Kids. They can be a blessing and a total pain in the butt. While they’re cute and cuddly and everything in between, every parent knows they can wreak complete havoc on your house. What was once an organized and decorated space is now a mountain of crumbs, toys, and everything else that kids touch throughout the day. For some people, living in this chaos is normal. For others, though, this chaos makes your anxiety rise, and it’s important for you to get your house more welcoming. Check out these six ways to keep a clean house when you have kids.

1. Hire professionals.
Taking care of your kids is a full-time job, and whether you stay home to care for your kids or you’re a working parent, your job is tough. Because of this, it may be difficult to clean up after the kids and create a home you’re proud to show off. Instead of adding clean-up to your long list of things to do, it’s important for you to instead consider hiring professionals. According to a maid service in Littleton, CO, “Professional cleaning services are more affordable than people think, and cleaning service companies create a schedule that works for your specific home and your specific needs.” Maybe this means you have them come in once a week or once a month. Either way, it’s worth it.

2. Keep toys contained.
Children want to do everything all the time wherever they feel like it, but if you want to keep a clean house, you need to create a space for your child to play. For instance, you may keep your child and his/her toys limited to their bedroom, or maybe you have a playroom or one other room in the house where they can bring items to play. By keeping their toys contained to one area, you’ll have less space to clean when it’s time for bed. In addition, it will allow you to keep the rest of your house clean and only worry about that one room when it’s time to host friends or have play dates.

3. Be an expert organizer.
When it comes to buying furniture for your home, make sure they are versatile pieces. For instance, look for coffee tables that have hidden storage or bookshelves where you can add baskets. This versatile storage allows you to have places to hide your child’s toys and then create more of a comfortable adult space in rooms like the kitchen or living room. This way, your home will be neat and tidy the way you like it without having to sacrifice your child’s play area or get rid of their toys.

4. Clean up right away.
The day can get away from you, but cleaning up right away is one of the best methods for keeping a clean house. For instance, when your child is done with breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks, put the dishes in the sink/dishwasher and wipe down the table/counter. This will take you a whole two minutes to accomplish and it will make your home look much cleaner and create less extra work for you to do.

5. Get a small vacuum.
Whether you call it a handheld vacuum or a dust buster, these will be the saving grace to keeping your house clean. You know your child always manages to get the smallest crumbs, pieces of paper, or other messy items throughout the house, but who wants to break out the big clunky vacuum to clean a small mess? Instead, having a handheld vacuum will make it much easier for you to create a clean environment. Plus, your child may even want to use the smaller vacuum, which means they can clean up after themselves and make it much easier on you.

6. Create order.
While you may just want your child to play, sometimes having order to playtime can make your home not turn into a battlefield. For instance, teach your child that if they want to play with something, they have to put something else back first. This will ensure you don’t have 1,000 toys on your floor at once. In addition, maybe schedule some quiet time for your child during the day where they have to read or color, which creates less of a mess. Finally, be sure to teach your child to clean up after themselves at an early age, as this will make it less trying as they get older.

You can have a clean home even with littles running around—you just need to use these tips.