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!!
After reading about it here, I started keeping clear plastic baskets in my fridge and my pantry to sort like items together. It has helped TREMENDOUSLY. And I'd never have figured it out on my own, so thank you for the awesome tip!!!
I love this chore chart idea. Going to start today!
http://www.southernncity.blogspot.com
Hello Jenny! Here's a weird tip, something I do every time the toilet paper runs out – take the roll with the bit of paper usually left on it and run it around the edges of the bathroom. You pick up all the hair and fluff on it, and throw it away! Takes 4 seconds, spiffs up the bathroom in between real floor cleaning.
I use a chore chart, too. While I do struggle to actually read my assigned chores for the day, the whole house looks and works better when I do. My own chart borrows ideas from Home Comforts, Large Family Logistics, and Fly Lady.
I have a very similar way of cleaning, too! I do certain things on certain days, but I typically do my laundry in the morning before I go to work. I throw it in the wash, first thing and take a shower and move it to the dryer while I finish getting ready and then I put it away and then head out the door. Then by the weekend no laundry and no cleaning chores, so the weekends are free to have fun!
I do my cleaning on Friday that way I can enjoy the weekend with the Family in a clean house! I do pick up daily which makes Friday cleaning easier.
although i no longer have kids in diapers, i use baby wipes incessantly. so quick & easy to clean up anything — counters, floors, shelves, walls, etc. this was a great post.
-brittney (brittneynsmart[at]yahoo[dot]com)
http://onejoyaday.wordpress.com
Saturday Mornings I like to take about 10 minutes first thing just to pick up anything that is out of place. Nothing is spotless but it releases some of that tension that a dirty house seems to place on me.
My cleaning chart is similar to yours, although I do laundry daily. With 6 of us, and kids who are ball players and cheerleaders, the laundry PILES! I also have an index card box with deep cleaning chores on it (pull out and clean behind appliances, clean light fixtures, etc) that I pull from once a month.
We only do laundry once a week, and the kids only get dessert after it is put away…everyone has their own basket.
My mom always taught me to hang up my clothes the second you take them off so that way they don't pile up and make your room look cluttered. And…always have a place for everything. If there isn't a place for it in your home, then get rid of it…no need for more junk!
I use a spray bottle of vinegar & water (1/2 & 1/2) to clean almost everything. And I have a cleaning lady come once a month to do a serious cleaning of the whole house. Makes it much easier to keep the house semi-clean inbetween her visits.
I have a similar approach, though nothing as formulaic. I'm going to implement your plan and see if it makes things just that much easier. Wish I had some great tip or insight to share but my technique is pretty straight forward. Get your kiddos involved as early as possible – that's huge! My two-year-old already helps tidy up all his toys every night after dinner (with help). This way my husband and I can relax once he's asleep in a living room and not a play room.
My best tip is a cordless hand-held vacuum with a long nose attachment. I am practically attached to mine, and I walk around with it every time I see a hairball on the bathroom floor, dust bunnies under a table, or crumbs on the kitchen floor.
Tip- Do laundry everyday so it doesn't back up! I love clorox wipes. TMI- clean bathroom base boards while using the toilet!
I have wire locker baskets that I use to organize everything from toys to craft/art supplies to junk mail. I also realized it's a lot easier to clean when there is less stuff. We donate to goodwill frequently.
I have to admit, I do not love to clean… especially the bathroom! But I am good at keeping things picked up around the house. I like to make it a game for myself because I am like a ten year old girl inside. I give myself 10 mins to do as much cleaning as possible. I do this once in the morning and once in the evening. It's amazing how much I can get down in that amount of time.
I personally love the Fly Lady!
I know not everyone can do this, but we are remodeling our house and put the laundry into the master closet. Take the clothes strait out of the dryer and hang them right in the closet. It is awesome! No more lugging the laundry up and down to the basement.
I also sort my laundry as we go. Instead of the standard light/dark, I sort by hot, cold, and no dryer. Now my husband can throw in a load without asking me if every item can be dried or not!
Every other week, I sprinkle a little Comet in the shower when I get back from working out. When I get in the shower, I give it a little scrub-down before I wash. Then, to keep it fresh in-between, I use Arm and Hammer daily shower spray!
I've just started to realize that I need a cleaning schedule so that things don't get out of hand. My biggest problem is always the dishes, we don't have a dishwasher, and the tenancy is to let them pile up. If I do the dishes right away the kitchen is always cleaner, and if the kitchen is clean then the rest of the house usually follows suit.
I really appreciated this post! I don't have kids, and my husband and I both work full-time, so we usually spend about an hour on Saturday afternoons getting our house clean. It's funny how when the two of us work together it happens so much faster!
We use the "blitz" method. When things get particularly out of order, I turn on some energetic music and set a timer for 15 minutes. Then everyone in the household races around, putting things in place, wiping down a table, dusting a bookshelf. At the end of 15 minutes, all must stop. It's amazing what a family can accomplish in 15 minutes and how we all have 15 minutes to spare. It feels so much better to get on with the rest of life!
My cleaning schedule is very similar to yours. I like to get the bulk of my cleaning done when kids are at school or sleeping (the less noisy stuff). I also do a closet clean and a re-organization of the pantry once a month along with a good fridge clean out. I dread it, but I feel so much better after I do it.
My tip is to keep the cleaning supplies specific to each room IN the room.
There's a basket tucked away in the living room with a lint roller, electronic cleaning cloths and windex wipes.
In the dining room there's a drawer in the credenza with more windex wipes and swiffers for surfaces and glass dining table.
The kitchen has "heavy duty" supplies under the sink for both kitchen cleaning and other big stuff that doesn't get used as often.
Finally, the bathrooms have their own supplies under the sinks like clorox wipes and scrubbing bubbles and sponges, too.
Also, we got a Dyson as a wedding gift and has served to be truly indispensable since our cat sheds all over! We also keep a dust buster hanging next to his litter box to keep that area tidy.
When everything is in the room I need it I find that cleaning just happens organically.
I clean my master bath while my little guy is in the tub. I am in there keeping an eye on him anyway. Doing 2 things at once always feels good right :)
This Best-tip-ever rocked my world yesterday regarding the tough to look clean stainless steel:
Fill a spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar and spray on. Wipe with lint free cloth.
No grime, no streaks, no problem!
Love the cleaning chart! I'll have to print it and try it out. I too use a basket when the kids have gone down to restore order to the chaos. Thanks!
I love the chore chart. I have a mental one, but nothing beats crossing something off a list. I have set laundry days. And I dust with used dryer clothes.
White vinegar and water for general cleaning of windows, mirrors, and whatever. Clorox wipes or Clorox bathroom spray for areas that require sanitization–first before vinegar and water, because v&w shines stuff up.
If you don't like the white vinegar smell, Windex w/ white vinegar is great but you'll have more streaks than w/ pure v&w.
Great giveaway. Thanks. Love your blog.
White vinegar and water for general cleaning of windows, mirrors, and whatever. Clorox wipes or Clorox bathroom spray for areas that require sanitization–first before vinegar and water, because v&w shines stuff up.
If you don't like the white vinegar smell, Windex w/ white vinegar is great but you'll have more streaks than w/ pure v&w.
Great giveaway. Thanks. Love your blog.
Like my mom, I use white vinegar & water relentlessly. Though, no matter what is out here on the Internet, it doesn't kill ants!
I, also, use Clorox bathroom cleaner for sinks, toilets ant shower area. Love it
I have a checklist at night, which is similar to your basket method – just make sure nothing too egregious is happening. Then, when I have a spare 20 or so minutes I tackle something bigger. Sounds like your chart, only less organized!
Whoops. You need my email:
jennismith21@gmail.com
its funny this is sponsored by clorox…i keep clorox wipes in the shower and give it a good wipe down about every other time i get in the shower! :) great giveaway
I have clorox wipes in almost every room of my house, and am constaly wiping things down with them. I also leave the washing machine lip open, and as I pick up dirty kids clothes (they all get washed together) or my jeans/darks it fills up. Once it's full, I start a load.
I never go upstairs or downstairs without taking something with me that needs to be put away!
I am loving the list! I'm going to start immediately. My favorite trick is getting big jobs while everyone is asleep. It saves my sanity. So either I wake up early in the morning and clean or after everyone goes to bed.
There is nothing like waking up to a clean house – we try to do a general "pick-up" as part of our bedtime routine. And then continue after kids go to bed. If I sit down though… it never happens. So have to do it right away!
I throw all of the wastebaskets into the dishwasher once a month. The bathroom trashcans can get a little smelly.
I throw all of the wastebaskets into the dishwasher once a month. The bathroom trashcans can get a little smelly!
I make deals with myself to make the chores easier to handle. I tell myself that I have to have the bathroom cleaned by the time three songs have played on a favorite cd…Or I have to have the upstairs done by the time the cd ends, etc. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I like your schedule. I'm going to give that a try. My husband will be very appreciative if I can pull it off!
I tend to do all of my chores on the same day, usually Monday. The rest of the week I am working on the house which needs a total update in every room!
The only cleaning habit I have is to run through the house at night and pick up any items that are out of place. That way I can feel like I have some control over the mess.
I am a huge fan of the chore chart, its liberating. If my kitchen floor is dirty on Tuesday, its okay, the mop is coming on Wednesday!
I also love to clean the bathroom while the kids are in the bathtub.
I could certainly use this! My best cleaning tip… is I do a nightly pick up so that the home is at least picked up. I have a tray with all the weeks accumulated paperwork and such that I usually tackle every Monday morning.
I will certainly use this chore chart though!
I couldn't live without my Clorox wipes. Instead of mopping the bathrooms everyday to rid them of the pee smell (two boys have a hard time always hitting the toilet)I use my Clorox wipes to wipe everything down and keep the pee smell at bay!
shelbymaui(at)hotmail(dot)com
My favorite tip? Do the most hated, evil "chore" first thing or as soon as possible! There's nothing worse than dreading it all day.
I love this schedule! I'm definitely printing it out and implementing!
My tip is keeping drawers organized. I don't have a true junk drawer. I have cubbies in all the drawers and everything has a place. It has really helped us with locating items!
Thanks for the opportunity.
I love vinegar! I know it is weird but you can do a lot of cleaning with it..floors, windows. I also have a junk basket that I throw random stuff into and then I clean it out and find where the stuff belongs later.