*This post is sponsored by Clorox. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Germs during the wintertime are no joke, especially the you have kids. Before children, I really didn't take germs that seriously; we didn't get sick very often, so I didn't take the threat that seriously. After three kids, however, it's a completely different story. If one of them gets sick, the chances are good that everyone will share it, which can knock out our family for a good two weeks.

Disinfecting is key to keep our family healthy, and we take it seriously. We have a no shoes in the house policy (I'm simply wearing them here while I mop!), and wipe down the surfaces and floors regularly. I love using Clorox (found at the Home Depot! See their entire product offering here.) for a deep clean on the floors and counters, as it kills up to 99.9% of germs and it's also safe to use while I'm pregnant.

With Cloromax technology, Clorox also protects surfaces as it cleans, meaning future stains won't stick to counters and floors, making cleanup even easier (and I can take all the easy I can get with three littles underfoot and one more on the way!).

I mostly use it on our kitchen surfaces, but Clorox will also keep your whites brighter longer with enhanced brightening power (hi, white school uniform polo!), and it removes 70% more stains than detergent alone (stains like blood, dirt, and grass!), which makes it super handy if you have lots of active kids in your life.

Cleaning with the kids around can be a real challenge, so here are some of my tips to make it easier when finding yourself alone is rare or nearly impossible:

(1) Don't do it after kids are in bed or while they are at school. If you are wired to already love cleaning, this likely doesn't apply to you, but if you are like me, I'd much rather use my free time to work on a project or have lunch with a friend. I love for my house to be clean, but it makes me sad to spend valuable project time doing household tasks.

(2) Do your cleaning while they are at home, and give yourself a free pass. When I need to do housework or organizing, I'll put on a favorite show or movie for the girls, and serve them a snack, guilt free. This usually keeps them fairly pre-occupied. There is no sense in trying to do extra parenting work (i.e. refereeing fights, finding random tiny things they lost, etc. etc.) while you are trying to get something done.

(3) Find some favorite items that make the job more of a pleasure. Get a cute apron, fun hand towels, an extra cute mop bucket, or a favorite scrunchie for tying your hair back, whatever it is that makes it seem more fun. Dressing the part always makes me feel more prepared for accomplishing a task.

(4) Do one space at a time. Don't try to do the entire house at once. Focus on one space - the kitchen, the bathroom, the kids' room, and do it thoroughly and well. Don't overwhelm yourself trying to do your entire house at one time.

Those are my favorite tips for keeping the not as fun tasks a little less stressful.  It's hard finding time to get it done when your hands are full, but I've found these tips help me make it happen, and have a good balance of productivity and me time.

Thank you so much to Clorox for sponsoring this post! Be sure to check out their entire line of household cleaners available at Home Depot here.