Have a million things to clean or tidy up in the house and don’t know where to start? Following a cleaning schedule can help you get your life just that much more organized. Keeping this schedule simple so it’s easy to keep up with is the goal!
If you don’t have a structure for your cleaning it is easy to feel like there are a million things to do and not any time to do it. Seeing everything that needs done all at once is overwhelming. Having a simple weekly cleaning schedule can help with this.
Following a weekly cleaning schedule not only helps the overwhelm but also helps you keep up with your home more efficiently and will be less likely to get behind on your cleaning. This will make it feel like your home is almost always in order when you’re able to easily stick to a cleaning schedule.
The weekly cleaning schedule
I have a cleaning rhythm that I follow pretty regularly and it is a great starting point and guide for me to know what I need to be doing that day to take care of my home. If there are other things that come up that need to be done that day I make sure to also complete those tasks. Life happens so I am happy to adjust when needed.
Daily tasks
I’ve found a lot of my overwhelm comes from the home not being tidy and clutter being all around. Due to this, there are some things that I do every day to keep up with my home’s needs and it has definitely helped me feel like my home is more manageable and always tidy when I wake up in the morning.
Embrace the mess the day makes! Throughout the day I let my home get messy. I do try to clean and pick up as I go, but I do not pick up things I know I or others are going to use throughout the day. If I did this I’d be constantly busy with pointless tasks because I’d be picking up the same thing an hour later. Leaving me feeling burnt out and wasting my energy on tasks that don’t need to be done.
Instead, I put my energy into the tasks that do need to be done for the day. Creating more things for you to do that don’t actually need to be done may be one of the problems that is making you feel like the list is never-ending and unattainable to keep up with.
At night is when I pick up the messes that the day has made and I do this by following a set closing shift routine I have created for myself. If you want to learn more about this click here to read my blog post about creating a closing shift for your home.
Throughout the day I make sure to get a load of laundry done and do a load of dishes so that these things do not pile up and everyone always has what they need. These tasks don’t take a lot of time to actively do when they are kept up on and not behind on. They are easier to complete throughout the day due to how long the cycles take to complete.
What tasks to do each day of the week
I have a 6-day cleaning schedule so that one day out of the week I can relax and rest. This is also my motivation to keep up with the routine so that I can rest without thinking there is work to be done for the home.
Monday- Bathrooms
Clean all the bathrooms in your home. This includes the shower, toilet, sinks and countertops, mirrors, floors, etc. Do a thorough cleaning of the bathroom.
Tuesday- Floors
Takle all the floors this day. Sweep, vacuum, mop, carpet clean. Do whatever you need to do for yourself and your home’s needs.
Wednesday- Deep clean
This can look different each week and can take as long or as little time as you’d like it to. Having a set list of things you need to deep clean in your home and how often can help you not feel like you need to make a decision about what to do that day. Instead each Wednesday you can refer back to your set list of things you need to deep clean and do what needs to be done at the time.
Thursday- Dust and clean surfaces
Go through your home and dust everything that needs to be dusted! Then go through and clean all the surfaces in your home. You can declutter your surfaces and get rid of what you don’t need during this process if you want to add to this day’s to-do list.
Friday- Tackle a project
Have something you’ve been putting off or have been wanting to do? Take the day to complete a project that would be nice to have done like cleaning out a closet or a junk drawer. We all have a list, it’s time to start checking off the boxes and completing the tasks.
Saturday- All things kitchen
Time to clean out the fridge and freezer. Clean out your pantry while you are at it. Make a list of things you need for groceries. If there are any jobs you got behind on during the week in the kitchen now is the time to catch up on it.
Things that will help your success in keeping up with your simple weekly cleaning routine
Make a list of things you need to deep clean and how often. My biggest tip is to keep this simple as well! No need to make this a never-ending list for yourself. Try to clump things together if there are a lot of tasks you’d like completed. Or if you have deep cleaning tasks that you don’t need done every week, but would fit into one of the categories you do during the week add it into that category for the week. Things like cleaning off baseboards or cleaning air vents can be added to the day you do all your dusting.
When you get behind. It happens! No big deal! Try adding what you got behind on to the following day or days, fit it in a day that makes sense for you if you have some extra free time, or if you can skip it for the week do that! Be flexible and don’t stress about following everything to a perfect T.
Rest! It may seem odd to include rest in what will help you succeed in your cleaning schedule, but we all need to rest and to reset mentally. Make it a priority to take a day to not do any of your tasks even the daily ones. This will help you not feel as burnt out. If you are feeling burnt out consider tasks or categories you can cut out for the time being. Keeping a tidy and clean home is great, but taking care of yourself is better! Don’t let taking care of your home take priority over taking care of yourself when needed.
Try out this simple weekly cleaning schedule
Starting is half the battle. We all have things we know would make life easier, but just never make it a priority to make the jump to make things simpler. If you want to start off slow try incorporating the daily list of things to do in your life and once that becomes routine for you add in the different categories each day.
It’s not overcomplicated. I have tried many schedules that have left me feeling like there is so much to do I couldn’t possibly keep up with it. I have learned the simpler the better while still getting everything done. Don’t write out every single step you need to do to clean each thing. It may lead to overwhelm.
Try this schedule out or adjust it to what would meet the needs of your family and home. No matter what you end up doing, having a guide for you to follow will help you know what you should be doing and stay on track to keeping a clean and tidy home more often than not.
Maybe change up the days you do each task or which day you take a rest day. What works for me doesn’t mean it’ll work for you. Try out a schedule and adjust when you feel like you could change it to have a better flow in your life.
Don’t be afraid to adjust that day if time doesn’t allow or your home has different needs for the day. This schedule should not be a hard fast rule. Just a guide that will help you stay organized. Don’t put too much pressure or be too hard on yourself! Life happens.
Time to get cleaning! Try your best to make this schedule a part of your life for the next month and before you know it it’ll be a habit that comes naturally to you. Time to say goodbye to the stress and overwhelm caused by your home’s clutter:)
[…] day. So I’ve made adjustments to my cleaning schedule. If you’d like to see what I’m doing click here to learn more about that […]