House cleaning can be such a drag, right? Do you know anyone who truly enjoys it? I don’t. There are those who want to designate a day to blow it out, get it done. Then there are others who chip away at it haphazardly. Others don’t do it at all. Or hire someone else to do the dastardly deed.
I’ve tried all these approaches at one time or another. At the end of the day, having a clean house to me is relaxing and I simply feel better when things are clean and organized. What is working for me is having a schedule of tasks broken down into daily, weekly or monthly chores in order to keep up my home without overly stressing myself in the process.
Earnings & Affiliate Disclaimer
Every Day
When you keep your home tidy and decluttered it certainly makes it easier to actually clean when the time comes. For example, here are the items I try to do daily.
- Dishes & wiping down the kitchen counters. Importantly, try not to ever go to bed without tidying the kitchen. Wash up the dishes, put away everything that belongs in the pantry or refrigerator and wipe the countertops. This one small daily habit will make your morning the next day so much better.
- Make your bed & tidy up the bedroom. Do this first thing in the morning when you get up. Pick up any clothing and toss it in the hamper, remove drinking glasses or other items and return them to their rightful homes.
- Do a Sweep of your home to pick up and organize. Just like in the bedroom there could be things lying around that can be put away in their rightful places. Fold the blankets on the couch, put the pillows straight and remove any garbage or dishes. If you have little ones this could be an all-day adventure.
- One load of laundry. This can be broken down as follows: Sheets one day, towels the next, Your clothes, your partners’ clothes, your kids’ clothes, blankets, etc.
Weekly
There’s really no point in designating a day for each of these lists. Whenever I’ve tried to schedule by day it never fails, I don’t feel like that particular list on that particular day. So here goes.
By the way, if you want to keep the toxins down and use natural cleaners check out Eco-Friendly Natural Cleaning for Your Home
Cleaning the Bathroom/s Day
- Clean the shower and tub.
- Scrub the toilets.
- Clean mirrors, counters and sinks.
- Sweep and mop the floors.
Living/Family Room Day
- Dust and polish all surfaces.
- Vacuum cloth furniture or wipe down leather couch or chairs.
- Vacuum & sweep floors.
- Wipe baseboards if needed. (This could be on your monthly perhaps.)
- Mop floors if needed.
- Water plants.
Food Day
- Clean out refrigerator and pantry.
- Meal planning. Related article: Meal Planning to Stay Healthy & Save Money
- Check your inventory and make your grocery list.
- Grocery shopping
- Prep veggies, meaning chop your ingredients for your meals so they’re ready to go when it comes time to cook.
Cleaning the Bedroom/s Day
- Dust all surfaces.
- Change bedding.
- Vacuum/Sweep (Try this lightweight rechargeable vacuum)
- Wipe baseboards.
Deep Cleaning the Kitchen Day
This one will be easier if you’ve been keeping up with your daily cleaning of the kitchen.
- Clean inside and outside of the microwave.
- Clean inside and outside of the refrigerator. Again, maybe this could be monthly.
- Check the dishwasher inside to see if it needs attention and clean the outside of it.
- Wipe down outside of cabinets.
- Clean range hood.
- Vacuum, sweep, mop.
Car & Garage Day
- Wash and vacuum your cars.
- Straighten and sweep the garage.
Yard Day
- Mow the lawn.
- Trim the foliage.
- Weed the flower beds and garden.
- Sweep or blow off the porches and patios. Make quick work of it with this cordless blower
One thing I’ve found is that it works best to go top to bottom when cleaning a room. It’s just awful when you clean the floors first and then, lo and behold, there’s dust and debris knocked down onto your already clean floor.
So there you go. That’s a full 7 days of 1-2 hour tasks to keep your home clean and in order. I know it seems like a lot but if there’s more than one of you in the home you can divvy up the lists.
Monthly
These are a few extras that can be attended to less often.
Dust blinds and shutters and/or clean curtains
Sometimes I just go ahead and do this when I’m working on the room they’re in. You choose.
Wipe out the insides of cabinets.
You can save this for a yearly cleaning chore if you find they’re not really so bad. It can be a good time to remove everything from the inside and do a little decluttering. Get a box ready for donation and only return items that you love or use.
Launder the throw rugs from the bathroom and family room.
Spot clean walls.
Spot clean carpets.
Wipe down baseboards.
Clean under the couch and chairs.
Vacuum or dust under the beds and dressers.
Clean your oven.
Deep clean the refrigerator and freezer.
Toss any old food that you know you won’t be using.
To Sum it All Up
Frankly, I don’t get to everything on my list each and every week. But, at the end of the day, when people walk into my home I don’t get embarrassed by the state of things.
So, in order to keep your space clean and presentable, just chip away at it! By all means, simply put a couple of these items on your calendar each day and see for yourself what a difference it makes.
I created a cleaning schedule with a meal planning page for you here – Cleaning & Meal Planning Printable
If you enjoyed this article you may also like:
- 10 Easy Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes
- Resources for Sustainable & Responsible Food
- Herbs & Essential Oils to Soothe a Sore Throat
- Eco-Friendly Natural Cleaning for Your Home
- DIY Oven Cleaner & Why You Should Make Your Own
- Healthy Aging – Top 10 Things You Should Know
Do you have any comments, tips or ideas about house cleaning? I’d sure love to hear them. If you found value in this article please take a moment and share it on your social channels. ❤️