5 Tips for Keeping the House Clean During the Busy School Year

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You’ve likely heard the saying, “Cleaning in a house with kids is like trying to brush your teeth while eating Oreos.” It’s so true, and trying to keep the house clean during the busy school year presents challenges as the house fills up with papers, backpacks, socks, shoes, and lunchboxes. Throw in a Golden Retriever and our house can become, well, basically a disaster. But over the years, I’ve established a routine that seems to work really well for us during the school year. For any other parents out there who are struggling, I hope some of these ideas can give you a bit of guidance.

Are you making the most of your time?

Admittedly, I am not the best housekeeper. I never have been, because I’d rather be doing other things. This is why I’ve always been a huge fan of any new technology that makes it easier to keep the house clean…including robot vacuums! I got my first robot vacuum when I was pregnant with my third child and I. have. never. looked. back. The Neato D8 Robot Vacuum from Neato Robotics is a new, even cooler robot vacuum I’ve recently learned about which has a unique “D” shape instead of a circle. The innovative design of the Neato D8 allows it to clean your floors more effectively and get into those corners where crumbs and dust tend to build up.

Robot vacuums are great…but you still need to keep the house organized and picked up in order to be able to use your vacuum at optimal times and get the full benefit from it. Here’s how to do it.

1. Evaluate and Update Storage

Lack of adequate storage is usually one of the main causes of overwhelming clutter. Kids always throw everything on the floor unless you have a designated space for their things and teach them where everything goes. We created a cubby area for each one of my kids to keep all their school stuff, shoes, jackets, and any other things they need. It helps the kids to be more responsible for their own items.

Paper clutter can also be another issue as the kids bring home all their drawings and assignments. I have an organizer (similar to this one) that has a tray for each child where I put their school papers at the end of each day. Periodically I go through those papers and decide what to keep and throw away. The papers I keep go into a file folder storage box that I keep nicely stacked in a closet. Having a set place where things go helps reduce the amount of clutter on your counters and floors. You can apply this system to anything else you deal with on a regular basis like toys, craft supplies, and other items. Find a specific place for them, and if you can’t find one, try perusing Target or another store for storage solutions (this 3-Tier Rolling Cart is great for craft supplies).

2. Regular Pick-Ups

I usually do a quick pick-up of toys, trash, and dog toys in the living room and kitchen after I drop my kids off at school. When my kids get home from school, they spend a few minutes putting their stuff away in their cubbies and everyone spends five minutes picking up anything in the common areas and/or their rooms. Having this as a part of their routine right after school means less whining compared to when you ask them to do chores later on when they are busy with other things.

3. Vacuum Regularly

I like to turn on my vacuum right after our pick-up sessions. What I love about the Neato D8 Robot Vacuum is how effective and efficient it is. The brush is 70% larger than round robot vacuums, can clean up to 750 square feet on a single charge, and can automatically recharge itself and keep going if there is more to do. I can go out and run errands while my robot does the work. You can even control it remotely with the MyNeato app and schedule cleanings for certain times, and tell your robot to avoid certain areas of the house. And let me tell you…this robot listens 1000% better than my kids do!

The Neato D8 has superior laser navigation so that it cleans every inch of your house unlike the Roomba and Shark robot vacuums I have owned. It also maps out the most efficient routes and you can choose between eco mode (runs quieter and conserves battery to cover more surface area) and turbo mode (high power for when you have more dirt and debris). The eco mode is great for after the kids go to bed so you can clean up without waking them up!

4. Give Kids Cleaning Assignments For Weekends

I find that trying to deep clean during the busy school year usually doesn’t go well if I ask the kids to do things like cleaning bathrooms on a school night. I save those things for the weekend and they know they will need to get their jobs done before they can do fun things. Sometimes we will even play music while we clean and sing or be silly to make the time pass faster. Once it’s done, it feels like you start the next week fresh.

5. Lower Your Expectations

Yes, I know this is a blog post about trying to keep the house clean during the busy school year, but I think it’s important to remember that perfection is not realistic. The kids still do live here, after all. Prioritize what is most important for you to feel like your house is put together. For me, having clean floors does the trick. I hate walking around barefoot and stepping on legos, crumbs, or whatever else might be there. This is why I absolutely love the Neato D8.

Time is precious and I want to use it on the things that mean the most to me. Keeping your house clean during the school year can seem impossible, but with better storage, incorporating some new routines, and outsourcing your vacuuming to the Neato D8 Robot Vacuum, it can be done. Then you can sit back and enjoy those quiet moments with your family because we know these years with our kids living at home with us go all too fast.

Are you interested in trying the Neato D8 Robot Vacuum?

Save 10% sitewide with the code NEATOAFFILIATE10 on the Neato Robotics site until December 31st, 2021. Check it out today!

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