Ivana Poku No Time? No Problem. Here’s How Your Can Keep Your Home Tidy and Organised As A Busy Mum.
If you’re anything like me, you LOVE to have your home tidy and organised.
And if you’re eveb more like me, everytime you do clean and tidy, it doesn’t last too long.
Let’s be real: mess has sort of become the default for mums, hasn’t it?
Especially when the kids are small. People love to say, “Don’t worry about the mess.”
And you’re trying to… You’re trying to be okay with the dishes in the sink and toys in every corner, but part of you feels like you’re slowly losing your mind.
When there’s nowhere to step on the floor, when you’re finding ancient baby food behind the sofa, when your bedroom looks like someone shook it upside down…. of course you feel anxious.
It’s not about trying to live in a show home; it’s about not wanting to live in a battlefield.
It’s not so much that you feel you’re not enough when your home isn’t tip-top, it’s that clutter and mess genuinely affect your mental health.
Studies have shown clutter increases cortisol (your stress hormone), makes it harder to concentrate, and is linked to anxiety and even depression.
So no, you’re not just “being dramatic” if mess makes you feel on edge.
Our wellbeing is very impportamt, not only for oursleves but also for our children.
So if the whole “don’t stress about the mess” thing doesn’t sit right with you, that’s okay.
Trust your instincts. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel good in your own home.
How Busy Mums Can Actually Find Time to Stay Organised
The problem most busy mums struggle with is finding the time to keep the house organised.
I was one of them for many years. I would let the mess build up until I got anxious, spend two full days cleaning like a madwoman, feel amazing… for a minute… then fall right back into overwhelm. And so on, and so on…
Eventually, I realised that this approach wasn’t working. I needed something that worked in the real world: with kids, no spare time, and a to-do list that never ends.
So I started doing something that felt ridiculously small: 10 minutes of extra cleaning or organising each day.
Nothing fancy, just a drawer here, a shelf there. Something on top of my normal chores.
It seemed insignifcant at first, but over time, it changed everything.
How 10 Minutes a Day Can Totally Change Your Home
You may think there is no point doing anything for only 10 mintues, so you don’t do anything.
But 10 minutes a day adds up to 5 hours a month.
That’s the equivalent of having a cleaner come twice a month for 2.5 hours.
Which is what most people with cleaners actually get.
So if you think those 10 minutes won’t make any differnce, I promise they will.
Here’s what it might look like:
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Day 1: Hoover downstairs
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Day 2: Hoover one bedroom upstairs
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Day 3: Hoover another bedroom (depending on how many you’ve got)
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Day 4: Clear out two drawers in the chest of drawers
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Day 5: Do the other two drawers
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Day 6: Clean one kitchen cupboard
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Day 7: Organise a toy box
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Day 8: Wipe down the bathroom tiles
And so on.
Because when it happens consistently, it works.
Suddenly you’re not dealing with the same level of chaos.
Stop Waiting for the Perfect Time: Start Small and See Big Changes
This is where so many of us get stuck.
We think “If I can’t clean the whole house today, why bother?”
But the small stuff is where the magic is.
Tenminutes of tidying might not seem like much… until it’s been ten minutes every day for a week. That’s when it starts making an impact.
And if 10 minutes feels impossible, start with five. Even three.
Every minute counts, and it’s still miles better than doing nothing.
Hiring a Cleaner Isn’t Lazy, It’s Smart and Sane
Another option is to invest in a cleaner.
Many mums resist getting help for they think they should be able to manage on yheir own.
But here’s the thing, you weren’t meant to do this alone.
Nobody does anything big without help. Not Steve Jobs, not Beyoncé, and certainly not you.
You may argue that our mums or grans didn’t have a cleaner and they managed.
Sure, but don’t forget they also lived in a totally different world.
No social media, no juggling full-time work with parenting, no pressure to raise children and run a home and stay mentally well all at once.
So please, don’t compare what you’re facing now to what they faced then. It’s apples and oranges.
And if the idea of spending money on a cleaner makes you feel guilty, realise you are not only investing in a cleaner. You are investing in your wellbeing. What price would you put on that?
It’s not about the floors. It’s about you.
Final Thoughts
Keeping your home organised as a busy mum is absolutely possible – and easier than you might think.
It all comes down to choosing a way that works for you, and just starting.
Not spending years overthinking, analysing, or waiting for the “perfect” system.
Pick something that fits your life right now, and go with it.
It really is that simple.
It’s about tiny, consistent actions.
Sometimes it means asking for help.
And sometimes it means giving yourself permission to do things differently… to do them simpler.
Even if all you have is five minutes a day, that’s enough to start turning your messy, overwhelming house into a calm, feel-good space.
One drawer at a time.
With love,
Ivana xx
