Establishing a Cleaning Schedule for Your Home
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A cleaning schedule may sound like drudgery, but it can be a fantastic strategy to help you keep up on the housework and enjoy a clean house.
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While I’m not naturally someone to embrace schedules and spreadsheets, I’ve found that they come in really handy when managing a home. After all, there is no chef or maid at this here establishment. I am the main person to establish order here on the Ponderosa.
What I’ve found is that if I don’t give myself deadlines or “homework” as it were, I find all kinds of excuses NOT to do the work. Then it just hangs over my head, making me feel guilty about being a lousy housekeeper.
One of the things that can really help you and me manage ours home is to have a regular cleaning schedule. It’s not all fun and games, but you’ll soon see that if you put your household tasks on a schedule — and actually do them — you’ll be amazed at your productivity as well as how clean your house is.
While I sometimes fall off schedule and have to hit the reset button, I also know the bliss that comes from regular home maintenance.
As the school year gets into gear, now is an ideal time to do some deep cleaning and decluttering and get back on a cleaning schedule or start one if you never have before. The holidays are just a few months off, so what better time to get a good habit going?
Establishing a Cleaning Schedule for Your Home
There are at least two ways you can go about establishing a cleaning schedule.
1. Create your own cleaning schedule.
Print out this blank Weekly Cleaning Worksheet and then plot out the chores that you’ll do on the days that you plan to do them. The top row is for morning chores, the middle for afternoon, and the bottom row covers evening tasks.
This is just a sample. You’ll need to set up your cleaning schedule to suit the rhythm of your home.
(If you need inspiration for what jobs there are to do, consult this Cleaning Checklist to see what you want to do in your home.)
2. Use an app.
Using an app, like the Motivated Moms app, gives you structure without recreating the wheel. (You can also purchase the Motivated Moms planner which is a paper version of the app.)
I’ve been using the app off and on for a few years now and really appreciate that it sets up a cleaning schedule for me. I don’t have to think. I just have to clean. Plus, I can have the app sync to several devices so the kids can access the tasks and do them as part of their chores.
What fits at my house may not fit at yours. You’ll want to test and tweak until you find a rhythm that fits your family, your home, and you. Regardless, a cleaning schedule is essential to helping you feel good about the place you call home.
Do you have a cleaning schedule?
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Originally published September 25, 2010. Updated September 10, 2016.
Without a schedule havoc reigns here. Mine is simple and falling off the wagon is easy to remedy. I prefer to do one task through the whole house instead of cleaning one room or area completely then moving to another. I start in a different room each time. So I clean floors in the entire house one day, but starting in the bedroom this week instead of the living room like last week. This way if I don’t get the whole house completed for a couple of weeks there isn’t one “last” room that is horrible.
Great strategy. Love it!
I recently read about looping (http://amongstlovelythings.com/looping-task-management-for-recovering/) and realized it’s similar to what I have stumbled upon for my housecleaning UNschedule – an at-a-glance checklist for chores, similar to what McDonald’s has hanging in their restroom. (http://naughtbutgood.blogspot.com/2016/04/lazy-womans-guide-to-housecleaning.html) Some day, I hope to have a great schedule, but so far, this has been the best thing that works for me.
Hi,
Looks like you have your schedule down pat. I am not saying my situation is more complicated, just different. You obviously have small children to care for. I have two floors and pets to care for. Pet hair can be a problem if left for a week. I don’t keep a schedule for cleaning particular rooms. I homeschool for six hours a day and then work online for about four. So I just clean for two hours each day on week days. Sometimes I break it up. I might take a thirty minute break and clean a bathroom. It seems like a break to me because I am doing something different in between. I also cook two meals a day. Snacks and lite fare are provided for lunch. I make sure I keep a tray of raw veggies and other healthful snacks,like fruit, in the fridge. One day a month on Saturday, I cook for the freezer, to save time. I enlist family members to help with grocery shopping. I give them a list and instructions, since I am the one who keeps track of all this. I also have one grandchild who lives with me (12). Believe it or not he still likes helping with chores. He helps take care of our two dogs and is pretty good at keeping his room picked up. He also helps with laundry.I usually get up a little early on the days I need to check ads and coupons. This is also the time I use for exercise.(Early in the morning when everyone is sleeping)
This way, I have my week-ends free for family and self, stress free. You obviously have your hands totally full, all the time with so many children to care for. I taught my daughter and my grandson how to fold laundry and do light vacuuming by the age of six. If it is made to be fun, they will enjoy. I have noticed that if I enjoy something and am grateful to have things to clean in a time when some people don’t have anything, it is contagious. If I complain about having to do, that is also contagious. I really enjoy your blog. You provide a really valuable service. I am sure this takes a good deal of your time.
This is exactly what I needed…the Cleaning Checklist is going to help!! Quick question…why are there three rows rather than one continuous column for each day?
I put three rows to designate morning, afternoon, and evening. I guess that I should have made that clear. Sorry! Great question. 😉
FlyLady is my mentor! Hubby comments often how nice it is to come home to a happy family and a clean orderly house. That’s all the motivation I need.
Hi,
I use Motivated Moms and let me tell you it has really helped with me and my cleaning!! It takes just a couple of tasks each day which probably take no longer than 15-20 minutes to do and it really helps with keeping up on everything from cleaning to paying bill to even cleaning out my purse. It is great!!