Parenting is hard just as much as being a mother. For new parents, it gets challenging every other day when their kids are growing and they don’t know what to expect. Moms get overwhelm every single day when there is a bunch of work comprises of cleaning only. With all these messy moments, kids need to learn and explore.
After all, kids are kids. They will remain kids for quite some time, like for at least more than a decade.
Although mess all-around your house is inevitable still there are ways you, as a mother, would like to curtail it.
Ironically, kids love messy stuff. They would like to play with dirt, sand paints all over their hands rubbing off with shirts and so much more. For your sane moments, you have to learn how to survive the mess and allow some of it around the house to have a few moments of peace.
It would not be fair to kids if you do not allow them to be creative, messy, and experience their freedom while playing. Rest assured, we are not talking about discipline over here.
It is about being kids and enjoying their time while they are little.
This post is about #cleaninghacks or #momhacks to make your #momlife less messy and less overwhelming with all day, and every day cleaning. There are ways you can minimize the mess with these clever hacks that could save you so much time and energy also your kids are happy learning something new every day.
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Cleaning hacks for moms to have Less Messy days with kids
Motherhood gets really tough when it comes to cleaning and wiping every single day. Taking care of little humans is not easy, and moms need to keep their cool. These cleaning hacks and easy tips are going to help you on how you can deal with everyday mess with kids with less stress and more sanity.
1. Using splat mat under baby’s eating chair
Once you start baby-led weaning with your six months old baby. You need to know it gets SUPER messy with every single day. This is going to last for a few months until your child experiences her laws of gravity, throwing food here and there.
Ideally, you would want to feed your child by yourself just to avoid this food wastage and a tremendous amount of cleaning.
Let me tell you, this is how babies are going to learn. Minimize your stress by investing in a splat mat or by spreading a table cover (you can stock up some from a dollar store) under their eating chair.
Getting a splat mat is a good investment. It is a washable, anti-slip mat. Also, you can use it for arts, crafts and play mat activities. So, it’s a win-win.
This will save you so much chemical cleaning every time. Also, it will protect your floor.
2. For less messy beds use mattress pads
I don’t know about you but, for my mattress being peed on is a big deal. Try to always use waterproof mattress pads for your bed as well as a baby’s crib or toddler bed. These mattress pads are machine washable and easy to use.
Also, you can use disposable Mattress pads while you are potty training your kids. or waterproof mattress pads. You may expect too many nighttime accidents and for that, you need to be super prepared. Invest in something that is not going to take a lifetime to clean up.
Read more
Potty training tips for 3 years old boys
3. For night time throw-ups use multiple fitted sheets
Kids often get sick and they are very likely to throw up in the middle of the night in the bed and on the sheets.
I do not know who’s mom hack that was but, I really want to give her credit for something so incredible.
You need a couple of waterproof mattress pads and a couple of fitted sheets. Just layer them on your baby’s bed. Mattress pad, sheet, mattress pad, sheet and so on. Layer them up one by one. This would save you so much sanity during stomach flu days.
In case of a throw-up, this hack would help you not to interrupt baby sleep just remove a messy sheet and a mattress pad only. Now the baby is back to sleep.
4. Using washable paints, color, crayons, and markers
Kids LOVE painting, art activities and everything that involves different colors. The number one thing you want to do use washable paints, colors, crayons and markers. Do not risk your walls, tables etc with kids learning activities.
Use disinfecting wipes to wipe off any kinds of stains from the table wall etc.
To protect your kids’ new clothes from colors or stains, you should consider getting them smock for art and craft activities.
5. How to deal with Slime mess
Slime gets super slimy when it comes to clean up. It is NOT east to remove slime. Since I have started experience big kids fun, it gets messier day by day. Although slime is fun yet it is super messy.
There are ways you can remove slime from hair, carpet, clothes, etc.
- Use slime to take off the slime. Like a magnet effect.
- Use coconut or olive oil to remove slime from hair.
- Use 2/3 of vinegar and 1/3 o water to remove slime from the carpet.
- Baking soda works great.
- Once you put it in a washer, before you dump clothes in a dryer, you will be able to pull slime off very easily. Make sure you do a cold water cycle.
You can place toys in a container, filled with water, and add a few tablespoons of dishwashing liquid, depending on how many toys you have. This process may help taking slime off the toys.
6. Shower kids’ messy toys
Kids’ toys do get messy.
Besides how vigilant one may get but kids would never fail to surprise parents with their innovative ways of disasters.
I do not know about you, but both of my kids LOVE dripping milk all over their toys from the feeding bottle. It was frustrating!
How you can clean messy toys. Well, depending on the configuration of your bathroom, either you can put them in the shower with kids if you have a bathtub or a standing shower.
If you have a water facility outside your house, you can do some water activities for washing toys. Moreover, kids are going to love it. It’s a win-win.
Secondly, if you do not want any more stress to deal with, you can simply use a mesh bag to wash toys in a laundry.
You can play with messy toys outdoors as washing activity during summer-time.
Are you overwhelmed with kids toys? Learn how to declutter kids toys.
7. For toddlers Use snack catcher for eating snacks in the car
Car mess is the biggest stressors for dads. My husband loves cars and keeps his cars CLEAN all the time. Of course, he expects that from me too.
Unfortunately, I am not that successful in keeping cars clean so far with two little ones. But I surely have curtailed the mess by using these snack catcher bowls.
I would highly recommend using snack catcher cups for cars or on the go. Your kids would learn using them.
Use no-spill cups to avoid spillage in car rides. Select age-appropriate cups or bottles for your kiddos.
You need car cleaning wipes to keep your car clean. It is a good idea not to use the regular disinfecting wipes. Use only car cleaning wipes for cars interiors.
- Do not give chocolates to small kids during car rides. It is going to be all over, everywhere.
- Avoid banana feeding in the car if your little one does not know how to eat on her own. Your car is going to smell like a rotten banana.
- Veggie straws have been successful so far as a good less-messy snack while on the go. However, regular potato chips may get your car super messy.
- If it is a lollipop, make sure there are no hidden ones on the seat or on the mats. Hot weather might mess up things with these candies.
8. Use seat covers to protect your seats
Do you know the kids’ car seats can actually mess up your cars back seats? I didn’t know that either. Thanks to my husband. I highly recommend using Seat covers especially if you have a new car and kids.
Also, kids candies, chocolates, cookies crumbs, and whatnot, would mess up everything in your backseat. Imagine summer-time is going to make everything melt and you are just TRYING to remove everything. But the damage has already been done.
You can use car seat covers depending on the number of kids’ car seats in the backseat.
Also, you need kick mats on the back of the passenger and driver’s seat.
There is another hack by a mom I came across on Pinterest is using cereal container as a trash can for a car. Indeed an awesome hack to keep trash contained without worrying about spreading all over during the ride.
During potty training use washable car seat pads to protect car seats or you can use these pads car seat, and strollers to protect baby’s seat from diaper blowouts or leaks.
9. Buy a high chair with washable cover
Try to get high chairs, or eating chairs with washable covers. Having a cover could give your baby a cushion to sit for a longer time. However, you still have to make sure that the high chair cover can be removed easily and is washable.
For restaurants eating out, use disposable mats
For a mess-free eating out with a baby who is at a baby-led weaning stage, you need to have the disposable placemats. You do not want your baby to pull off plates sitting on the table filled with food. These placemats are a lifesaver if you are a restaurant person. I highly recommend using these mats.
For big kids, you can use these educational placemats, that are washable, and are no spills mats.
For immediate clean up from a particular area, you need a dustpan with a brush or a cordless hoover
Use oil to Remove makeup stains on kids’ face
Recently, my daughter applied a waterproof mascara all over her face, eyes, hair, and clothes. It wasn’t going to wash away with water only. I used olive oil to remove all from her hair and skin.
If something similar happens you may want to use olive oil or coconut oil to remove makeup from baby’s skin.
10. Ditch diaper pail
Ditch diaper pail to avoid the nastiest smell of old poopy diaper. Instead, use cover lid trash can and dispose of diapers in diaper disposing sacks. You can use perfumed diaper sacks.
With every trash day, you are disposing of trash more frequently.
Well, sometimes it may seem like your house smells like baby’s soiled diapers. No matter how hard you try, the odor is not going away.
Here is a trick.
To avoid THAT SMELL of poop odor, spillage and whatever comes with having kids, using an Air purifier would help significantly.
I have this one and it helps with eliminating cooking odor as well. I highly recommend having an air purifier in any home that has pets, smoke, and mold issues or just to protect kids from germs.
11. Use disposable sheets for diaper changing
You may want to use a disposable diaper changing pads while on the go.
12. Bathroom splash pad
Kids splash water no matter how many times you tell them. Use water absorbent bath mats at all times especially when kids are in the shower.
Let mats air dry by putting them in sunlight to avoid mold.
For random water spills, try to keep spare dollar store drying mats when you do not want to waste too much of paper towel. Air dry them in sunlight or wash in your next load of laundry.
13. Using oil for removing bubble gum.
We had multiple incidents like bubble gum in the hair or clothes. Using an ice cube to rub off bubble gum remains works great. However, another awesome hack is using oil to take bubble gum off from hair or floor, etc. You can use baby oil to serve the purpose.
14. Use cup liners To avoid popsicle mess
I saw this hack on Pinterest to use cupcake paper cup liners to avoid ice cream or popsicle dripping. The perfect idea when your little one does not want to hold a plate or bowl to protect it from dripping.
Well, if you have little ones who are not fussy about holding a popsicle, you may want to cut ice cream into pieces. Serve it with a bowl and spoon. However, this works for me every time.
15. Use Playpen for kids for messy activities
Kids love playing with slime, Kinetic sand, and sensory bins. For toddlers, It is very likely for them to throw everything around out of curiosity. In order to avoid sand mess all over your house, you may want to get a playpen to contain the mess in one area.
The playpen is multipurpose, you can use it as a ball pit, painting, kinetic sand, selective water activities.
16. Tons of paper towel rolls and disinfecting wipes
When you are a mom or a dad, you cannot survive without a bunch of paper towel rolls. When your kids are growing you need to have these in the car at all times also.
Whether you are traveling or staying at home disinfecting wipes are essential if you are a cleanliness obsessed parent. Disinfecting wipes and paper towel are a must-have when you have kids.
19 first-time parents mistakes with babies that you should avoid.
Let me know in the comments below what are your cleaning hacks with little ones to make your life less messy.