why a cleaning schedule helps simplify your life
Wether you’re a busy mom at home raising little ones, working full time, or somewhere in the middle…keeping the house clean is no easy task. It has always seemed daunting to me to have to clean the whole house at once. Devoting a whole weekend day to all the cleaning has always seemed terrible to me. I am even one of those crazy people who actually kind of likes to clean, however spending a whole day each week cleaning the house is not my favorite thing to do.
With three busy kids, I have to be very intentional about scheduling my time for things. I have found that spending about 30 minutes each day doing one or two cleaning tasks makes it much more manageable to keep up on. When I am able to schedule my tasks out for the week and month, it alleviates a ton of stress. When I just think about the thought of cleaning the whole house I feel overwhelmed and don’t even know where to start.
There is no doubt that the best part about cleaning is seeing the end result. There is nothing like a sparkling clean bathroom, fresh vacuum lines, shiny wood floors, or fresh sheets. Doing one task each day gives you that satisfaction of completing something and having that end result to enjoy every single day. This usually even makes me feel more productive throughout the day.
steps to create a cleaning schedule
step one: determine what needs to get done
When I began making my cleaning schedule I had to sit down and determine what needed to be done daily, weekly, and monthly. Here is what is on my schedule:
daily:
- Make Beds
- Wipe Kitchen Counters and Appliances
- One Load of Laundry
- Sweep Kitchen and Eating Areas
- Dishes
- Pick Up
weekly:
- Clean Kids’ Bathroom
- Clean Master & Powder Bathrooms
- Wash Sheets
- Sweep and Mop Hardwood Floors
- Dusting
- Vacuum Carpets
- Organize (Extra Pick Up)
monthly:
- Dust Baseboards
- Clean Out Fridge
- Extra Dusting (cobwebs, ceiling fans, light fixtures, etc.)
- Clean Oven
Step two: schedule it
Each week I sit down on Sunday and look at our schedule for the week ahead. I plan out our meal for the week on my Weekly Meal Planner and plan my cleaning on my Weekly Cleaning Checklist. It helps to look at everything together to see where things will best fit. Get your free printable Cleaning Checklist here!
my typical week:
Along with my daily tasks, I schedule my weekly and monthly tasks like this:
- Monday- Clean Kids’ Bathroom
- Tuesday- Clean Master and Powder Bathroom
- Wednesday- Wash Sheets, Mop Floors
- Thursday- Dusting
- Friday- Vacuum, Organize (extra pick up)
- Sat/Sun- Choose One Monthly Task
step three: get it done
Find a routine that works best for you to get your tasks done. Having a routine simplifies your life and takes the stress out of trying to figure out when to do things. I have found that the earlier in the day I start on my tasks for the day, the more productive I am for the whole day.
I try to start a load of laundry first thing in the morning so I am sure to get it done by the end of the day. It is amazing how much easier it is to get just one load of laundry all done and put away, rather than have mountains of laundry to deal with once a week.
I have found some great products that I love to keep on hand for simplifying the cleaning process. These products are all “green” products along with being great smelling. They definitely make the cleaning tasks a little more enjoyable! Check out this post I wrote about my favorite Green and Clean Home Products.
Here are a couple of my favorites-
Vida Verde Home’s Nature Infused Cleansers and Candles
For Mopping- I love the Rubbermaid Reveal Refillable Spray Mop. The microfiber pads are removable and washable and the spray bottle is refillable. I use a solution of equal parts vinegar and water, with 30 drops of essential oils. It works beautifully and costs only a fraction of the price of commercial floor cleaning solutions.
step four: enjoy the rewards
When you start your weekly cleaning schedule, I’m sure you will love the rewards. You will get to see something get clean each day, feel a sense of accomplishment, and have less stress about getting all the cleaning done. Simplifying the process this way has been a game changer in our home.
Don’t forget to give yourself grace if it doesn’t all get done on the day you schedule it. If you only have a few minutes, even just doing a little bit will make you feel accomplished. It’s amazing how just a quick wipe down on the bathroom sinks and counters down will make you feel a little accomplished. Just catch up when you can. If life gets crazy and something has to wait until the next week it will be okay. Remember this is just a guide to help keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
If you give this method a try, please come back and leave a comment about how it works for you. I would love to hear your feedback!
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