Busy Mom’s Guide to New Year Cleaning and Organization

The new year is here, and if you’re looking for a fresh start, consider beginning with your home. Your environment has a big impact on your well-being, and a clean, well-organized home can help put you in the mindset to achieve ambitious goals. 

That doesn’t mean you’ve got to dedicate your entire precious weekend to cleaning. (After all, you’ve got a life to live!) Instead, we’ll give you a quick and easy cleaning checklist for every room in the house, followed by mom-specific tips and tricks for speeding up your cleaning routine.

Let’s get cleaning!

Your Room-by-Room Cleaning Checklist

Facing off against a disorganized, dirty house can feel intimidating, so take a deep breath and tackle your New Year’s cleaning one room at a time. 

This room-by-room cleaning checklist can make the process a little simpler and help prevent you from forgetting a step:

Kitchen

• Clear the countertops.
• Wipe down countertops and cabinets with an all-purpose cleaner. 
• Clean inside the microwave and oven. (Consider using an oven-specific cleaner designed to break down grease and baked-on food residue.)
• Wipe down appliances with vinegar and water or an all-purpose cleaner.
• Clean your sink and faucet. 
• Sweep and mop your floors.
• Clear out the fridge and clean the shelves.
• Organize your cabinets and pantry.

Bathrooms

• Clean showers and tubs with an all-purpose cleaner or a baking soda paste to cut through soap scum.
• Clean sinks. Run diluted vinegar down the sink to break up grime, soap, and buildup.
• Clean mirrors.
• Wipe down the vanity top.
• Disinfect the toilet using a toilet cleaner or bleach solution, then clean it using a pumice stone or toilet wand.
• Sweep and mop floors.
• Organize closets and under the sink.

Bedrooms

• Pick up and put away clothes, toys, and other items.
• Strip beds and launder the bedding.
• Vacuum floors and under furniture. 
• Clean mirrors.
• Clean windows and frames.
• Wipe down surfaces like dressers, shelves, and nightstands.
• Organize closets, bookshelves, toy shelves, and shoe shelves.
• Organize dresser drawers and nightstand drawers.
• Dust all surfaces, baseboards, and light fixtures.

Living Room and Common Areas

• Pick up and put away toys and other items.
• Vacuum and mop hard floors.
• Vacuum upholstered furniture and curtains.
• Dust shelving, screens, light fixtures, and other surfaces.
• Wipe down surfaces like coffee tables and shelves.
• Clean windows.
• Wipe down baseboards.
• Spot-clean walls.

Kids’ Playroom

• Clean and disinfect hard toys.
• Put away all other toys, books, and art supplies.
• Wipe down tables and surfaces with an all-purpose cleaner.
• Spot-clean walls.
• Vacuum rugs and mop the floor.
• Clean windows.
• Dust surfaces, corners, light fixtures, and baseboards.
• Launder bedding and clothes.

Home Office

• Organize paperwork and remove clutter.
• Clean and disinfect your keyboard, mouse, and phone.
• Dust your computer screen, printer, and electronics.
• Vacuum the floor.
• Wipe down the desk and shelves.
• Clean windows.
• Dust light fixtures, chairs, and baseboards.

Download your Free Room by Room Checklist here

Family-Friendly Cleaning Tips and Strategies

Some people love to clean, and if that’s you, kudos! For the rest of us, these tips and tricks can make the cleaning process faster and more efficient. 

Here are some of our favorite cleaning strategies for busy moms:

Create a Cleaning Routine

Now that you’ve put in all the work to thoroughly clean your house, don’t let it slowly revert to its previous state. The best way to maintain a base level of cleanliness is to create a cleaning routine.

Put cleaning chores on your weekly calendar and tackle one cleaning task a day. Some people like to clean one room of the house a day and rotate, while others prefer to pick one specific chore (like dusting, vacuuming, or laundry) and do that each day. Do what works for you.

Declutter As You Clean

Use your cleaning and organizing chores as an opportunity to get rid of the things you no longer need. Young children are constantly outgrowing clothes, toys, and accessories, and you probably have items of your own that you don’t want anymore (such as old shoes, outdated electronics, etc). Don’t be precious. Everything you give away, sell, or toss is one less thing to clean and organize.

Create Multiple Cleaning Totes

Save yourself time by purchasing multiple low-cost totes and stocking them with all your cleaning supplies, including all-purpose cleaner, microfiber clothes, sponges, and more. You can also create room-specific totes, including kitchen totes and bathroom totes. This way, you won’t have to wander through the house gathering your cleaning supplies every time you want to clean.

Get Your Children Involved

Why should you have to clean alone? Turn cleaning into a game and invite your children to join you. Start a timer or your children’s favorite playlist and see how quickly you can all clean in 10 minutes or until the playlist is over.

As your children grow older (and if your budget allows), consider offering payment for chores like vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning windows. This could be a good way for your children to learn the value of working for their money. 

New Thing In, Old Thing Out

If your house is full to bursting with toys, clothes, and games, consider implementing this rule: Every time a family member brings something new into the house, they must get rid of an old thing. Does your child want a new toy? They’ll need to pick an old toy to give away. This system can help keep your closets and shelves in check. 

Create Dedicated Play Areas

If you’re tired of picking up your children’s toys throughout the house, create specific areas of the house where play is allowed. If you don’t have a specific playroom, add a “play rug” to the living room or tape off a corner of the basement for play. Cleaning up will be faster when all your children’s items are in a dedicated space. (Learn more about how to organize a play area.)

Organized House, Organized You!

It’s amazing how much brighter and motivated you can feel when your house is clean and well-organized. While most of us don’t enjoy cleaning, it doesn’t have to be a grueling chore.

Hopefully, our room-by-room cleaning list will give you a great starting point for a thorough New Year’s whole-house cleaning. Once that’s done, follow the tips and tricks in this article to speed up the process next time.

We wish you a happy and organized home this year!