Green Cleaning & Decluttering Tips for Busy Moms
The urge to declutter is strong at the start of each year and the beginning of spring.
Wellness gurus say that cleaning and re-organizing at the start of a new season sparks healthy habits. Spiritual folks believe that doing so welcomes new energy. Organizational experts say that a clean home encourages focus and productivity. I believe it all!
If you’re a busy mama like me, finding time to not only clean and declutter your space but also keep it that way, can be a challenge.
My solution: Meet Kesia Hosking, also known as the Green Domestic Fairy.
She’s a UK-based Professional Organizer and Sustainable Cleaning & Lifestyle Coach that’s on a mission to help people create calm and beautiful homes. She specializes in offering green cleaning solutions and environmentally friendly organizing strategies.
Housekeeping was initially a way for Kesia to pass time when she arrived in London. “I just wanted to have a gap year and then go home to Brazil, but God or destiny had a different plan for me,” she shared on a video call.
Household cleaners with chemicals can impact our health at home.
“I would cough a lot, get headaches, and feel ill generally. I got to that point where I had to change or actually do something else, because it was affecting me that badly.
Now I’m almost 100% toxic free, or low toxic, because every chemical releases some sort of gas.”
~Kesia Hosking, Professional Organizer and Sustainable Cleaning & Lifestyle Coach
Kesia became a housekeeper for Lynne McTaggart, a renowned author and journalist, named among the top 100 spiritual leaders for her work that focuses on consciousness and the power of intention.
“She has a website called What Doctors Don’t Tell You. She’s really into alternative medicine. She’s American as well, but lived in London. That was 16 years ago. She would buy the cleaners that wouldn’t harm me at all. I could see that there was a difference between cleaning the other houses and hers.
After doing tons of research, Kesia learned how everyday household cleaners with chemicals can impact our health at home.
“They affect your health, your children’s health, even pets, sadly, are affected by toxic household cleaning,” she shared.
Kesia credits Lynne for helping her transform her approach to cleaning and improve her overall health. Once she made the switch from toxic to green cleaning products Kesia noticed that her breathing changed.
“I would cough a lot, get headaches, and feel ill. It got to that point where I had to change or do something else, because it was affecting me that badly! Now I’m almost 100% toxic free, or low toxic, because every chemical releases some sort of gas.”
It was fascinating to chat with Kesia. I’m excited to share her seamless green cleaning, decluttering, and organizing tips for moms who want timesaving solutions.
Read more in our Q&A below:
Q: Kesia, I’m SO happy that you listened to your calling to become a Professional Organizer and Sustainable Cleaning & Lifestyle Coach!
Let’s start by tackling CLUTTER from a wellness perspective. How is clutter linked to mental health? You mentioned that decluttering has helped your clients.
A: Yes! We took a housekeeping break for Covid. During the break my client’s husband and son were at home. They were all working and studying at home. She saw a decline in her mental health because things were building up and I couldn’t be there to support her in the decluttering process. Once lockdown was lifted we went back to working. The energy in the room felt lighter. Her energy also felt lighter. Clutter equals energy that is stuck. Once it becomes “unstuck,” energy can flow.
Clutter also equals procrastination, which is not good for mental health. How clutter affects anxiety is from the visual stimuli. Your brain is speaking up. The more stuff that’s in your house, the more your brain needs to process. That raises up the cortisol, the stress hormone.
It’s the things that need to get done that are not done, or things that need to go in their place, but I don’t have time for them to go in their place right now because I’m working. Sadly, it becomes a snowball.
After helping clients declutter, I have seen big differences in their lifestyle. Some were able to pick up some old projects that they were passionate about, because there’s a flow in their homes again.
I’m so happy to witness how it can positively affect people. That’s why I’m passionate about decluttering, and can’t stop thinking about it!
Q: It’s comforting to know that there is an actual science behind it, because I’ve often wondered, “Is this moment of overwhelm all in my head?” When you have two kids and you’re a busy person, one moment the house is clean and fine—and then it’s not and you’re NOT okay.
A: Yeah, there are lots of studies done by UCLA, about the effects of stress, especially on one person in a family, which is usually the woman. Because (usually) she’s at home working, and sees those things. The person who actually sees the most struggles more with anxiety and cortisol levels in their body.
I’m actually working towards being a minimalist, because life is too short to be cleaning and tidying up all of the time. My clients are so busy and they wear so many hats…You wear so many hats! You’re a business owner, a mom, a confidant, a lover, and then you need to be a cleaner too.
Q: Wow. YES! We once hired out for cleaning. Funny enough, my husband suggested it, and I was like “No, no” because a part of me felt like I should be able to take care of it myself. Then life started life-ing and I was just like, “Let’s not fight this! Let’s do this.” It literally felt like night and day, until the kids came back with more stuff! Haha…
A: There’s a reset time after cleaning. This gives you about 12 days where you’re keeping up, instead of spending 15 days trying to keep up. I think for women, having a maid or a housecleaner come is part of their self-care!
Q: What tips would you give busy moms for cleaning and organizing, if they’re starting the process and don’t have a lot of time?
A: With cleaning: START where you spend most of your time FIRST. Start with the kitchen, bathroom, living room and floors. Those are the areas that can get really mucky if there’s no routine.
Set a routine and time yourself, if possible. Have a routine of at least 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there. I struggle with that. I find that I spend too long working on things, so I need to time myself because I have other things to do. I can’t spend half an hour cleaning the kitchen sometimes, so I give myself 25 minutes and I time myself.
Do it with no distractions, so there’s no interruptions with your workflow. I usually put the phone away because that’s my main distraction. So I set the timer, or Alexa, and put music on, because I move to the music.
Make it fun! If it’s not fun you’re not likely going to go back and do it. Get your playlist that you love. Set it for 15 minutes and do it. I realize that may be difficult to do that when kids are around, but find a 20-minute cartoon. Put them in front of the TV for that time.
It may be hard, but I’d actually encourage you to bring your kids into your cleaning routine.
They need to learn. My mom used to do that with me. I used to say “Mom, I’m not going to do this for life!” (LOL, look at the irony.) At the time I didn’t like it, but now I love it! She would give me easy jobs to do. Usually dusting, so she would make it fun. She’d ask, “How dirty can you get that cloth?” She was really sneaky, actually. It’s part of education for kids.
Think about it. Your kids are going to grow up. They’re going to go to university. They’re going to become someone’s flatmate. Eventually they’re going to become someone’s lover and become someone’s partner. Are you raising them for the here and now, or for the future?
Give them easy jobs. Create a system to put their toys in baskets. Teach them that everything has a home. Let’s say “The Legos live in that basket, or the train sets lives in this basket.” Think of it as a place for everything, and everything in its place. Give them a big cheer to help them to feel good for tidying up, because it actually does feel good!
Q: If you could create a quick, sustainable, weekly cleaning schedule for a busy mom, what would you suggest?
A: Rule 1: If you have 5 minutes to do it, go do it! Clutter and mess can build up. That can be overwhelming! Sometimes, I don’t have half an hour on the schedule to do something, but if I have 5 minutes, I do it.
Rule 2: Take with you rule. Go from one room to the other. If you have one item that belongs in the kitchen, but is in the bedroom, take it with you when you go there. I’ve told my partner about that rule too. This is a sustainable way to keep your house tidy, that can also be communicated to children.
Rule 3: Clean while cooking: I do a little bit of cleaning whilst I cook. Empty dishwasher, load it, do dishwashing. Same thing with the toilet. When I finish my shower, I grab a small towel or squidgy and wipe the toilet down, so soap and scum will not sit on it. If I do that every day, when I need to clean I don’t have to spend half an hour cleaning.
If we just do it a little bit at a time, with the little time that we have, I think it helps a lot when it comes time to do the big cleaning. It’s easier because you also are able to use less product, which also really helps.
When using ecological products, you may see that (when doing deeper cleanings) you’ll have to spray something and leave it for 5 minutes. Doing little pockets of cleaning helps so that when it’s time to do the bigger cleaning you won’t have to spray and wait.
Q: What are your tips on the best green cleaning products to make or buy?
A: When you’re doing the change over from full toxic cleaners to none, it’s really hard to go to DIY. Instead, start with store bought brands. There’s:
-Attitude: (Green household, beauty, kids & pet care products)
These products are more widely available in stores:
-Method (FYI, they do add a few fragrances)
Q: Oooh, that’s a great list! We also have Swell Hand & Body Wash in our Mommafied wellness shop. Honestly, I think that sometimes it all boils down to marketing when it comes to green cleaning. Oftentimes we’re made to think that green cleaners are not as strong as cleaners with harsher chemical ingredients.
A: We’ve been trained to make the house smell like it’s been polished, or smell like bleach, but believe me, when using a green cleaner, it is clean.
Simple dish soap with water will clean most things. Why? It gets through the grime. What disinfects surfaces is the soap, the surfactants. Fragrances don’t clean. They are there to make that cleaning experience feel nice to us.
Sadly, it’s a good marketing strategy. It’s something made in a lab that probably has 300 chemicals in it. We don’t even know. Sometimes in the U.S. they don’t disclose what they put in cleaning recipes, because it’s a secret. A secret recipe is a loophole that they found.
You don’t know if any of those chemicals disrupt your hormones, affect your breathing, disrupt your sleep, or make you fat, because sometimes toxins can cause people to put on weight.
Q: Wow, that’s deep. It’s great to learn about the truth behind cleaners. What are the best sustainable swaps for commonly used kitchen tools, like dishcloths?
A: Sure! Check these out:
-Biodegradable cloths (can be used like paper towels or kitchen wiping cloths)
Q: Let’s dive into decluttering. Do you believe in the Marie Kondo way?
A: The Marie Kondo way of doing things would send my anxiety up to the roof! If I had to find all of my paper and put it in the middle of the floor, I’d actually run out the door! I prefer to make it sustainable.
Q: What’s your big strategy for decluttering for moms who are tight on time? Does it work the same way as cleaning, start where you are most often, first?
A: -Start with the place that bothers you the most: One drawer, one cupboard—start small. You want a quick win! The brain loves a quick win! Based on neuroscience, our brain is lazy and it likes comfort. We have to work with it. Start small, so we can have small, quick wins. Then we can do bigger stuff, spread across the house.
-Stop the problem at its root: STOP saying yes to taking people’s things. Don’t let clutter come through your doors, because we get attached it especially if it comes from someone we love.
-Use multipurpose shelving: Open shelving from places like Ikea are so versatile. You can use them as is, or put baskets in them. They can be used vertically or horizontally. They grow with children. You can put the soft toys in baskets in the lower slots, so they can pull the basket out, play with their toys, and put them back in. As children grow the shelving can be used as a normal open shelf, a bookshelf, or even as shoe storage. There are so many ways to repurpose open shelves. Ottomans are also helpful. You can put stuff inside and hide it away. You can put a lid on it, which is pretty helpful, especially if you have last-minute visitors.
Q: What if you want to get rid of things, but still have those emotional ties?
A: For sentimental things, keep some stuff that’s really precious or valuable to you, or that captures the memory of a person or place. Don’t keep everything. If the item is really big, take a photo of it.
My dad passed away 2 years ago and we were decluttering his things. We came across his watches. He had 3. I kept one for myself. My brother wanted the other watch, and we gave one away that I didn’t like so much. So, we blessed someone else. Give away, repurpose, or sell items that you don’t find value in. You can also give it back to the person, if that’s possible. It’s OK to keep some sentimental stuff. It’s not OK to keep all of it!
Q: How do you get rid of toys when kids are super attached to them? Do you declutter when they’re not home?
A: I wouldn’t hide it from them! Some kids get really upset. I would actually have a conversation. A professional organizer that I know suggests putting all the toys in a basket or area. Tell the child: “You have to remember everything that is in this basket. Whatever you remember, you can keep. The rest can go. If you don’t remember it, that means that you haven’t played with it in a long time. If you haven’t played with it in a long time you’re not seeing the value in having that toy anymore, which is absolutely fine. It means that you’re willing to let go of that toy.”
I think that is actually one of the best techniques that I’ve heard for decluttering with children.
Q: How do you keep the decluttering train going?
A: -Watch what comes through the doors: For wardrobe, if I buy one item, I try to get rid of two.
-Think about investments: Invest in jeans that you would wear for a long time, and it’s the same for everything else in the house. Instead of a plastic toy, consider something that would last longer. I know that can be a bit hard, because usually those things cost more. That’s why I see them as an investment. Everything I put my money into is an investment to have a happy life. I see shopping as an investment, even for food sometimes. Buy less, but buy better.
-Take your shoes off: It helps keep the house clean. This is quite important, especially if your children are in the crawling stage.
-Have conversations with your children about putting their things back. Remember, everything has a home. Sometimes I say to children: “You are a child and you have a home. You have a doll and this is their home. Just like you. You go to school, and at night what happens? Do you stay in school? No. You go home and go to the bed. This is where the home or the bed of this toy is.”
-Give yourself grace! There are times when the house will be a tiff, but you will go back and reset it. Let the anxiety sit. Do some breathwork to ease that anxiety, it helps. Life happens. There are times when the house will get extra messy, but take the steps that I suggest. Work your plan and go back again. That’s it. We are all humans. Situations come and go. A little bit of grace is welcome!
Kesia Hosking
Kesia, also known as the Green Domestic Fairy, is a UK-based Professional Organizer, Sustainable Cleaning & Lifestyle Coach.
She offers in-person and virtual sessions where she coaches people on how to clean and declutter their homes using sustainable and green-cleaning practices.
You can contact her on Instagram @thegreendomesticfairy .
Thanks for reading! For more resources for busy moms who want to lead healthier, plant-based lives: Follow me @getmommafied on Instagram, and subscribe to my bimonthly Mommafied Note.