At my last residence we were crammed for space (which created even MORE clutter), so I came up with a cleaning schedule that allowed me to keep things tidy a little bit at a time. It helped me regain my days off from my full time job. More time...isn't that what we ALL need?!
The key is to break it up into sections. You will have daily chores, weekly chores and monthly chores in a rotation. The days and rotation can be changed around. For example, I used to clean out the fridge on Tuesdays because our trash day was on Wednesday morning. Now it is Thursdays so I have flip flopped a few things around to make it more cohesive. There are very cute ideas out there to have your weekly chores displayed. Just check out the one I found over at Atkinson Drive! Super cute right?! I personally just use a tabbed, Excel spreadsheet. I have a tab for daily, weekly monthly and my husband has a tab for his monthly tasks as well. Once we got into a routine, we didn't need to check the list.
Now that we are moved into out house, we needed to touch up the list and get reacquainted with it..
So let's go!
Daily:
Dishes
Tidy Couch
Pick Up Toys
Put Away Random Items (mail, etc.)
Disinfect Kitchen and Bath Countertops
Pick Up Kids Rooms
Make Beds
Scan Yard for Dog Poop
Depending on the age of you kids, they can complete some of these tasks or help with them. My 15 month old helps when we pick up toys and my 4 year old does a great job at making his own bed. I never allow my kids to clean with chemical cleaners, however when I am using them I will give them a damp cloth so that they can "clean" with me!
Weekly:
Sunday - Walls (windows, baseboards, wall scuffs and ceiling dust bunnies)
Vacuum and wash floors upstairs
Time for monthly chore
Monday - Put away laundry and straighten up closet
Tidy shoes by doors and in closet
Clear unused shoes, coats, hats, etc. to closet
Tuesday - Dusting
Vacuum and wash floors downstairs
Clean off desk and pay bills
Wednesday - Clean out fridge
Clean and touch up pantry
Empty vacuum
Gather trash
Thursday - Clean toilets
Scrub sinks and tubs
Windex mirrors and surfaces
Refill q-tips and toilet rolls
Friday - Wipe down kitchen appliances
Vacuum and wash floors downstairs
Clean kitchen sink
Saturday - Laundry
Wash couch cover and blankets (if needed)
This list can be totally customized for your home and your family. I realize that not everybody wants to vacuum and wash the floors three times a week. We have large dogs so our needs may be different than yours. Also, you will have your own rhyme and reason to what you want to do on what day. I like to do the bathrooms and kitchen stuff later in the week in case we have friends stop by over the weekend and I like to straighten up closets after the weekend because we might have gone out and gotten nicer shoes and outwear out that we don't use often. You will find your own way...the important thing is that you break it up into small amounts each day. The great thing is, the more you do it, the EASIER the cleaning is! The first week or two might be tough, but if you keep it up each week will feel more like a touch up. And your house will remain clean!
Monthly:
January - Wash curtains
February - Clean ceiling fans and light fixtures
March - Closets (mine and kids - including gathering stuff for goodwill)
April - Outdoor windows and siding
May - Clean doors and spray barriers for spiders
June - Clean rugs/carpets
July - Bathroom cabinets inside and out
August - Vents and hire duct cleaning if needed
September - Kitchen cabinets inside and out
October - Appliances (dishwasher, oven, washer, etc.)
November - Bedrooms (move large furniture and clean under, flip mattress etc.)
December - Furniture (wipe all of wooden furniture legs, undersides and vacuum and treat couch)
Monthly (my husbands):
January - Appliances (fridge coil, dryer hose and vents)
February - Closets (including gather stuff for goodwill)
March - Garage (bring down bikes and declutter)
April - Hedges and bushes
May - Clean patio furniture and grill
June - Wash dogs clip nails
July - Garage (clean and despider)
August - Paint touch up
September - Change furnace filter and change smoke detector batteries
October - Gather leaves and debris from under bushes
November - Garage (hang bikes and bring in holiday bins)
December - Wash dogs and clip nails
The monthly chores are pretty self explanatory and can be changed as well. Again, the idea is to break up the traditional spring cleaning so that you can be more efficient and not overwhelmed. By rotating you will never have to spring clean again. It really works!!
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