It can be just overwhelming when it comes to keeping the house clean. Most moms constantly deal with toys, dirty clothes, food crumbs, fluids and other messes. Some moms may disagree with this but usually the best approach is to do a little bit of cleaning every day rather than waiting a whole day to clean.
Some moms find it helpful to designate an entire day to a type of cleaning. This helps them keep track of what was cleaned. For instance, two days might be devoted to laundry and two might be set aside for vacuuming, dusting etc. Mondays might be 'Bathrooms', Tuesday could be 'Bedrooms', and Thursdays could be 'Basement and Garage' and so on.
It is also helpful to keep a list of rooms that you have cleaned on a chalkboard or dry erase board. This can help you keep track of which rooms need attention. This prevents you from doubling your work and neglecting doing other areas.
Kids often get in the way of cleaning house so the best time to do this is when your kids are napping. At the very least put them in front of the television or give them a game to play by themselves. Older kids will usually disappear the minute you mention the word 'housework.'
It is also a good idea to have an item called a clean-up basket. This works really well if you have a couple of kids and there are dozens of items cluttering up every square inch of carpet. You simply go around the house and pick up anything and everything. You can then take the different items to where they really should be stored in your home.
If you are a very overworked mom because you just had a baby or have other challenges then you are never going to feel much like cleaning. Cleaning experts recommend setting a timer to motivate you to work more efficiently. Basically you set a timer for fifteen or thirty minutes and during that time you work as hard as you possibly can to get as much as you possibly can. Then you can reward yourself with that nap or shower that you have been waiting for.
If you like a little direction then you can try a site like FlyLady. It gives you schedules and sends you emails so you can get your home clean in about a week or so. The first day you are instructed to 'shine your sink.' This type of thing can help you structure your time so you get the cleaning over and done with.