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Keeping the house clean with three kids is less about finding the time for a huge cleaning day and more about doing a few small things consistently. I’ve found that when I stay on top of the little messes throughout the day, everything feels so much more manageable.

These are a few simple habits that have made the biggest difference in keeping our home feeling picked up without spending all day cleaning.

Wet-Dry Mop Every Night

Since we live in a one-story house with wood floors throughout, I’ve learned that if I don’t clean the kitchen floor regularly, crumbs and dog hair somehow end up everywhere.

A quick wet-dry mop at the end of the night makes such a difference. It only takes a few minutes, but waking up to clean floors means I’m not starting the next day already feeling behind.

Two Loads of Laundry Every Day

Laundry is one of those things that can get out of control so quickly with three kids, so I try to make it part of my daily routine.

I do one load in the morning and one at night. Instead of letting clean laundry pile up for days, I save all of the folding for Thursdays and make that my big folding day.

It’s not a perfect system, but having a routine keeps laundry from becoming an all-day project.

One Oversized Basket for Each Kid

This might be one of my favorite tricks.

We have three oversized baskets behind the couch — one for each kid. Anything they leave in the main living area goes into their basket instead of me making a million trips back and forth to their rooms.

Then they can take their basket upstairs and put everything away when it’s time.

The baskets aren’t always perfectly organized, and honestly, they’re not supposed to be. They’re just an easy way to keep the main living spaces from becoming cluttered with everyone’s stuff.

The After-School “Victory Lap”

When the kids get home from school, we have a little routine that helps keep all of the after-school stuff from taking over the house.

Lunchbox comes out.

Backpack gets hung up.

Papers go into the cubby.

Shoes go underneath.

And socks get put away.

It only takes a few minutes, but doing these things right when we get home means I’m not finding lunchboxes and backpacks scattered around the house later that night.

My favorite organizational tools for the kids.

A Five-Minute Family Reset Every Night

Before we settle in for the evening, everyone helps with a quick five-minute reset.

We’re not deep cleaning. We’re just putting things back where they belong – pillows back on the couch, blankets folded, toys picked up and anything that’s wandered into the wrong room put away.

With three kids, I’m a big believer in everyone pitching in. Five minutes of everyone helping is so much easier than one person trying to tackle the entire house later.

Keep Cleaning Wipes in Every Bathroom

I keep cleaning wipes in each bathroom so I can do a quick wipe-down when I’m already in there.

If I’m brushing my teeth and notice the counter needs cleaned, I can take care of it right then. It’s such a small thing, but those quick wipe-downs help keep the bathrooms feeling fresh between deeper cleans.

None of these things take a ton of time on their own, but together, they make a big difference. I’m not trying to keep my house perfectly clean all day long — I’m just trying to make sure the little messes don’t turn into one giant mess by the end of the week.

With three kids, that’s a win in my book!

Bonus: Plan Your Meals for the Week

And if meals are another part of your everyday stress, having a simple system for planning dinner can make a huge difference, too. I’ve found that the less I have to think about what we’re eating at 5 p.m., the better!

One thing that works really well for our family is giving each night a theme – Mexican Monday, Italian Tuesday, Comfort Food Wednesday, Asian Food Thursday, and Pizza Friday. From there, I’ll let my kids and husband help choose what we’re actually having. With the kids, I usually narrow it down to a few options from my cookbook and let them pick their favorite.

Once we’ve decided, I add everything to our menu for the week and stick it on the fridge. That way everyone knows what’s for dinner, and whoever gets home first can get started if needed.

It’s such a simple system, but it takes so much of the daily decision-making off my plate. And most importantly, it helps us make dinner something we can actually enjoy together instead of another stressful part of the day.

Every week, I put together a grocery list, menu, and recipes for 5 dinners. Make sure you’re on my email list so you don’t miss out!

If this is helpful for you, send to a fellow momma who could use it! ❤️

Hi I’m Teresa!

I’m a mom to three, a wife and a physician assistant. I also have a degree in Nutritional Sciences and I love sharing all things life with you! I am passionate about empowering you through education, sharing all my fave products and items that have made life better and creating content to give you value!