Do you remember those days, before you had children, when your home actually stayed clean? If you now have little ones, you may figure those days are over — but they don't have to be! The following are some helpful tips to help keep your home cleaner when you have tiny feet padding around.

1. Have a house cleaner come over periodically.

You may think of hiring house cleaning services as something only rich people or lazy people do, but this is not the case at all. When you're busy running a family, having someone come in even once a month to deep-clean your home can be a lifesaver. You can leave the big projects, like cleaning out the fridge and cleaning the windows, to this professional, which means you'll only have to worry about the smaller, touch-up tasks between appointments.

2. Assign the kids certain tasks.

Your kids may not be able to do much yet, but surely they can handle basic cleaning tasks like tossing their toys back into the toy trunk at the end of each day. Assign each child a chore, and give them a sticker or another small prize every day that they complete their chore without you having to ask. Being able to cross even a couple of small tasks off your list will save you time.

3. Do a quick sweep every morning.

Every morning before your kids wake up, dedicate 15 minutes to doing a quick cleaning of your home. The exact tasks you do can vary by the day. One day, you might vacuum, and the next, you might wipe down the counters and put away dishes. Set a timer for 15 minutes, and do not allow yourself to get distracted or do anything other than clean until the timer rings. You'll be surprised how much you can get done when the kids are still sleeping!

4. Get rid of the clutter.

The more things you have in your house, the faster the mess will develop, and the longer it will take to put things away! Once a month, go through your home and toss anything you do not want into a bin or box. Donate, sell, or throw away these items. Your home will stay much less cluttered and, therefore, cleaner.

With the tips above, you should have an easier time maintaining a tidier home, even with little kids running around and keeping you busy.