Sometimes we complicate housecleaning. Sometimes we over-simplify it and just roll with it.
Sometimes we let things go so long, we don’t even know where to begin to get it back in order. This can cause frustration, discouragement, and dispel any hint of motivation away. Such a time would be when you have a new baby in the house–and even so, this can go on for months after the baby arrives. Sleep deprivation and frequent feedings take the place of cleaning (obviously). When life settles down and you can get things back in order, where do you start?
And what about the day-to-day cleaning that seems to pile up because we don’t have a system of operations?
It’s useful to have a cleaning plan, at-a-glance, to keep tasks fresh in your mind. And if you’re anything like me, you fail to do certain things — even everyday tasks, such as throwing a load of laundry into the washer. Sometimes the day just takes off and pulls you with it. Having an at-a-glance cleaning chart helps to refresh our memories, check our day, and get those tasks done so they don’t pile up.
I’m also a list maker. Big time. I have pads of sticky notes planted all throughout my home in case something pops into my mind that I want to write down, in list-form, in a pinch. Then I can easily stick it anywhere I want it: in a binder, on the wall, the inside of a cupboard, the mirror–anywhere!
The house needs to be kept up. Some tasks need to be done more often than other tasks. House cleaning isn’t my favorite thing to do, but I have a hard time getting on with life when my home is in shambles. Since it is something I don’t want to spend a lot of time thinking about or forever re-organizing, I’m willing to give up on the idea of making cleaning a riveting activity. I’d like to change my focus to making it effective and efficient, so we can go on with living life.
I know not everyone has the time or resources to throw a cleaning schedule together, so I did it for you, because, well, I heart you. I know that organization and cleaning don’t come naturally to everyone — including me. Planning? Now that I got down! Follow through? Sure! Well, no, not really.
This printable {below} can be changed to suit your family’s needs. Currently it is set up for my family of 7 to show you what my schedule looks like. Maybe you don’t need to do laundry every day or load the dishwasher three times a day. Or maybe the time slots they’re in won’t work with your family routine. That’s fine, too! Most of the leg work is done for you, simply edit as you see fit. Then print, laminate, or slide into a sheet protector and post it somewhere highly visible. Perhaps in a high traffic area in your home.
Mine is on a wall in my dining room, leading into my kitchen. A place I pass by many, many times a day so it easily catches my eye and it’s easy to get to.
You can also use a dry erase marker to cross off tasks as you complete them. At the end of the day, wipe it off to start fresh the next day!
The key to making a cleaning schedule work is to work the cleaning schedule. Keep it straightforward and keep it consistent.
Download:
Cleaning Schedule Printable HC
This is part three in a 4 part series. Find the first two parts below:
Part 1: Making New Year’s Resolutions {Homemaker’s Edition}
Part 2: New Year’s Resolution: Meal Planning {with Free Printable}
photo credit
Our home also seems more homey and tranquil when it’s clean and neat. We use a FlyLady-esque system of zones and routines. I tried having a master, time-block schedule and it just got to be too much. But when I keep the list of tasks and just eliminate the time designations, we seem to be able to make it work better. We also agreed to stick with the routine for at least 2 weeks before changing it in case the “problems” we had were more that we didn’t LIKE it, than that it didn’t work. After two weeks your either over it, or you KNOW there’s a better way.
I’m really liking this schedule you made, thank you! I’ve been trying to find a system that works for us. I edited slightly to accommodate my schedule…like Wednesdays are super busy & I never have a moment to do any cleaning other than a quick meal prep at lunch time. I do have one question. Maybe i’m not seeing it, but for laundry all I see is fold/put away laundry in the morning. When are you actually sorting and washing the loads?
Having a cleaning routine has been a life saver for me, what with the five month-old I have at home with me all day. Mine is pretty simple—I keep a list of daily chores in my homemaking binder, and those are done every day. Things like dishes, sweeping, decluttering counters, the bathroom, sink, etc. Then I have a list of weekly chores and I pick a few to do each day when I make my to-do list every night. And then the monthly and even less frequent chores go on a chart to be done at certain times of the year/month and added to the to-do list as needed. It’s uncomplicated but very effective. My house will never be a paragon of homemaking virtue, but if someone stops by unexpectedly, I won’t be embarrassed, either. And they’ll have a place to sit and a clean mug to drink coffee out of. :/