The last thing we mamas want to do after a long day of working and taking care of our family is to clean our homes. Unfortunately, it is a necessary part of our lives as many of us are not in a position to have a full time housekeeper to assist with our chores.

So how do we accomplish this task when it never seems there are enough hours in the day? Here are a few simple pointers to try to make life easier for us when it comes to tackling this chore:

1. The most important thing to remember is not to let it overwhelm you.

No matter how much you clean, it may always seem like a bomb went off in your home. We clean our floors and one of the children spills their milk, we start a load of laundry and find a dirty shirt hiding on the floor. Let’s face it, life happens!

2. Set a cleaning schedule and be realistic by setting a specific day and time that you will clean the house.

When setting up your schedule, think about chores that need to be done daily, weekly and monthly and work around that so you can pace yourself.

Remember, all of the things that need to get done don’t have to be done in one day. For example, set cleaning bedrooms and changing the sheets for Fridays, Saturdays are for cleaning the kid’s rooms and doing laundry. Pace yourself – the mess is not going anywhere! My only advice is to set a day and time for the task and do all the floors or change all the sheets or clean all the mirrors/windows at once so you don’t have to take the broom and mop out again another day – put that chore to bed.

3. Wipe down the bathroom daily

I find after my shower or while doing my makeup, if I have some wipes handy and clean off the bigger surfaces, then when I go to do the major clean of the bathroom, it’s much easier and takes less time.

The same goes for the kitchen, clean up as you cook. While you are waiting for something in the oven or the water to boil, clean down the counters, cutting board or prep material used. This will save time at the end of the meal when clean up time comes.

5. Organization is also key to efficiently and effectively cleaning your home.

I like to have all my cleaning supplies in the same place – in a caddy with everything that I need from wipes, a roll of paper towels and any cleaners for bathrooms, floors, windows, etc.! I carry that around from room to room so I don’t waste time running back and forth for the correct cleaning supplies.

6. Finally, do not be afraid to ask for help from your children or spouse.

After all, they live there too and are part of the daily messes we encounter so don’t try to do it all yourself. Make it a family affair – it will go quicker and you may even have some fun as a family!