Springtime is so much more than a transitional time between colder temperatures and long sunny beach days. It’s a season of beautiful blooming flowers and new beginnings.
Apart from our window panes, which are often in particular need of thorough cleaning after a dark winter, the first rays of sunshine also highlights everything unwelcome visible in our home. Do you remember the last time you cleaned behind or under your sofa?
Just like our bodies need a regular detox, our homes need a good deep cleanse every once in a while to get rid of all the dirt, grime, and gunk that has accumulated over time. BUT how do you juggle a big household clean up job with a baby in tow?
It doesn’t always have to be a deep cleanse.
The first thing to do is to stay calm and remember, if life with a young baby is new to you, it’s the same for all new families.
In the daily hustle and bustle of breast/chest feeding, changing nappies and meal times, your household simply gets a raw deal. This is completely normal.
After all, it’s not important for your child that your home sparkles and shines all the time. The only thing that counts for your baby is the time you devote to them. You and your baby simply have priority now. It is also important that YOU feel comfortable at home too! And that’s why it’s helpful if you don’t wait too long until the chaos gets too much for you. Because, even if no one likes to hear it, hormones like to make the mess seem a bit more dramatic than it really is. That’s why we recommend that instead of a big spring clean, you integrate lots of small spring, summer, autumn and winter cleans into your everyday life. Then the mountain won’t seem so big and you will feel more content in the long run.
Cleaning up the mess: Top tips for spring cleaning with a baby
Time is an important factor in everyday life with your baby. That’s why we would like to share our best tips for keeping things tidy, quickly and easily around your home, without the stress.
- Ask for help: Just because you are at home, you don’t have to do everything yourself.
Life with a baby can be very overwhelming at times. You may not get much sleep, breast/chest feeding will use up a lot of your energy and your nerves will be on edge. Ask for support from your partner, get your parents or friends on board. If you can, hire a cleaner for the first few months. Together, spring cleaning can become a joyful event.
- 15-minute ritual: Getting up in the morning and looking at the chaos of the day ahead may put you in a negative mood and may even stress you out. Take fifteen minutes every evening to go through each room and collect everything that is lying around. Throw the toys in the toy box, put the dishes in the dishwasher, put the clothes in the washing machine and whatever else you come across. Set an alarm clock and make it a little daily challenge. You’ll be surprised how much you can get done in such a short time. This way you can sleep better and be happy about the order of your day when you wake up.
- Make a spring clean checklist : Where do you want to conquer the biggest chaos? The kids bedroom? The kitchen? The garage or bathroom?
Write a list of all the to-dos you want to accomplish as part of your spring cleaning. Don’t set out to do it all at once. You can take on one of the to-dos every day for a week. Then you’ll be done with your spring cleaning by the end of the week. - Room by room tidy up: You have a spare hour because Grandma has offered to take your little one for a walk and you want to quickly tidy up your home?
You have set yourself a task to clean the bathroom but you get distracted by something else that grabs your attention. Before you know it, you get lost and go from one thing to another other – without actually doing what you wanted to do in the first place. - A simple principle to beat this common issue: set a stopwatch and give yourself 10 minutes for each room. 10 minutes for the kitchen, 10 for the bedroom, 10 for the living room, 10 for the bathroom and 10 for the children’s room. Then you’ll be through in an hour and have tidied everywhere in one go!
- Carry your baby, hands free: Your child loves to be attached to your body around the clock but it is impossible get anything done. No problem: With our practical Ergobaby baby carriers, you can simply strap your baby to your chest and vacuum, mop, dust, clean the kitchen or fold laundry. Your little one will probably even fall asleep from the swaying and you’ll both benefit from the oxytocin hormone.
- Cleaning is a full body workout: motivation is everything. Keep in mind that tidying and cleaning burns a lot of calories. Put on your favourite playlist and dance around the home with your hoover. You can place your baby safely in our Ergobaby Evolve 3- in- 1 Bouncer where they can bounce along happily and always have you in sight.
- Spring cleaning for the soul: Just like the dust in your home, one or two subdued emotions can accumulate in everyday life with a baby. Feelings of being overwhelmed, lonely, sadness and despair are completely normal and need space to be felt. Therefore, consciously take time for these feelings once a day. Don’t always jump up as soon as your baby falls asleep to clean your home. Simply put the mobile phone away, avoid any distractions, close your eyes, breathe and see what feelings come up.
If you find this difficult, you can also use a journal and write down everything that comes to mind. Everything you swallow is ultimately directed towards yourself. The more balanced you are, the better you will be able to manage your family household.
Household with baby – a tidying routine in just a few minutes
Whether you follow the 10 or 15 minute rule, cleaning your home with your baby is easiest divided into short phases. When your baby is sleeping, relaxing or rocking and playing in their baby bouncer. These are perfect moments when you can devote yourself to individual rooms or your to-do checklist. And all this with a relaxed and happy baby.
A baby carrier and baby bouncer make tidying up with baby child’s play!
