The best house cleaning schedule will let you enjoy a consistently clean home, without the stress of feeling like you’re never done or finding yourself in a cleaning frenzy. It calms the chaos of having many tasks to do at different times and finding a way to fit them into your busy life. Getting your housekeeping organized means it can stop taking up space in your brain because you have a plan that works.
Benefits of a cleaning schedule.
Once you find a schedule that works, you’ll never want to go back!
You know that a schedule brings benefits, but let’s talk about some specifics. Remembering why you’re doing this will help motivate you.
- There’s time to do what needs to be done. You won’t be trying to fit your cleaning in around the edges of your busy schedule or feeling like you’re never caught up.
- Your home will be consistently cleaner, even without doing it perfectly!
- You’ll clean faster and more efficiently as you develop new cleaning habits.
Basically, a cleaning schedule provides a plan to follow so you don’t have to make it up as you go. Not only is this less stressful, but you’ll spend a lot less time thinking about what to clean.
What should be on a cleaning schedule?
A cleaning schedule should be as simple and well-thought-out as possible so it works smoothly without complication. You’ve got enough on your mind already, and this is all about making your life easier.
- All your cleaning tasks – Ideally, you’ll have everything in your schedule so you don’t need to remember anything and avoid last-minute cleaning rushes.
- How often they need to be done – There are some common guidelines to get you started. But realistically, this will depend on your lifestyle, your home, and your priorities.
- When you’re going to do them – You might opt for a very specific or a more flexible schedule. But either way, all the tasks are accounted for and can reasonably be done in the time allotted.
How to create a realistic house cleaning schedule.
Creating a house cleaning schedule is a step-by-step process. One piece will lead into the next.
Step 1: Write down all your house cleaning tasks. Include little ones and big ones. Tasks you need to do every day and those you only need to do once in a while. The more complete your list is, the better. Free house cleaning checklists are a great tool for this step.
Step 2: Decide how often each one needs to be done. If you’re not sure, start with some common recommendations. Spend a little time thinking about your expctations. Are they realistic? Also take into account your priorities. For example, one mom may want to do a certain task every week, while another mom is fine with doing it every other week. Everyone is a little different, so do what works for you and your family.
Step 3: Consider your daily and weekly schedule. When during each day and week will you set aside time to clean? You’ll need some regular time every day to handle daily cleaning. Plus you’ll want to spread weekly and monthly tasks across days. The more consistent these can be, the better.
Step 4: Consider your cleaning preferences. Would you rather clean an entire room and then move on to the next one? Or maybe you’d rather do all your dusting at once, then all your vaccuming at once, etc.? Most likely you’ll fall somewhere in between. Figuring this out will help you create a schedule that is geared toward your cleaning personality.
Step 5: Schedule your tasks. Now you’re ready to put everything together into a daily/weekly/monthly schedule that you can follow. Time blocking, routines, and micro tasks are all great ways to schedule housekeeping duties.
Remember that you’ll fine tune your schedule over time, so don’t worry about doing it perfectly the first time.
Get the most important tasks on your schedule first and start using it!
House cleaning task list.
It all starts here.
The best schedule begins by taking inventory of all your cleaning tasks.
Daily cleaning tasks are usually centered around the kitchen because it’s used so often and requires constant upkeep. Also, laundry and general tidying up can be done daily in small doses to maintain.
Weekly cleaning tasks tend to be made up of deeper cleaning chores throughout the house such as vacuuming, dusting, cleaning floors, disinfecting bathrooms, cleaning appliances, etc.
Monthly cleaning tasks are needed less often, but are still important. These include chores like dusting walls and ceilings, washing a shower curtain, and cleaning out the dishwasher filter and drain.
Occasional cleaning tasks are anything that needs to be done less often than monthly, such as shampooing the carpet, cleaning the oven, or washing comforters.
Sometimes the hardest part of making progress is just getting started.
So I’ve created something to make it easier for you.
It’s not rocket science, but why reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to?
House cleaning schedule ideas.
I want to see you reap all the benefits that a cleaning schedule can bring: a cleaner house, less stress, saved time and energy, and more.
Here are a few ideas to make your schedule as successful as possible.
- Keep what’s working and change what isn’t. If something in your cleaning routine is currently working, then bring it into you new schedule. But identify what isn’t working and why, then actively change it up.
- Start simple and build from there. It’s exciting to begin a new way of doing something, and I hope you’re excited about a new way of cleaning your home. By starting simple, you’ll gain confidence and motivation that you can build on. Avoid over-complicating the process or feeling that you need to conquer it all at once.
- Give it a chance to work. Some aspects of your new schedule will feel unusual because you’re creating new habits. But don’t let that give you a reason to back off. Push through for long enough to see if you don’t start preferring the new routine before changing it again.
For more tips and a sample routine, see our article on creating a House Cleaning Schedule for Working Moms.
Are you a SAHM that would like to simplify and organize your housekeeping? See our article about creating a Stay at Home Mom Cleaning Schedule.