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!!
With 4 kids, I ask them to each help tidy up any messes that accumulated over the weekend on Sunday evening. That way, we start each Monday (and our week) on the right foot and not messy. Messy rooms totally stress me out!
My daughter and I lived on our own for several years, until our nice Gentleman moved in recently. It's been an interesting transitional period. But now everyone in our house has a chore chart. I have my jobs, Gentleman has his, Daughter has hers. We help each other out, but when everyone takes care of their responsibilities we don't have to argue about who didn't do the dishes or whose turn it is to feed the dogs.
I set a timer for 10 minutes every night, and just go to town. That way, I don't feel so overwhelmed about the amount of time it takes to clean.
My friend Kathryn came over a month or so ago to help me organize my office/guest room, so I'd like to share her tips! They help me so much! The three P's: Paper, Purge, and Put it away! 1- Corral all your "papers" — bills, mail, etc. in one basket each day, and then file it once a week. 2- Go through your house twice a year and purge things you don't need- it keeps your house from getting overwhelmingly cluttered! and 3- Put things away where they go as soon as you're done using them. Admittedly, this one is hard for me. But it does help!
I think I should probably initiate a chore chart too. Can't hurt! Thanks!
-Heather
I set a timer for 10 minutes every night, and just go to town. That way, I don't feel so overwhelmed about the amount of time it takes to clean.
I set a timer for 10 minutes every night, and just go to town. That way, I don't feel so overwhelmed about the amount of time it takes to clean.
I have to dust every surface every other day — the joys of living in an old loft! I keep swiffer dusters in convenient places around the house so that I can dust surfaces in one space and not have to do a full dusting of the house in one go.
My siblings and I had a chore list growing up and it worked great. But now that it is just my boyfriend and I, it isn't that hard to keep our space clean. I have a mental list of things I do once a week (usually takes no more than 30 minutes on a Saturday morning). And then there is the basics every day like loading the dishwasher, or wiping down the counters if I have cooked that day. I do like the idea of the baskets so I will probably start doing that for the clutter that gathers through out the house during the week.
Love your blog, Jenny!
The main thing that helps me is to add storage to the places I notice clutter accumulating. At least it will look neater if it can go into something!
I clean bits and pieces all week, my husband loads the dishwasher and does some laundry each day. I also just learned that you can clean microfiber with alcohol. It doesn't leave rings like water based cleaners! Put some in a spray bottle, spray your couch, then scrub with something white, a rag or sponge. Then let it dry, after it dries go over it with a scrub brush to make it soft again! It is amazing the difference in my couch, I will never buy microfiber again, but at least now my couch doesn't look so horrible. We have two small kids, two cats and a dog!
picking up at least 10mins a day helps me stay on top of things. Also having a little list of things my hubby could help with motivates him to pitch in!
I actually bought smaller laundry baskets. One would think that a huge basket would be better for a family with two little boys who must make dirty clothes while they sleep, but not for me because I would get overwhelmed and it would take forever to put away the laundry once it was done. I do loads more often, but they are a lot more manageable so I can put it all away quickly :)
This post was exactly what I needed! I am printing the list out and putting it on my fridge right now. Speaking of fridge, I love my magnetic baskets on my fridge. I use them to store my miscellaneous stuff (pens, tape, scissors, etc.) and no one is the wiser.
I love your chore chart, I also do laundry throughout the week so I do not have it all saved up for one day.
I will start using your chore chart modified a slightly.
Do a little bit every day!
I also do the chore chart thing! It saves me and makes me smile to not have to spend hours cleaning at one time! My best cleaning inspiration came about a year ago– My son who is now almost 6 was making me crazy with the bathroom urine stink– ick. So the answer has been simple. His household bedtime chore is to wipe the toilets top to bottom and around the floor with a clorox wipe. Super easy for him to do and drastically has improved his aim (and the smell!)
michhill@gmail.com
We pick up every night before we go to bed. We are trying to teach our 2.5 year old to do the same!
I am more of the marathon cleaner, and it does not happen nearly often enough. I've meant to start more of a weekly schedule. This will help!
Great chart! I break up the laundry process so it doesn't take over an entire day. I started doing the adults laundry on a different day than the kids laundry, and then the bedroom and kitchen linens on a different day. It's really helped me.
I have four girls and its easy for things to get cluttered, but bins and baskets have helped tremendously. My children do Saturday chores and on Friday I clean a couple of the bathrooms and mop and vaccume. On Mondays I dust and vaccume the floors. Recently for our Monday night activity we have all the girls help fold some laundry before they get a treat. They love it and so do I.
Love, love, love this! Ok so my tip is more about organization than cleaning…I keep a cute tote (I use a reisenthal one http://www.reisenthel.com/us/en/SHOPPING/carrybag-flora-2.html ) near the door. While at home I'll toss 'action items' into it for the next day. Like a bit of dry cleaning, something I need to return, shoes to be re-soled, etc. I also toss snacks for the kids in there too. When I get back home its also easier to toss back in any small shopping bags, mail and other work items to bring back inside. :))) I've loved reading all the other tips here today!
Christy C.
My husband and I have a 30 day chore chart, tweaked from Apartment Therapy. One special chore a day, plus keep things off any horizontal surfaces helps keep thins in decent shape.
My husband and I recently got married and moved into our first apartment, so I am still trying to get into a cleaning "routine". You chart will definitely help. Right now, my cleaning trick, is a husband who actually likes cleaning, and a very small apartment that has less surface area to get dirty.
I try to go to bed with a clean kitchen–dishes done and counters clean. It keeps me from feeling overwhelmed in the mornings and is an encouragement to keep it clean. Doesn't always happen, but it makes a huge difference in my day when it does!
I like to clean my house Saturday mornings…unless I go to yoga or out the door for an early run or out of town and then it gets skipped. I like your plan of doing a little every day. Even on Saturdays, I get one level clean and then run out of steam for the 2nd level.
I always make sure I have fresh flowers in the house. I feel like it's a waste to have beautiful flowers in a cluttered home – it forces me to go that extra mile and keep things pristine
I am all day Satruday cleaner and it drives me crazy! Your way seems a bit better. The only thing I really do is keep a nice mail tray by the door and make sure to go through it a few times a week and to make sure all of the dishes are done before bed
I have been trying to implement a cleaning calendar for a year. I think I went awry because I didn't set daily chores and tried to lump all the choirs into a 4-day week, so I could enjoy more of my weekend. I love the chore chart! It's Awesome. Thanks for the post and the chance to win!
I unload and load the dishwasher each morning when I pour my cup of coffee, scrub the shower when I'm in there at least once a week and run a load of wash or two each morning before I head to work so it does not pile up. I get the fun task of folding it after work, but keeping it moving makes this task easier. LOVE the chart. I make a list every now and again, but I love the consistency that a chart would bring.
I just printed off this list at work and I'm totally going to try this for the month of March! Thanks for sharing… I too hate to feel like I'm cleaning/doing laundry 24/7. I also love love love the basket method! Thanks for all your wonderful tips!
Thanks for the chore chart! Though it's not particularly original, one of my cleaning tricks is to always have fresh cleaning towels in each room and to keep a bucket of cleaning supplies in the bathroom; if I have to go searching for what I need to keep on top of grime, things will never get clean.
I try to live by: It is just as easy to throw it down on the floor (where it dosen't go) as it is just just place it where it actually goes. It saves time and then you don't have to go back and do it later.
I love using plastic containers to corral small items in the pantry! I buy from bulk containers, so I have so many little baggies of pasta and snacks, so I like having a place for everything!
My only cleaning tip is to continually get rid of excess stuff so that everything has a place.
I found a mail tray at work a few years ago that was just going to be tossed. Now it sits under my sink and corrals all of my feminine products, and then I have a basket for everything else. Also, I squeegee my shower after I'm done. It cuts down on mildew growth on the walls, which is always a bummer to clean.
With 4 children under age 5, I'm always up for a way to simplify AND teach. Sweeping under the table after meals is still difficult for the children, so I purchased a $25 hand vacuum for them to use. It's light weight and even the 2-1/2 yr old can use it to clean up the crumbs after meals.
My favorite cleaning tip is to have a cleaning lady! No…seriously…I actually keep Clorox wipes right on the floor next to each toilet. In a house of boys (all under the age of 6)…when you need one…you need one…and they're always right there.
FANTASTIC idea, I will most definitely be implementing your "chore chart" for myself. My fave thing is keeping labeled bins in my storage closets that way I always know where to find things and where to put things!
I'm going to have to try out your chore chart! Thanks for sharing. My cleaning tip is to never leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight, and wipe down the countertops too. It feels great to walk into a clean kitchen every morning!
I think I actually will follow this chart! :) the only semi trick I have is my timing to clean. I do it on week days, right after I get home from work and before hubby comes home with the little one. I set my time limit at 30 minutes and do my best with it. Using this chart will get me more organized! Thanks so much :)
I like the chore chart. I wish I had more time during the week to clean as I hate to spend a Saturday doing chores. One thing we do to make sure our kitchen stays tidy is my husband and I never let dishes sit and always clean up as we are going along making dinner or another meal. That way, the only things to clean up after are the pots and pans and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Counters are still clean and we get to relax and watch some tv!
I use the basket idea, too – and try to keep my favorite cleaning supplies upstairs and downstairs – I love opening the windows (for only about 1/2 hour in the winter) to let in some fresh morning air!
I use alcohol to clean my entire bathroom – sinks, fitures, mirrors, toilet, floors, even the baseboards. I put on my rubber gloves,spray eveything down with alcohol and QUICKLY start wiping. Because the alcohol dries quickly, you have to move quickly. In no time at all, everything is clean, shiny, AND disinfected.
Love using baskets too! I use one for magazines, catalogues for easy pick up around the living room. I also have a small carrier for all my main cleaning supplies so when I need to go from cleaning one room to the next everything is already with me and helps me clean quickly.
I also have a chore chart! I have a swing day on Fridays so whatever gets missed I just do that day. I also try to gve my preschooler help with chores when he can and we tackle it together that way we are still spending time together.
I love storage bins for toys. It's easy for the kids to clean up themselves and it keeps the room looking tidy.
I love using baskets too! I have one for newspapers/magazines that makes for quick pick up in the living room. I also keep cleaning supplies stored in a plastic bin for easy transport room to room. That way I have everything with me and makes for quicker cleaning.
I do most of my deep cleaning and laundry on Thursday night so that I can watch good tv while folding laundry and i have a clean house before the weekend.
I don't have a chart, but I do however make a list every single morning with every little thing I need to do, I feel like it keeps me sane. I leave it with a pen on the counter and cross off the items as I go. It makes me feel accomplished when I'm finished!
I started keeping a whiteboard on the fridge with a list of foods and leftovers that need to be used up. Also, I keep a running list of things that we need from the next grocery trip. It's helped us stop wasting food AND keeps the fridge cleaner.