in at the end of each day, it means they’re not kept out on surfaces causing clutter.
Do little and often
Keep sprays and cloths in an easy-to-reach place, so you can wipe down surfaces while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil or unload the dishwasher whilst you wait for the vegetables to cook! It’s too difficult to find time to deep clean whilst entertaining little ones, so keep on top of what you can, when you can.
Make your bed as soon as you get up
This keeps your bedroom clear and is the starting point for a positive mindset for the rest of the day! Plus, it might give you some extra motivation to tackle bigger messes.
Enlist the help of your children
Give them age-appropriate chores, and they will soon learn that it’s good to help their parents tidy up. Praise them for the good work they do, and make it a fun, team-based activity where you all chip in. It’s a great life lesson, and helps you out too - win-win!
Get outdoors
The amount of work to do in the home can be overwhelming, and if it's in plain sight, there’s no escaping the urge to do it. Sometimes, it's best to just get outside for a walk, splash in the puddles, go for a bike ride, explore a new park, or meet up with a friend for a picnic.
Being out of the home with our children forces us to really engage with them – breathe in that fresh air, enjoy the views and switch off for a few hours. We can guarantee the stress of the housework will ease just by spending some quality time with your children in a different environment.
Set a timer
Give yourself ten minutes, and be precise! See what you can get done in that time, prioritise what’s important to you, get it done and then stop when you say you will. You will feel better for doing something, but not feel like you’ve spent hours of precious time cleaning and tidying.
Enjoy the holidays
The housework isn’t going anywhere - sometimes we have to give in and just enjoy the time we have with our children. When the new term starts, you can get everything back in order and get cleaning again. But perhaps for now, embrace the chaos.
Enlist the help of a housekeeper with Hummingbird Home Staff
Remember, it's okay to feel overwhelmed - we all do from time to time. However, if it’s too much to keep up with, enlist the help of the best housekeeping agency in London to find someone to take the weight off.
Get in touch with Hummingbird Home Staff if you feel that having a housekeeper would help you keep you organised. We offer one-off deep cleans or regular visits from one of our professional candidates to keep your beautiful home clean and tidy so you don’t have to worry about housework at the end of a long day.
