Busy mums share the easy ways they get the housework done in half the time… & how to trick the kids into helping

WITH a lot to do in any one day, and so little time, finding fuss-free ways to tackle household chores in paramount. With that in mind, these mums have come with savvy ways to get chores done in half the time and even get the kids to help too. Create a reward system In order […]

WITH a lot to do in any one day, and so little time, finding fuss-free ways to tackle household chores in paramount.

With that in mind, these mums have come with savvy ways to get chores done in half the time and even get the kids to help too.

Create a reward system

In order to get the kids involved, and create less work for themselves, some parents have come up with clever games or reward systems that make kids WANT to help.

One savvy parent revealed how she bribed her two children with the promise of a secret “special event”, and listed all the chores they needed to complete to “earn money” for the treat.

Another came up with an impressive colour-coded “chore board” which also earned them money each time they completed a task.

At the end of the week, mum Rachel Riley will put all the money her sons have earned from the chore board into a pot which they can only have at the end of the month.

To stop her kids from leaving things laying around the house, another mum implemented a new rule which saw her confiscate items and only return them when each child completes one household chore.

Taking to Facebook, the crafty mum shared a photo of a bucket she’d used to implement the new rule which showcased her well thought out plan.

When one of her kids want their confiscated item back, they must select a chore from the cut-up pieces of paper provided and throw it in the tub once completed.

Colour-coded laundry

Doing laundry is a necessary but time-consuming job, and if you have kids it can feel like your washing machine never stops.

But one mum has revealed her simple yet effective tip for putting away washing in less than 15 minutes, by using coloured coat hangers for each member of the family

Leanne, from Brisbane, Australia, said: “In our household all our clothes are hung up except for our underwear and socks.

“Everyone has a different coloured coat hanger so that it is easier to put away. I hang all our clothes on this clothes rack to dry and then hang them straight into the wardrobe when they are dry.”

By grouping the clothes into colours, she can take everyone’s clothes directly into their wardrobe – or they can do it themselves – and they don’t need to be folded either.

Another mum who’s cut laundry time in half is busy mum-of-16 Tiffany Nelson – and with a brood that size it’s definitely necessary.

The US-based mum revealed she has a laundry system set up which involves having a separate tub for pinks and reds, towels, whites and darks.

But to avoid getting the kids’ clothes mixed up, she said: “Instead of putting the name or having baskets with the children’s names on them, I just put a coloured dot on the different sizes of the clothes.”

Then, once the washing is done, she’ll sort them and hang them on the rack according to the ‘coloured dots’ so each kid can easily find what’s theirs and take them to their room.

Make the bed… twice

Posting on her TikTok channel, American mum Katie Beanstok revealed how she layers a mattress protector over a fresh set of sheets on her child’s bed.

This way, if her little one wets the bed during the night, she simply peels off the dirty sheets in the night without having to faff around looking for clean ones.

She said: “If your child wets the bed at night or leaks through [their nappies], here’s a way to make changing sheets in the night so much easier.

“So you’re going to do a double layer, with a mattress pad underneath so when they do wet the bed you only have to take away these top layers.”

Set yourself a challenge

According to Queen of clean and mum-of-three Lynsey Crombie, just five minutes is enough time to get the chores done if you do the “five minute challenge” she demonstrated on her Instagram.

She says to pick three rooms of the house each time, set the timer for five minutes and within just 15 minutes you would have thoroughly cleaned multiple areas of your home.

If you do this regularly enough, you’ll be surprised just how much you can get done when you’re forced to do it in a hurry – and you’ll be able to stay on top of it too.

She also revealed that carrying a washing basket around the house while cleaning helps collect anything laying around, then the kids can go through and take what’s theirs.

In other parenting news, we revealed how parents are transforming ordinary kids’ beds into magical cubby houses, here’s how to do it on the cheap.

Plus we shared how organised mums have breezed through back-to-school panic with labelling and lunchbox prep.

And a mum feeds family-of-four for £1.50 each a day and shares her monthly meal plan so you can too.