Do you dream about having a tidy and clean house all year long, instead of just twice a year for those 2 major parties you throw? Are you tired of the stress of feeling like your entire house is a disaster and you have to tackle everything at one time? Do you ever wonder when the last time was you cleaned the toilets, or mopped the floors, or even (gasp!) cleaned the oven? C’mon, I know I’m not the only one who doesn’t do these tasks enough. Has it been weeks, or months, or even years since I’ve cleaned the dust off the ceiling fans? Who knows. I’m about to show you how to make the 787 different tasks involved in keeping a clean house NOT STRESSFUL!
Why should I make a cleaning schedule?
What we need, people, is some organization. Not just organized spaces in our homes. I’m talking about organized minds. PEACE of mind. Believe it or not, our brains are not made to store ALL THE THINGS. Appointments, activities, playdates, birthday parties, practices, games, homework assignments, bills, laundry, pick up and drop off times, packing lunches, work responsibilities, grocery trips, and I could go on and on. The point is, there are a LOT of things that go through our minds on a daily basis. A lot of things that need to be done.
When you add cleaning tasks to that list, it’s just TOO MUCH. If you are someone who can stay on top of ALL THE THINGS by the power of your own magical brain, KUDOS TO YOU. However, if you’re normal like me, I’m going to show you how I stay on top of household chores and cleaning. WITHOUT the pressure of getting everything done in one weekend and almost dying in the process.
The beauty of writing things down
But let me jump back to that organized mind for a quick second. For me, I like to clear my mind of as much junk as I can. Therefore, I write things down. A lot. I make lists. And then more lists. I write notes and set reminders in my phone. I have calendars and planners. My husband will make fun of me till the cows come home every time I make a new list, but what does he know?! I know that HIS brain isn’t going to hold ALL THE THINGS and necessary tasks, and I surely don’t want my brain to hold that weight. Therefore, I’ll take on the responsibility of writing them all down.
Trust me, folks. If you can train yourself to start clearing your mind by writing things down, and making schedules and lists, you are going to have SO much more peace of mind. It just feels GOOD to be organized, to feel like you’re on top of things, to feel like you have a handle on household chores. Sure, some people are going to roll their eyes or smirk at me and say, “That girl’s got some serious OCD.” But I would much rather have that, then to have my mind spinning in circles and running around frazzled all the time.
Creating the schedule
Now, back to the cleaning schedule. Cleaning is just one of the many things I choose to tackle in an organized way, with the help of a schedule. I’ll be totally honest with you in that I have not been doing it this way forever. I actually just created my cleaning schedule a few months ago, but so far, it is working very well. I just love the ability of knowing when things have gotten done, and when they need to be done again.
First and foremost, you are more than welcome to copy, print, and use my exact cleaning schedule below, but I’m betting you might want/need to tweak some things. Everyone’s homes have slightly different cleaning needs, some areas get used more than others, etc. Also, I think a lot of people have different expectations of how often certain things need to get cleaned. There is no right or wrong with the frequency. It is truly your own personal preference.
FYI, before you browse my schedule below, you need to know that I have kept things very realistic and logical in regards to the frequency that these tasks can get done. For example, I have literally seen other people’s cleaning schedules that say you should wipe down your bathroom sinks every day, and clean your toilets every week. I’m sorry if this makes me sound gross, but that schedule just ain’t going to work for me. I am keeping things real, people. So if you are turned off by my twice a month toilet and shower cleaning, and once a month floor mopping, you go right ahead and change those frequencies. (If I’m being REALLY real, cleaning toilets even twice a month is a LOFTY goal for me. Bathrooms are my kryptonite.)
Ok, let’s get to it! If you want to create and customize your own home cleaning schedule, but don’t know where to start, below are 3 simple steps to get the job done!
Step 1: Tasks by Room
I highly suggest first going through your house room by room and listing all the cleaning tasks that need done. This way, you can be sure you won’t miss anything. As you can see from my list below (the left-hand column) you want to list everything. Things you already do on a daily basis, and things you might do once a year if you’re lucky. This includes organizing spaces that need organized, like closets and the pantry. You can also see that as I went through the tasks, I put a letter next to each one after deciding how frequently I wanted things done.
D = daily
W = weekly
BW = bi-weekly
M = monthly
Q = quarterly
BY = bi-yearly
Y = yearly
You might include more rooms than I did. Maybe a dining room, play room, or basement. Don’t leave anything out! You can also see that I made a “miscellaneous” category, which mostly includes tasks that involve multiple rooms.
Step 2: Tasks by Frequency
Once you have listed all of your tasks, you can organize them by frequency. Determining how often you do each task is COMPLETELY up to you. I am not here to tell you how often to clean your toilets. I’m here to help you set up a routine that works for you! But like I said earlier, make it realistic for you. The last thing you want is to create this cleaning schedule that is impossible to keep up with. That sounds like more stress, when the whole point is less stress! My tasks organized by frequency are below (the right-hand column.)
| Tasks (by room) -Kitchen Run dishwasher (D) Wipe down counters (D) Take out trash (D) Scrub sink (W) Wipe down cabinets (M) Organize cabinets (Y) Organize pantry (M) Clean out fridge (M) Clean cycle on dishwasher (M) Clean microwave (M) Clean oven (Y) -Bathrooms Clean mirrors and sinks (W) Clean toilets (BW) Clean showers/tubs (BW) Mop floors (M) -Bedrooms Dust (Q) Clean ceiling fans (Y) Clean out/organize closets and dressers (BY) Wash bedding (blankets) (BY) -Living Room Dust (Q) Deep clean couches (Y) -Miscellaneous Vacuum carpet (W) Mop hardwood (or vinyl) floors (BW) Organize playroom (W) Clean windows/glass doors (Q) Clean cycle on washing machine (M) Organize hall/coat closets (Y) Wash curtains (Y) Clean out/organize under bathroom sinks (Y) Dust baseboards (Y) | Tasks (by frequency) -Daily Run dishwasher Wipe down kitchen counters Take out trash Tidy up -Weekly Scrub kitchen sink Clean bathroom mirrors and sinks Vacuum carpet Organize playroom -Bi-Weekly Clean toilets Clean showers/tubs Mop hardwood (or vinyl) floors -Monthly Wipe down kitchen cabinets Organize pantry Clean out fridge Clean cycle on dishwasher Clean microwave Mop bathroom floors Clean cycle on washing machine -Quarterly Dust bedrooms Dust living room/playroom Clean windows/glass doors -Bi-Yearly Clean out/organize closets and dressers Wash bedding (blankets) -Yearly Organize kitchen cabinets Clean oven Clean ceiling fans Deep clean couches Organize hall/coat closets Wash curtains Clean out/organize under bathroom sinks Dust baseboards |
Step 3: Track It!
Only one thing left to do! Figure out how you want to keep track of your new routine and hold yourself accountable. You could print a checklist like the one I’ve created below. This includes everything for the whole year on one page. I have included two versions for you. The first has checkboxes for the long-term tasks if you prefer that. The second version has spaces to write which month (or week of the month) you want to assign yourself the tasks.
For me, in addition to this schedule that lists everything, I also write down tasks in my planner. My planner keeps me super organized and is where I write down daily and weekly to-dos. As a stay-at-home-mom, whose only job is to 1) love and care for my kids and 2) keep the house clean and running smoothly, being able to check things off daily gives me a sense of purpose and accomplishment that is much needed. Other SAHMs…ever think to yourself at the end of the day, “What in the world did I get done today?!” Well, this helps.
Set daily goals and give yourself a pat on the back when you accomplish them. You deserve it! Anyway, I usually write my daily/weekly/monthly cleaning tasks down in my planner about a month or two in advance.
Printable Checklists
Basic version (checkboxes)
Version with spaces to write months (or weeks of the month)
Important Tip
Try to plan your long-term tasks in a logical way. For example, if you’ve got a lot of monthly tasks, assign some of them to yourself the first week of the month, and some of them the last week of the month. Unless you WANT to get it all done at the same time. But be careful not to put too much on your plate, or else you’ll give up on this cleaning routine quickly. The key is to keep it manageable! Assign your weekly tasks on your less-busy days. Separate your yearly tasks into a few different months of the year, so it doesn’t all hit you at the same time. Maybe you want to organize your kitchen cabinets in June, clean your ceiling fans in July, and organize hall closets in August. Do whatever works for you!
I truly hope this helps you in some way to not feel so overwhelmed by household chores. Remember, our brains aren’t made to hold ALL THE THINGS. So get your responsibilities out of your head and onto paper!
~ Happy cleaning!😊
** Want to check out my 2 simple strategies to clean out your closet? Click here!
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