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!!
I've just started doing the daily type thing…. it really helps me not roam aimlessly around my house!
Like you, I do clean a bit every day, like making the bed, doing the dishes, taking out trash. However, I really like your list, especially the "swing days." It's great to actually have a list…I think I'll steal yours!
my favorite thing is also having baskets. we use that method around the house to pick up at night. and i also get my daughter involved – some of these things she can do, and so she does. not earth shattering, but it works.
I use any phone time at home to straighten up. I can always find something!
OMG. I applaude you but that sounds like you spend A LOT of precious time cleaning. BOO. I pay a cleaning lady $75 a week to clean my 2200 sq ft house for three hours each week. I rotate chores for her so its not overwhelming and she can complete the tasks within the 3 hours. ITS THE BEST $300-$375 a month I've EVER spent on anything. Total marriage saver. And best part, my evenings and weekends are free to spend with the kiddos NOT the windex! It was worth giving up a sushi dinner here & there or a new purse/shoes/anything. Try it – you'll never go back.
My favorite cleaning tip it the one to one warm vinegar to blue dawn dish soap. Spray it on whatever surface and let it sit for a few minutes then wipe away, it really breaks down soap scum!! Thanks for the chance to win!
katekoepf@yahoo.com
I don't have a chore chart, but try to pick up as I go, then do a little cleaning here and there through the week so the house isn't a total mess by the weekend. I pick up the bathroom stuff when my son is taking a bat and scrub the counter down and whatnot every few days while he's playing. With four animals and a three year old, I have to keep up on the floors all the time or we'd be knee deep in hair tumble weeds in days. eewwww…
:)
Ingrid
I have a rule that we don't leave the house for the weekend without doing all of the laundry and cleaning up our bedroom. I love coming home to a clean house after being out of town!
i schedule lunches or playdates a week in advance and that forces me to clean before the people come over. seriously- that's pitiful but motivation works! :)
We have an inbox for all papers that come into our house – permission slips, invitations, bills, etc. every day or two, we filter the inbox into two smaller baskets – needs attention now/later. This really helps fight the paper clutter!
Since going back to work I don't have a good system. I hope to put yours in place
Use coffee filters to clean mirrors and glass. It is cheap and no streaks
Cat
Growing up, my family moved every three years or so. We would throw things out and declutter, so I try to live as minimally as possible…especially living in a NYC apartment. I must say I love my roomba which allows me to do other important things while it works it's magic. But I'm obsessed with wiping down the kitchen and bathrooms daily!!
Having a heavy duty vacuum cleaner that can suck up anything, it's a life saver.
I really love the basket idea. I'm always going back and forth!
Love the chore chart! We have lots of designated baskets and drawers around the house. After a while it becomes second nature to drop items into the right spot. If not, it's much easier when cleaning day arrives to quickly sweep things into their designated basket.
Don't commit, organize based on experience of how you use your tools/supplies/etc. I've changed where I've stored my pots and pans 3 times in the past year. It works better every time!
I "try" doing the every day stuff, but usually do the deep cleaning on Saturday mornings after piloga… I hate cleaning when I'm clean so I usually do it after I've come home from the gym.
My fiancé and I each have our things, and he usually does laundry, and I get the pleasure of cleaning tubs/toilets. luckily we only have 1 of each!
I don't actually have a physical list, but I pretty much do the same thing that you posted about. I always make the beds first or else they will never get made and it's all downhill from there! I have also done the basket trick too! I thought I made that trick up all by myself and that I was a genius. I guess you are a genius too!
My cleaning has changed over the years but I always put fresh sheets on the beds on Monday. After starting a new week I love to climb in bed to fresh sheets. I am definitely going to give the calendar a try.
I try to clean on part of my bathroom when my son is taking his bath- so by the end of the week everything has been cleaned and I am still in the bathroom with him!
I deep clean on Mondays. I don't do anything at all but clean. It's hard work but during the rest of the week I hang back and lightly clean.
I do a load of laundry every day – I'm much better about folding and putting away one load than 4 or 5. Thanks for the great giveaway!
I am a bit OCD and I clean every day but I still feel like I can't catch up. I go to bed every night with a clean kitchen and a swept floor. We put all random things in their place. It is the bathrooms that overwhelm me. Love your idea of daily task for all the other stuff! Thanks for the tips.
xo
E
http://www.urbanchiqueness.com
I clean my shower while I'm in it! Easy and no bleach on my clothes!
Rachel theheaneys@cox.net
I use a chore list – I use the Real Simple app on my iPhone, but I made my own daily list. It has most of the same tasks: in the am make bed, start laundry, empty dishwasher; in the pm load dishwasher, wipe down counters, vacuum/sweep, finish laundry. I do a deep clean of the bathrooms on the weekends, and this regimen seems to work well for us.
A little bit each day helps limit weekend cleaning. I love containers, baskets and anything I can store and organize with. Laundry can be overwhelming – try maybe 1 load per day.
alliemurphy@yahoo.com
I love your strategies Jenny! We have a two year old whose room is always a disaster! Before bath time, we spend 5-10 min putting away books, toys, clothes, etc. It makes cleaning a fun family activity and (hopefully) is teaching my tornado to pick up after herself. :)
It's sort of a cleaning tip, but more of a lifestyle thing – live small. When you've got more space, you've got more space to clean! My entire (tiny) apartment can be deeep cleaned in a few hours!
Changing all my cleaners to Organic Shaklee cleaners has been the best desicion I have made! My boys can help me clean and I do not have to worry about any fumes or that they might accidently spray some cleaner on themselves.
I use antique glass bottles passed down to me from my great-grandmother to help organize little things such as q-tips, bath salts, and cotton pads along my bathroom sink. They provide perfect organization containers while at the same time giving my bathroom an antique, artistic flare.
I love your strategies Jenny!
My toddler's room is always the messiest! To try to combat this phenomena, right before bath time, my husband, myself, and our two year old tidy up her room for 5-10 minutes. We make it into a game, and hopefully it is teaching her some good habits. :)
I may have to develop a chore cart–I think I could use one! My best method for organization or cleaning is to weed out things that haven't gotten used within the past few months. Every time I clean a get rid of a at least a few items from that room/space. Keeps the clutter from accumulating too quickly!
I really try to have my son put away his toys before getting new toys out. I'm starting early that he needs to keep his things picked up!
My apartment has a lot of character (curved windows! art deco glass bricks! parquet!) but it is sadly low on closet space. One way that I've managed to work around the storage problem is to hang curtains. There is a nook between two closets. Curtains and et voila – texture and another closet. I put in some shelves from ikea and the last of the plastic bins left over from college. And I don't have to see them every day!
Oh Jennica, I had a similar schedule that I started at the beginning of the year and let me tell you, it was the cleanest my house has ever been for those two weeks. Pathetic. I think it was our trip to Mesa that got in the way. Boo. So I'm so thankful that you did this post as it reminds me how lovely it is to wake up to a clean house in the morning. It's like a present for myself every day. One good thing that came from our attempt was that our boys learned how to clean. B and A clean up without even being asked, which is a miracle!
Love the idea of the chore chart. We now have two kids and finding time to keep things clean is a little tricky. I do some of the things you listed but have also started involving my 2.5 year old in the morning clean up. While the baby takes her morning nap, my toddler will help me unload the dishwasher, transfer clothes into the washer/dryer and will even help make the beds. As long as we keep it fun, she is happy to help and I am able to keep her busy and do get something done.
I need some tips – I always find myself losing a whole day on the weekend catching up on cleaning. The only place I tend to keep up is laundry and I make a habit of running a load every other night to keep towels, sheets, etc clean.
Elizabeth L
eal20 at yahoo dot com
I use little cube bins from Target to store a variety of items in from cleaning supplies to dorm room snacks. The cubes come in a variety of color and are a great storage fix especially if you have limited space!
I agree with the basket trick – it has made nightly clean-up so much easier! Even my 5-year-old knows what to do when the basket comes out each evening!
I use baskets and good-looking containers to store things as well. It's motivating to clean when you're putting things into containers you like. And like you said, Jenny, a basket looks nice even if there are only things to be sorted inside. Also, a clear over-the-door shoe organizer helps coral small things like hair accessories and bathroom toiletries, kitchen items, entry way or in a craft room. Organizers really make a difference in keeping my house clean–when I'm consistent about putting things away :).
I love the basket clean up idea you have. I also like the 15 minute a day with music plan another reader had. I keep toy bins in every room and throw everything in them. I try to clean up when my baby naps so that I can relax in the evenings. I also LOVE clorox wipes! (especially when someone in the house is sick!)
i have a similar list and i love it!! best part for me is that if i miss a day, i don't stress about catching up because i know i have a plan and it will get done next week. i also have a monthly, quarterly and yearly deep cleaning list (i'm anal, but it works!)
I have a list of daily, weekly and monthly chores to help make things easier. I also keep cleaning products in each room for light cleaning and possible spills.
OOO!! I really love this! I saw it pinned on Pinterest and just had to come check it out. I usually do the "basket method" but I'm not so hot on putting the items back we're they belong. I think the biggest challenge is my 3 year old daughters room! It's horrible!!! Thank you for the ideas! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!
I think if my schedule was a little more regular the daily lists would be great. I use lots of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers and LOVE my dyson :)
the chore chart is brilliant! i have laundry day tuesday and saturday, and clean all day sunday. scg00387 at yahoo dot com
My (few & brief) keys to keeping clean:
1) If you can't remember the last time you used it or the next time you plan to use it, send it to Goodwill. DE-CLUTTER!
2) Hosting parties/get togethers is an amazing incentive to get the place spotless. My husband hates for people to see our place dirty, so inviting people over makes HIM clean more!
3) Labeled boxes, baskets & shelves. Everything has a home, and if it doesn't have a home, it needs to find a home or get out of OUR home :-)
We don't have kids yet, but someday when we do I'll be coming back to your blog to copy your amazing chore chart for us!!
My (few & brief) keys to keeping clean:
1) If you can't remember the last time you used it or the next time you plan to use it, send it to Goodwill. DE-CLUTTER!
2) Hosting parties/get togethers is an amazing incentive to get the place spotless. My husband hates for people to see our place dirty, so inviting people over makes HIM clean more!
3) Labeled boxes, baskets & shelves. Everything has a home, and if it doesn't have a home, it needs to find a home or get out of OUR home :-)
We don't have kids yet, but someday when we do I'll be coming back to your blog to copy your amazing chore chart for us!!
I try to pick up at least 10 items throughout the house at the end of each day. LOVE the basket idea, and I already have plenty around :D