10 Best House Cleaning Tips for Busy Families | Save Time and Money

Spending money on housekeeping isn’t the most glamorous way to part with your hard-earned dollars. When it comes to spending money on your home I’m sure you can agree that a new TV, a nice new entry rug or a comfy chair is better than cleaning products. All that said, housekeeping products are a necessary evil if you want a warm, inviting and germ free home to invite friends and family to enjoy with you. We have collected the 10 best house cleaning tips for busy families (and everyone else who is busy!!) to help you keep your cleaning costs to a minimum so you can spend your money on the fun (and glamorous) stuff and spend your time with the people you love.

1. Be a Smart Shopper

Check out your local papers for coupons for the products you use. Clip them and keep them handy for the next time you are at the store. Many stores also have their own apps so make sure to get the coupons available on the store apps also.

If you have the space you can save a bundle by purchasing in bulk. Stock up when your favorite products are on sale. You would be surprised at how much you can save. And don’t forget to take advantage of free samples.

2. Set Your Cleaning Budget

Set your budget and stick to it. You don’t need a ton of different products to clean your house. Stick with the basic necessities discussed in our post here. One way to stick to a budget is to sign up for Amazon Subscribe and Save. You can select what cleaning products you use and have them delivered on a consistent basis. I love this service and I use it along with my echo dot and Alexa to create all of my shopping lists. Another option if you are an Amazon Prime member is to get the Prime Pantry. You add items to a pantry box and the box ships when full for one flat shipping fee.

3. Choose the Right Cleaning Equipment

Make sure you select the most appropriate tools for your home to complete the jobs you need to complete. Once you determine the right tools and appliances make sure to take good care of them. If you maintain your vacuum cleaner (yes you have to clean your vacuum cleaner) it can last you over 10 years! Some items you may not need access to all the time. For example, If you use a carpet steam cleaner try going in halves with a friend or family member that lives close to you. Check out my reviews for the best cordless vacuum cleaners and robot vacuum cleaners.

4. Keep Dirt Out!

Instill a no shoes policy in your home. Have good entry mats and shoe tray inside your front door and have very one remove shoes upon entry. If you want to you can have a basket of fuzzy socks and warm slippers to encourage your guests to adhere to the policy. The entry way and the runner or area rug in the entry way can get pretty dirty and even stained with every person and pet coming through the door across it. I prefer to have a washable rug in the entry. Check out my Ruggable review and see if a washable area rug might be a life saver for your entryway.

5. A Little Bit at a Time

You don’t always have to clean the entire house all at once. It is ok to tackle one task or one room at a time. I usually have a few minutes each morning before the hectic day begins to take care of small jobs. It could be changing the sheets on the bed, giving the stove top a good scrub, cleaning a bathroom or (ugh!) cleaning the cat boxes. Whatever it is, I get a feeling of accomplishment to start the day off with a task well done and throughout the week, my house stays a little cleaner and maybe a little more tidy because of my morning cleaning burst!

6. Clear the Clutter

This is one of the most simple strategies which is also one of the most difficult accomplishments at the same time. I’m sure you have a junk drawer and you probably have some sort of drop spot for everything that comes in the house. It is good in one sense to keep all the clutter together in one spot, however, it somehow doesn’t ever go away. The best strategy for clutter is to get rid of it. Some clutter is just plain garbage and you can throw it out. Other clutter just hasn’t made it to its actual home yet – so go put it where it belongs. If it is really something you need and use, make sure it has a “home” and start keeping it there.

I want to talk about Knick knacks while we are talking about clutter. I have a lot of umm, let’s call them collectibles, lol. I like them and enjoy them but… some of them are just things that I have and they don’t mean anything to me. Reevaluate the things that you have around your house and if they don’t make you happy, if you don’t get enjoyment out of seeing them, then it is time to get rid of them. If they are broken, toss them. If they are in good repair donate them or sell them online or at a yard sale.

7. Keep Cleaning Essentials Where You Use Them

This might blow your cleaning supply budget the first month but after that you will benefit. Ideally, you should have all the cleaning supplies to clean the bathroom in each bathroom you have. If I keep a cleaning brush and toilet bowl cleaner next to each toilet even the teenagers will occasionally clean the toilet! At a minimum these are the supplies I like to keep in the bathroom:

Toilet brush and bowl cleaner

Disinfectant wipes

Paper towels

Glass cleaner

Shower/tub cleaner and scrub sponge

Dusting spray and cloth

This does take up a little room. I keep the toilet bowl items on the floor next to the toilet as I mentioned earlier, in hopes that a random person may just clean the toilet bowl. Sometimes it works, really!

It is worth it to make the room for these items. If you have a few minutes and have the items right there you can tackle little jobs. If you had to go to the kitchen or hall closet for the items to clean I’m pretty sure it would not happen, but if they are right there well… maybe it will happen.

8. Clean High to Low

To me this seems like common sense however, to the roommates I have had in the past and to my family this is not common sense. Let me explain why the top down method is best. If you start with high dusting, all the dust fall to lower surfaces. Then your next step is to dust surfaces and all of that dust falls to the floor. Once you clean the floors, you are done and you don’t have to back track. A little thing but still a time saver and just overall a more sanitary process.

9. Vacuum With a Mission in Mind

What mission you say? To get it done! I know it is tempting once you drag the vacuum cleaner out to clean the furniture and under the bed and move all the little items. Trust me, there are times that needs to happen but on a regular basis just vacuum with the mission of getting all the major areas in all the rooms vacuumed. Most of the dirt will be in the main open floor area anyway so focus on that and leave the nooks and crannies for a deep cleaning session.

10. Involve Everyone

Everyone in your household should contribute. After all it takes a whole household to make the mess and track in the dirt so why should you be the only one cleaning up. I am sure there are some tasks that you want to do yourself but there are also tons that can be divided up amongst the other members of the household. Toddlers can help tidy up and older kids can help with dusting and vacuuming. As they get a little older the kids can help with laundry and cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms. I know it isn’t cleaning, but teenagers can help with cooking dinner. Read more about the cooking experiment that took place in my house during the pandemic. HINT: it was successful even if it didn’t stick.

Less Time and Money

See – now that you have some strategies to help you save time and money on house cleaning, you can relax and enjoy the way if feels to have a tidy, clean home where your friends and family love to gather. I know that hasn’t been able to happen much lately but I am hopeful that very soon we will be able to open our homes to each other again. When that happens you will be ready with a fresh, clean space you can be proud to entertain in! Cheers!