This post is sponsored by the makers of Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes, the quick and easy way to clean and disinfect your home!
I get a lot of emails asking about my cleaning schedule after I wrote about my typical day on Joanna’s blog. I truly do not love cleaning, but I know that I’m so much happier with life when my house is clean. Don’t you feel the same way?
A couple years ago, right after I had Claire and when Gracie was old enough to really start doing some damage, I was feeling like I would never have a clean house again. (I also thought there was a good chance I would never get to sleep through the night again. :) good times) I was picking up the house all week long it felt like, and then I would do all my laundry and deep cleaning on the weekends. That meant my Saturday was completely gone and that the house was totally dirty again by Monday morning. Stresses me out just thinking about it.
Then one time I was visiting a friend’s house who had three rambunctious toddler boys. I walked into her house for the first time and my jaw dropped. Her house was CLEAN. Like, I’m not talking about tidy – tidy is not always possible during the day with kids, but it was clean. She is one of those amazing mothers who is really active with her kids, so I knew she didn’t spend all day neglecting her boys to clean the house. I was surprised and a little jealous of her sparkly floors so I begged her to share her secret. She laughed and said she kept a chore chart, which I thought was hilarious! What grown woman has a chore chart?! Suddenly I had to have one!
I copied her chart and have been using a slightly tweaked version ever since. I can’t say that I’m always following through here, but when I do, my house is practically spotless and best of all, I don’t feel like I am cleaning all the time – which honestly was the hardest part for me of being a stay at home mom in the early years.
It looks like a lot, but I think even on the most intense days I’m only spending 30 or 40 minutes in aggregate cleaning (though we live in a 1500 sq ft apartment, so your home might require a little more time). I’ve listed the chart here below, and here’s a simple printable version.
So the basic idea is this: there are daily chores – easy things you should take care of almost habitually in the morning and in the night, and then there is a single special chore of the day. Most of these chores end up getting done once a week (for example, every Monday I do a deep vacuuming of all our rugs. I took only one interior design class in college and I only remember a handful of things from that class. One of them was a tangential comment my professor made about vacuuming. She said that you should go over the same area on a rug SEVEN times super slowly to get it clean. Isn’t that just nuts? I don’t do that, but I do try to do a slow vacuuming on Mondays.). Friday though is the swing day, where you rotate in chores that need to be done less frequently, like scrubbing the microwave.
I’ll walk you through today’s cleaning schedule. It’s Tuesday. I wake up and make our bed. It won’t get done unless I make it as soon as I get up. The girls are getting good about making their beds too. After I finish getting ready I wipe down the bathroom counters and the sink. While I’m making the kids breakfast I empty out the dishwasher.
Then life happens and the house sort of falls apart during the day.
Then at night the girls help me clear the table and load the dishwasher. Michael does the trashes. Once the kids are in bed I quickly sweep or vacuum the kitchen and dining room and I might pop into the living room too. I keep a wet rag with me and as I go I’ll spot clean the floor. My goal is fast and furious cleaning!
And here’s where my baskets come into play. I keep them everywhere. I really love this basket that I posted about yesterday because it is super sturdy and holds its shape. I zip through my house every night with this basket, throwing in every misplaced item, then going back to each room once and put the things back where they belong. It takes me just a few minutes to pick up a day’s worth of clutter this way. No more running back and forth and back and forth from room to room putting things away. Try the basket method – you’ll never go back!
Plus – another bonus of having your pretty baskets out in every room? If you have a friend coming over right away, you can just corral everything in the basket super fast and no one’s the wiser.
Once the house has been de-cluttered, I do my chore of the day (today was cleaning the mirrors and windows), and then I’m done! It might sound like a lot, but I promise it isn’t. When I’m consistent with this schedule, I never have to do one of those marathon cleaning days to get back to ground zero. The house never has a chance to get really dirty, so the cleaning never feels like a true chore. It feels easy and, dare I say it? Pleasant?
So that’s my approach to cleaning in a nutshell. I know we all have our special tricks, and I’d LOVE to hear yours!
Today’s super-sized give away is $350 to Target AND $150 to the Container Store and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment sharing your favorite cleaning or organization tip. I can’t wait to see what you guys do to keep your spaces sparkling! Any other crazies out there with a chore chart? :)
Contest ends March 22. Winner will be announced on the 23rd. Contest rules can be read in full here. Good luck!!
My sister-in-law has the shark vacuum steam mop and it is amazing. When I have hard wood floors I am definitely purchasing one of those bad boys. Right now I try and clean my bathroom and do my laundry every Saturday. When I do my laundry I inevitably end up cleaning my room as well. Saturday is a big cleaning day for me.
use the baskets too with 2 small boys. ALso, I have enlisted my kids in cleaning. They love spraying, so I give them windex and they do all mirrors, windows, and they spray down dining room chairs. Every little bit helps!
I use a chart too! Otherwise I can get overwhelmed trying to figure out what deep cleaning needs to be done first. I make a point to do at least one load of laundry a day (including folding and putting away) and whenever I leave a room I glance around and grab one or two things that can travel with me to get put away. It really helps with decluttering! But I definitely use the basket method for bigger jobs :)
I have enlisted my 2 young boys in cleaning. They LOVE spraying cleaner, so I put them in charge of cleaning mirrors, and spraying kitchen chairs. They can't get into too much trouble with Windex.
This list feels daunting, but I will give it a try. My cleaning tip is to keep a container of Clorox wipes under your sink. I wipe down every morning after getting ready and every night before bed.
We keep a small box on our bar to store receipts and mail. When it's full, then we sort through it and it keeps all the small items off the counter.
Prettty smelling cleaning products like Mrs. Meyers or Method…it makes the chores a little more enjoyable!
I keep a small compost bin in the kitchen and empty it every other day into the outdoor compost!
I love the basket idea! One thing I do is squeeze the toilet bowl cleaner into the toilet right before I go to bed and close the lid. The next morning, it's as good as new with no scrubbing! Thanks for the give-a-way!
I do the flylady trick of cleaning the sink every night – it usually motivates me to tidy up the rest of the kitchen. And I also use your basket idea – but now I need a bigger basket!
I also had a chore chart when we had our foster daughter with us. It was the only way for us to get chores done and have it be "fair." She left about a year ago but I still follow a lot of the chore chart and try to break up chores throughout the week. I love that someone else uses the basket trick! :)
A tip I find helpful when cleaning bedrooms is that even if the only thing you can do is make the bed it makes the whole room feel cleaner! Also, every Saturday I wipe my fridge out with a bleached rag, and then every couple of weeks deep clean it (pull everything out, take out shelves, wash thoroughly). So much easier to clean when you've wiped it down than when you've let it sit forever! (Same thing goes for stove top and microwave – those get wiped down daily). Habits I picked up from my dad, so glad I did!
Rain-X in the shower helps keep it looking clean.
a_charmer{at}ymail.com
i do a load of laundry a day! i also don't let myself sit down to watch tv (after the kiddo has gone to bed) unless i have a load of laundry to fold or something else to fix/clean. then i can get something done instead of being a lazy couch potato after a long day.
I do my major clean on Friday after work and before my husband comes home. Then, by the time he arrives, the house is clean, I'm showered, and enjoying a glass of wine. It's zen for me-the smell of a clean house, vacuum lines, and a bleached bathroom.
I actually have a similar "chore chart" I have the regular things you do, quick sweep, wipe things down but each day a "deepish" clean one area of the house. Yesterday was the kitchen, tonight it’s the bathrooms. Definitely helps to have the chart out and on the fridge as a reminder. I also love my little dirt devil vacuum. It can be a sweeper or a quick dust buster, works on carpets and hardwood floors. With dogs and kids this little baby has saved my life with all the dust!
I love using Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, especially on baseboards. They work like magic!
My hubby & I split chores. If I have to grocery shop and cook, then his responsibility is to wash the dishes. We each do our own laundry. Towels are also a joint effort. I gather, wash and dry them. He folds and puts them up. We don't have kids yet, so it will be interesting to see how things change when we do!
I clean as I go. I never leave anything left to "be cleaned later". I've always had this motto, and my home is always clean! 3 dogs and a kid.
I love the basket idea! One thing I do is right before I go to bed, squeeze the toilet bowl cleaner into the toilet and shut the lid . The next morning, it's as good as new with no scrubbing!
to be honest, i seem to really only DEEP clean if i know we are having guests. but day to day, we keep our small apartment relatively clean and tidy. my pet peeve are cups lying around. JUST PUT THEM IN THE DISHWASHER!! ;)
I do the same and try to do laundry in small chunks, so I am not loaded with laundry on the weekends.
Thank you! For both the post and the giveaway. My cleaning tip (and I'm not making this up for the sake of the sponsor): I keep Clorox wipes everywhere for easy access! Under all the sinks, in the hall linen closet, etc. Grab, go, wipe, DONE.
Chore chart: brilliant!
Thanks again.
Thanks for your cleaning chart- I think I might start using it.
The only thing I have found that is helpful is having cleaning supplies all around the house. That way there is no excuses for not cleaning!
This is really helpful for me! Been trying to figure out a way to tackle having a clean house with a shedding dog. To try and keep the house clean I usually sweep every day and mop on the weekends. Also just doing a quick wipe down on kitchen counters and in the bathroom and picking up around the house always makes me feel like it is somewhat clean.
I like to use baskets in the living room and kitchen – to keep things in one spot. I also LOVE the clorox disinfecting wipes for the kitchen counters & appliances. So easy!
I know this sounds really random, but I read somewhere that when you feel overwhelmed by a messy house and have no idea where to begin, you should start by cleaning your kitchen sink. It works like a charm for me. Once I see my kitchen sink looking good (which means the dishes are done too) the rest is easy to tackle.
I have no cleaning tips! I NEED cleaning tips!
I think my biggest tip for cleaning is to declutter. The less stuff I have to move to clean, the easier it is! Love your chore chart, I may have to start doing something like that. There are too many fun things to do on the weekend, who wants to spend it cleaning!?
I have a similar routine as you! During the day I try to never leave a room empty-handed…there is always something in the room I'm in that needs to go somewhere else-so when I leave that room, I remember to grab something–kind of like your basket thing, just throughout the day.
I have a few little tricks that really help – I have a man tray for my boyfriend where he keeps all his extra things – cell phone, keys, sunglasses etc. Having all this stuff in one place is much better than having it all over the house. At the end of everyday I make sure to have my desk and office clean, and to have all my clothes put away in the closet or in the laundry. I also put away any blankets that we were using on the couch and fix the pillows. If things look nice and put together, I feel nice and put together!
The best thing I do in my bathroom is wipe down the sink daily. That stops toothpaste grime from building up. I also make sure to keep hair out of my tub drain, which stops water from accumulating during the shower, which them leaves soap scum. That helps me to only clean the tub every two weeks because it stays so clean!
I use baskets just like you! And we have a rule in our house: one thing comes in = one thing goes out. We don't always stick to it (especially around holidays and birthdays) but in general if a new thing comes into the house, at least one thing goes out to charity!
I also use baskets, but unfortunately I allow too much clutter to gather in the baskets. Your chore chart is a great idea.
Love your chore chart! I need a system! Wish I had cleaning advise to give, but at the moment, I absolutely do not!
What an awesome post! I'll be getting married and moving in with my husband in July, and I can't wait to split up this chart with him :)
My favorite way to keep things clean is making sure everything has a place–much like your basket routine! For instance, magazines strewn around the room can start to look cluttered, so they go in a pretty basket on my desk (until they're out of date, and then they get recycled!). My bobby pins (which MULTIPLY by the day…) go in a pretty glass dish on my vanity. It makes me feel VERY accomplished when I can take 10 minutes to straighten/stash/stow/stack things :)
The cleaning tip that works best for us is just not to put things off. If we do a little bit every day, we never get overwhelmed at the last minute.
Thanks for sharing. I really need to be organize. I
have 3 young girls and they love to paint and do arts
projects. So my house is never clean enough.Also I love the clorox wipes … they are the best !!!!
Simone
I find that the quickest way to clean my house is to invite friends over. It's amazing what I can accomplish in practically no time at all if I know people are coming over to hang out. This is also the only thing that motivates my husband to help out :)
What an awesome post! I'm getting married and moving in with my fiance in July, and I can't wait to split up this chore chart with him :)
My favorite cleaning technique is much like your basket technique! I just want everything to have a place.. that way, when things are out of place, there's an orderly way to straighten it all up! Bobby pins in the dish on the vanity, magazines in a pretty basket, sunglasses in a drawer, etc. Just takes 10 minutes, but makes me feel accomplished!
What worked for me was to have a partner who is willing to split the household work evenly! As a working mother with two young children, it's the only way we can all thrive and be happy. While I am doing baths and bedtime, my husband washes dinner dishes, does laundry, and gets everything ready for the next day – including getting my breast pump supplies washed and packed for the morning.
My tip is that when I walk through rooms, to always see if there's something I can take with me that needs to be thrown away or pitched somewhere else. This cuts down on accumulated clutter immensely!
Life Blessons
I bought a grout scrubber from container store and use it on everything, especially tight places or hard to reach areas. I also got the cutest pink rubber gloves and for some reason it just makes cleaning that much easier, and cuter of course!
If you have glass shower doors – give them a really good cleaning and then put a thin coat of lemon oil on the. It helps the water roll right off and keeps the build up from forming.
Putting things away promptly has been the best (and most difficult) thing for keeping our house clean.
Great chore list! I try to clean up the kitchen and living room before bed. I'm less stressed in the morning when I see less (visible) mess.
I like to dust-bust the corners of the kitchen every night :) Thanks for this awesome post!
In the evening, I straighten up my morning mess on the bathroom vanity while I brush my teeth. I am a multi tasker to the extreme and if one hand is free…..I have to find something to do with it.
Sadly, my cleaning trick is: invote people over for a dinner party then you're forced to clean the bathroom etc.
Chore Charts are amazing! My best friend/former roommate and I had one and now that she's on the west coast we take pictures of them and send them to each other whenever we come across them in someone else's home (my fave: one she found in a hippie house in the mission in San Francisco where each chore was a paper "flower pot" and each roomie had their name on a rotating popsicle stick "flower"…).
My best tip is to just put everything away once… don't drop it on a table to put away later, just put everything away immediately. Same thing works for when I get home… hang up jacket, put lunch containers in sink, place shoes in closet… etc.
My favorite cleaning strategy has been getting my kids involved. Not only does it lighten my load, but when I have a great attitude about cleaning {for them} it makes me not mind it as much.
I'm printing this out right now!
I like to keep the appropriate cleaners spread out around the house so that they're accessible (instead of one big cleaning closet). I'm much more likely to give each bathroom a quick freshening up if there are cleaning bottles and a roll of paper towels right under the sink.