Make a Simple House Cleaning Schedule
The simplest way to keep your home reliably clean is by sticking to a predetermined schedule. No worries, it’s not as hard as it sounds. A complete home cleaning schedule can help you to feel less stressed. By sticking to a cleaning schedule, it’s easier to get things cleaned, and quicker too. The trick to keeping your house cleaning while keeping it easy lies in making a realistic schedule that really works for you and your home.
Here is a cleaning checklist that you can use or customize to your liking!
Step 1: Prep Work
The first step is to get a good idea of exactly what must be done for you to have a clean home. To get started, grab a pen and paper and walk through your home, room by room, and make a list of the areas and tasks that will make up your schedule.
Step 2: List Your Rooms
Next, let’s break that list down into more specifics. List all of rooms and areas in your home that need regular cleaning, including the most commonly used areas such as stairs, halls, and entryways. Leave out the areas that you don’t often use, such as a guest or storage room, from this regular cleaning list. Instead, place them on a monthly or seasonal cleaning checklist.
Step 3: Identify Tasks
Make sure to look through each room on your schedule, one at a time. Take a couple minutes to list all the cleaning tasks you need to perform regularly in that room. When listing these items, order the items from top to bottom, meaning that you start with the ceiling and work you way down to the floor, as this will be the same order in which you will clean.
Step 4: Build From This List
To get your list started, here is a basic checklist that you can build on.
All Rooms
Dust light fixtures
Dust ceiling fan
Dust corner cobwebs
Clean door handles and
Dust doorframes
Dust window ledges and windowsills,
Dust blinds
Dust picture frames, lampshades and furniture
Dust knickknacks, books, etc.
Vacuum or shake out rugs
Sweep or vacuum floors
Mop floors
Add for Kitchen
Dust cabinet exteriors
Clean and sanitize counters
Clean and sanitize sink
Clean stove, oven, and range hood
Clean microwave inside and out
Wipe down appliances
Add for Bathrooms
Dust lights (while not hot)
Whip and clean mirrors
Clean and sanitize counters and sink
Wipe down cabinet fronts
Clean and sanitize toilet
Clean and sanitize shower, shower door,
Clean and sanitize tub
Vacuum and mop floor
Step 5. Select Frequency
Decide how often you want and need to clean each room. Most areas probably need a weekly or biweekly cleaning. When thinking about frequency, you should consider your lifestyle. Depending on your living style and who is in the home, the schedule for the cleaning the areas in your home may differ drastically.
Step 6: Practice Your Schedule
Schedule and start your round of cleaning. Limit the time spent in each room so that you do not over work yourself. The purpose is to find a happy balance of time and cleaning. By limiting your time, you will be able to reevaluate the schedule you created and make adjustments as needed.
Step 7: Stay On Schedule
Print out your task list so that you have it with you. It would be helpful to put a plastic sheet protector over it as well, so that it does not fall apart as you take it with you on your cleaning journeys.
Just like appointments with people, mark your cleaning appointments down on your calendar to make sure they become an automatic part of your routine.
If you can’t finish your cleaning tasks on a scheduled day, don’t worry about it. You can choose to complete a quick version of your cleaning tasks or reschedule. Just make sure you follow through.
Step 8: Reevaluate Your Schedule
After the practice month is over, take a few minutes to review how things went. During your review, think about what worked and what didn’t. Make adjustments with the things that didn’t work for the following month. Continue reevaluating monthly until you work out a schedule that works for you.
Step 9: Make It a Habit
Stick to your schedule and make it a habit. Once it’s a habit, the real time savings will start kicking in and you will have a clean house with minimal effort.
