Everybody wants a spotless home, but who has time for all of that cleaning? Between work, errands, kids and everything else demanding your time, housekeeping doesn’t always make the cut. For that reason, I decided to put together a daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning schedule.
Daily Habits:
Have all family members adopt some daily habits to help keep things clean and make the weekly cleaning easier. It looks like a long list, but each task should take less than 5 minutes and can make a world of difference.
- Always make your bed in the morning, even if you’re in a rush
- Never leave your dishes in the sink
- Always put stuff back where you found it
- Always wipe the sink and counters down after you use them, and don't forget to disinfect!
- Do the laundry, even when you don't want to
- Never go to bed with a full trash can
- Declutter the notorious dump zones around the house
- Wipe down the shower after your use it
Once you’ve incorporated the daily cleaning tasks into a normal routine, they’ll become a habit. You won’t have to think about them and will just automatically do them.
Weekly Habits:
Once you’ve got those daily habits down, your house is already going to look so much better! Once you’re feeling confident with what you’re already doing, it’s time to add in weekly chores. These can be done any time of the week! I like to kick my Saturday off right and get them done, but if I have a busy weekend ahead, I may use Friday night as my weekly cleaning time. Whatever works best for you!
1. Spot clean your windows, mirrors, and television
2. Take time to do a quick dust of the entire house:
- Tables
- Shelves
- Decor
- Cabinets
- Television
3. Vacuum the carpets, sweep the floors, and mop all of your hard surfaces
4. Wipe down and disinfect all the surfaces you use on a regular basis like:
- Light switches
- Door handles
- Faucets
- Trash cans
- Counters
- Sinks
- Appliances
5. Toss out those very leftover, leftovers
6. Change your sheets
7. Clear your clutter
These can be done any day of the week! Break them up, or do them all in one day. The most important part is that they be done every seven to ten days.
Monthly Cleaning:
These are things you’re going to have to dedicate more time to each month. I’d recommend a Saturday morning… with the understanding that you’re going to treat yourself to brunch after, of course!
1. CHECK YOUR SMOKE ALARMS
- This is honestly the most important thing you can do to protect your family, and it takes little time to do.
2. Deep Clean the Following:
- Refrigerator
- Pull everything out and wipe everything down! Before you put it back, throw away anything outdated, and move things that are close to expiration to the front so you know what you’ve got and what you need to use ASAP.
- Oven
- Wipe away all the drips, soak and scrub away all that baked on gunk, and wipe down the door, both inside and out!
- Microwave
- Wipe it down inside and out, and give it plenty of time to air out after doing so. No one wants popcorn seasoned with your latest favorite cleaning product.
- Stove Top
- Wipe down everything. Soak drip pans, if you have them, and take time to use a quality stove top cleaner.
- Rugs, Furniture, and Carpet
- Take your time and spot treat any stains or spots you see. Give your rugs, cushions and throw pillows a good shake outside to get rid of that dust and pet hair.
- Lights, Fans, Walls, Windows, and Vents
- Wipe ‘em all down!
I know what you’re thinking, “Oh my gosh, Teneicia, that is a lot!” Trust me you CAN do this. Start with the small stuff. Get into good daily habits, before you add more to your plate. Take it one day at a time, and don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day. Try this out for a few weeks, give yourself and your family time to get into better habits, and most importantly, don’t be afraid to call. It’s not a failure to want help from us, and we’re happy to set up a free consultation to talk through what we can take off of your plate!
