I love a tidy home. Don’t you? There is something peaceful and calming when things are in order. My home seems more beautiful. My heart feels more at ease. And daily tasks feel easier when things are in their rightful place.

But what about when life is busy? What do we do when our plates are full? Is it possible to still maintain a tidy home even when our kids are young?

Yes. I think it is. And I want to share with you some simple homemaking routines that I am currently finding helpful in this pursuit.

But first, a few reminders.

1. Remember that a messy home can mean a full and blessed life. Let’s be thankful!
2. Sometimes we need to surrender our “need” for tidiness. At what cost are you seeking it? Keep it in its rightful place. Prioritize relationships.
3. Things don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful, orderly, and peaceful. Tidiness doesn’t mean perfection. These tips are not hard and fast rules but instead routines to try and adapt.
4. A tidy home doesn’t mean you don’t make messes. It means those messes don’t need to be overwhelming to you and always get cleaned up.
5. A clean heart is more important than a clean home. Pray for this.

With these in mind, let’s delve into our 8 Tidy Home Routines.

8 Tidy Homemaking Routines

1. Prioritize What Makes The Biggest Impact.

Focus most of your energy on the most important tasks in your home. This is probably dishes and laundry. These are things that, when left undone, feel the most overwhelming and time-consuming. They are jobs that often fall to the mother, and they are tasks that need to be prioritized.

2. Reset spaces throughout the day.

Don’t leave everything until the end of the day. That is a recipe for overwhelm. Rather, spend a couple times throughout the day resetting your space. This may look like first thing in the morning before you drive somewhere, and right before bed. It could mean immediately after breakfast, just before nap time, and just after baths. These times don’t have to be set in stone. They can be general rules that your whole family comes to know and value. I think you’ll find them effective.

3. Tidy before you start something new.

It can be tempting to launch into new projects before an old one is cleaned up. We feel rushed or like it won’t be that big of a deal to clean things up later.

While there are certainly times to forego tidying when something else is more pressing. But most of the time we can spare the minute it will take to put our things away. It is so much more enjoyable to start a task or activity in a clean, refreshed space, and it keeps the mess from compounding.

4. Clean up after each meal.

As much as you can, do your dishes after breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Cleaning up will probably go faster than you think, and it will save you so much time and stress come the next meal.

5. Finish one load of laundry before supper.

Do one load of laundry a day, and get it done before supper. Evenings with kids can be busy – what with baths, bedtime routines, and tidying up. Adding laundry into the mix is usually unnecessary and should be avoided. Rather, aim to start a load in the morning, throw it in the dryer mid day and fold it in the afternoon.

6. Bring your kids into the process.

Don’t feel like you have to get everything done during nap times and after the kids go to bed. Rather, bring them into the everyday tasks! That will free up your evening hours, and it will teach them the importance of caring for a home.

Perhaps they can spray your bathroom as you wipe it down. Maybe they can throw wet laundry into the dryer. Indeed they can learn to put their toys away before bed. Bring them into your daily home management tasks. Yes, it will take a little more time, but it is well worth it!

7. Problem solve problem areas.

If there’s an area of your house that bugs you, ask yourself why and look for creative solutions to fix it.

Maybe you feel like your counter is too cluttered. Relegate one item to a nearby cupboard. Perhaps there are always shoes out of place in your mudroom. Consider buying a shoe rack. Maybe your bathroom is always messy at the end of the night. Try implementing a 1-minute cleanup after your daily shower. Notice your pain points, and find easy strategies to mitigate them.

8. Slow down and savor.

It seems counter-intuitive. Don’t we need to run faster in order to be more productive and maintain an orderly home?

While there are times to speed clean, do a quick tidy, and hurry through some dishes, sometimes rushing can make us sloppy. It can cause us to start more tasks than we have time for, and it may cause us more stress than it’s worth.

If we are always hurrying, we need to stop and ask ourselves: What is the point? Why are we running on this treadmill if we can’t even enjoy our life and blessings around us? For what are we striving?

Sometimes we need to slow down to truly realize how blessed we are. There is beauty all around us, even in the mess.

Well there we have it! 8 Tidy Home Routines. What did I miss? Let me know in the comments below!

FAQ About Tidy Homes

1. What if I just have too much stuff?

Sometimes this is the problem. It’s really hard to keep clutter tidy, and perhaps before you start implementing tidy routines, you need to declutter. Pick one area at a time. Get a donation bag and a trash bag, and be a little ruthless. It will make keeping things tidy so much easier!

2. How do I find time to clean when I have babies and toddlers?

First, utilize little pockets of time. You may not have hours to clean the whole house, but you probably have five minutes. Take advantage of it! Spend a few minutes tidying. Put away 10 items. Do a quick floor pickup before starting a new activity. You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in a short amount of time.

Secondly, like I said previous, bring your child into the task. Ask them if they want to help you in some way.