Spring Cleaning with 2 Under 2
Bridgette Guengerich
Spring cleaning or deep cleaning with young children in tow!
Can I get spring cleaning done with 2 under 2?
I was convinced I wouldn’t be able to do it. Cleaning? With two kids under the age of two? No thanks!
I was going to pick a few days and bribe my teenage sisters into helping me. At least they’d be able to distract the kids while I got some stuff done!
I found out, I can do it myself, with the kids!
My house was so messy and cluttered from a long winter with two babies.
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I have “dump zones” where I kind of just stick stuff when I don’t know what else to do with it, or if I don’t have the time or motivation to put it in a proper place.
Those dump zones start adding up until you have 5 different zones of clutter and it starts driving me crazy!
I had to start decluttering and organizing, for my own mental health’s sake. A mentor of mine once told me, “clutter on the outside = clutter on the inside” and I’ve found that to be SO true.
Spring cleaning is my time to declutter and organize
Fun fact about me: I love to declutter and organize.
Another fun fact about me: I hate being interrupted and distracted when I’m “on task.”
It’s so satisfying to declutter and put things away, but how could I do that with a toddler who drags things out as soon as I put things away? And a baby who is interrupting me to nurse or change his diapers?
It can be frustrating just thinking about it, but you have to learn to accept the interruptions and plan to work around your kids’ schedules.
How to Deep Clean with 2 Under 2
Step 1. You have to be motivated. And I mean really motivated!
If you’re not fully into the idea of completing this task, you’ll quit halfway through when your baby interrupts you. Keeping an end goal in mind, and even planning a reward at the end of the day can help keep you on task.
Figure out what motivates you and make a plan that works for you!
Sometimes, an outside force is necessary to motivate you
It can be as simple as having friends over for dinner, or deciding to rearrange or paint a room, anything can be an incentive to clean!
Confession: my motivation for spring cleaning this year was mice in the house. Gross!
I absolutely despise mice, so I’ve been tearing apart my house room-by-room cleaning, decluttering, and setting traps (where the kids can’t reach, of course!).
Tips on cleaning with young children
- Keep your infant nearby in a pack n play with fun toys. I don’t always use a pack n play, my 7mo is happy to play on the floor if I’m within his line of sight. But it’s nice to have somewhere to contain them if it’s a particularly dirty area or when you’re vacuuming or mopping.
- Let your toddler “help” and be involved. Sometimes Brynlee is happily distracted with her toys, but more than anything she loves to be involved and helping mama. I often give her a damp rag and let her wipe down whatever she wants, but she also likes to “help” using her toy cleaning set. I honestly don’t think there’s much cuter than a toddler with a miniature broom.
- Anticipate interruptions. Map out your snacks, naps, lunch, etc. and just plan on working as you’re able. Identify your largest “open” time slots in the day and plan on doing the biggest or hardest tasks then.
- Keep realistic expectations. Before I had kids, I would do all the deep cleaning in one or two days. Now I have a 5yo, almost 2yo, and a 7mo. I plan on cleaning one room per day, depending on how messy it is.
- Enlist help when able. Recruit family members to help with the kids, hire a babysitter, whatever resources are available to you- use them!
Don’t overdo it
Life with 2 under 2 can be overwhelming enough, so don’t let spring cleaning become a stressor!
Take it one room at a time. Maybe all you’re able to get to today is a table of clutter. That’s okay! Your kids don’t care if the ceiling fan is dusted. They just want to play with mama.
