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 actually clean my bathroom while I give the little ones a bath. I have everone brush their teeth first and while they are playing in the tub, I'm right there wiping down the floors, mirror, sink etc.. When they are washed , dried and dressed, I can finish with the tub/shower since it is already wet and steamy it makes things a cinch!
I am not organized with my cleaning at all. I go back and forth between tidying a bit everyday and waiting until everything is beyond trashed and spend hours cleaning. I will say that having a purging month every year has really helped to keep our household organized.
I bought a nice basket with a handle(from a thrift store) that I use to quickly clean off our dining room table (of papers, bills, mail, etc.).
My tip is to marry a guy, who likes cleaning and doing laundry. :)
My kids and i do a ten minute tidy nighly before bed. It makes a huge differance!!
I will definitely use this chart. Thank you for posting it!
If your closet hanging rod is not allowing your hangers to slide easily,rub with wax paper a couple of times.They will glide smooth.
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Although I don't have a chore chart I do feel that my cleaning "lists" are my lifeline. I usually make a list every week of what needs to be tackled as far as cleaning goes and get a huge sense of accomplishment when I am able to cross it off as the week goes on. I also just got a new pantry organizer from the container store that I am obsessed with!
Hi! Thanks for all the cleaning tips! Sometimes it is so hard to keep up with everything..and I think the best thing I do is make sure I always grab something to put away before I leave a room. It makes me feel like I am getting something done..and I was walking to that room anyway. :D
My best tip is to have an agreement with the other folks in the house on who does what job. I handle the laundry and dry cleaning, my husband does the dishes. That way, no one is waiting for clean clothes or dishes!
I love the chore chart idea. My husband and I have decided this is our year to get clean and organized. Right now my biggest cleaning tip is a multi section laundry hamper. The ones I choose have wheels, so from the closet to the laundry room. Makes such a difference.
I love the chore chart idea. My husband and I have decided this is our year to get clean and organized. Right now my biggest cleaning tip is a multi section laundry hamper. The ones I choose have wheels, so from the closet to the laundry room. Makes such a difference.
I have found recently that I have to do cleaning first. That means right when I come home from work, as tired as I may be. Also, I set a timer for myself (what kind of grown women sets a timer for herself? ;) So I work quickly and try to get say, the kitchen, done in about 15 minutes.
My cleaning tip is to make sure everything has a place. When everything has a place it makes clean up do much easier and faster. I also stop clutter as soon as it comes in the door- I hate clutter! I kind of do the same thing u do as far as the chore chart and ur right there is no going back after that! Thanks for the chance to win!!!
I also love using baskets to throw stuff into. I wish I could figure out a better way to keep up with my laundry though! Thanks for the great giveaway. Loved your tips!
Thanks for sharing your routine. I clean the kitchen every night, of course, and on Thursday morning, I start laundry. I put in a load before I go to work, then at lunch put it in the dryer — and continue until I'm done. This way, all my laundry is done by Friday, and I can focus on the rest of the house.
Fantastic cleaning tips!! I am totally going to print this and tweak it to my needs after a couple of weeks to meet my needs. Thanks so much for this great post and I am so crossing my fingers for these giveaways. I love that basket idea too. I've recently switched to Method cleaners and I love especially their bathroom scent!
I have two young kids so I have baskets everywhere that are labeled. At the end of the night they have to help put away everything while I do my part of the cleaning (dishes, counters, put away laundry). Everyone (well maybe not the kids!) are happy with a clean house. =)
I use vinegar and dawn dish soap to clean the shower, toilet and bathroom sink! It works amazingly well!
The cleaning list is amazing! I want to start on it immediately. I get so bogged down with cleaning, get overwhelmed, and then just stop. If I can just stick to this list I don't think it will be that bad. I am actually excited about starting the new cleaning routine!
Our major clutter offenders are toys and laundry.
Folded laundry that doesn't immediately get put away tends to pile up on our living room sofa. (It can be quite the pile with a family of five.)To try to avoid the pile up, I have assigned everyone in the family their own laundry basket. This has made it much easier to get the laundry to the correct room even if it doesn't get put away immediately.
We also have a toy basket in what feels like every room of the house. Our kids must put all toys in a designated basket before bed everynight.
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Ooh -I love cleaning charts. Little tick-boxes inspire me to 'get it all done'. My secret? Living close enough to home that I can utilize my lunch break and clean/organize one thing in my little apt. a day. The other day, I used that hour to organize my bedroom drawers. It felt so good to have that done~
Great giveaway!! I used to be rather terrible about leaving clothes lying around. Now my rule is to hang everything up the moment I step in the door. It takes an extra second, but far less time than dealing with a pile of crumpled clothes later!
What a great giveaway! I try to keep a roll of paper towel, Windex and a Dustbuster in each floor of the house to make cleaning mirrors, surfaces, and floors easy, that way I dont have the excuse that I have to run all the way to the garage to get cleaning supplies or forget the minute I go downstairs.
Wendy-
I have a two year old and a one month old, so this seems daunting to me, but I will give it a try. I just try to make sure my kitchen is clean before I go to bed, Waking up to a clean kitchen makes me feel like the rest of my house is fairly clean as well, even if it isn't.
I love this chart! I'm a single girl without children but I do work full time and go to school. I also have a big sloppy labrador and two cats, therefore vacuuming is required at least three times a week. Having this chart will help me not ignore things like mirrors and moldings. Thank you!
My "new" routine is to pick up one room a day. One night I got the 1/2 bath and the laundry room clean. The kitchen I take on a few cabinets and rotate, and I have a "do not go upstairs without putting this item in it's HOME" basket…that is helping me make sure each item has a home…even if that home is the trash!!!
great post. micro fiber large dust head is a must to clean my wood floors. and swifter dusters are great for the kids to help pitch in. easy to use and disposable.
With a toddler around, I try to take advantage of multitasking. So while cooking dinner, I clean up the kitchen. While my daughter's taking a bath, I clean in the bathroom. But I LOVE your chore chart.
I have a cleaning lady that comes every other week. The week she doesn't come I use clorox wipes for bathrooms and I vacuumi/mop the kitchen. Also, I have my toddlers 3 & 6 compete to see who can put away his/her toys the fastest. Works everytime.
My tip deals with staying on top of the daily clutter that ends up piling on my desk after each long day. I work on going through the mail and papers after my day and I have a filing cabinet next to my desk that is organized into every area (bills, receipts etc) and then I have an organizer on my desk for important/priority items that are sorted!
Thank you so much!!
As soon as I get home from work, before I sit down to eat and relax (because, let's face it, once you enter relaxation mode there's no going back)I do a "clutter" lap around the house. I put each thing in the room where it belongs. Then, as I enter each room throughout the night (kitchen/dining room for dinner, bathroom and bedrooms for bedtime), I put the things away. It's a huge help – I can really notice the difference when I skip a day!
As soon as I get home from work, before I sit down to eat and relax (because, let's face it, once you enter relaxation mode there's no going back)I do a "clutter" lap around the house. I put each thing in the room where it belongs. Then, as I enter each room throughout the night (kitchen/dining room for dinner, bathroom and bedrooms for bedtime), I put the things away. It's a huge help – I can really notice the difference when I skip a day!
YES, I have a chore chart! But I have pretty much broken it down into one main chore a day. For example today is Thursday, which is my dustind day. I dust every surface in the house while my daughter is taking a nap! Floors, dinningroom, side tables-EVERYTHNIG! Then through out the day I just do general straightening-when I walk out of a room, I useually carry something with me. It makes for a smooth week. For those who are not stay at home moms, you can still tackle one chore a day,at night after the kids are in bed.
sorry for the misspellings
such a great giveaway!!!! I hope I win!
Thank you so much for this chart. I havea toddler who we have dubbed hurricane Matty and feel like I can never get ahead of the mess!
I recently started a shoe system, where all shoes have a place and get taken off immediatly when entering our home. Helps corral the shoes that seem to get left everywhere and helps keep the floors cleaner as well.
My cleaning secret is to pick up the little things 3 x per day. i do a sweet in the morning, afternoon before dinner/ during homework time and then before i go to bed. it keeps me on my toes and more peaceful.
Recently I realized that most of my saturdays were spent cleaning. This was exhausting and a disappointing use of a day off from work. So, I started straightening up and clearing out clutter on Thurs night after work. That way, when I get home from work on Friday night, I can relax and not be distracted by the week's mess around me. Then, on Saturday, I do some major cleaning, but it takes probably half of the time. More of a psychological trick, but just as good to me.
I love your chart. I need to improve my way of cleaning and am sure I could save time. Love your blog.
I keep small baskets in each room, that are used to throw items that belong in a different room into. Then one basket a day gets taken to each room and the items dropped off to that room where they belong.
I love this chart! I am definitely going to start the lookout for some baskets, too. We currently use a few ottomans that serve as storage bins for the "collect-alls" when unannounced company arrives.
OK so after this post I totally went to Anthropology and picked up a Volcano candle, then I went to Target and stocked up on cleaning supplies, then I went home and washed about a month's worth of dirty dished, cleaned the counters by the sink, cleaning the master bath toilet and the farm sink in the laundry room. That took all night and my house is still a disaster area. This morning I cleaned the shower with Scrubbing Bubbles – while taking a shower. My house smells like cleaning products now. I think I need more of these candles.
I forgot to add – I also loaded and started the dishwasher and wiped down the bathroom counters last night. They were DISGUSTING. I had to get out an old toothbrush and really dig in. I think tonight I need to tackle the floors, especially the kitchen and the first flight of stairs.
My husband and I have made Friday night Laundry Night. It's soooo much better than trying to squeeze it in on a weeknight or take up daytime hours on the weekend!
I need to start a chore chart like this! Thanks!
Keeping cute baskets around the house has allowed me to stay neater and more oranized!
My chore chart looks very similar to yours! I also do one load of laundry a day. :) My tip is that I make homemade cleaning products to keep the chemicals out of our home since I have a 2 year old and a 1 year old. :)
I'm also one of those people who needs a clean environment, so I try to do a quick pick-up every day, too. It makes such a difference, especially with little kids
For our family of seven it has helped to have a detailed chore chart for each room. I have tasks broken down to daily & weekly and so when a child is assigned a room they know exactly what to do. I also put these lists into page protectors so they can mark off each job as they go. It has made life so much easier for all of us! No more, "what do I do next?" or "I didn't know I had to do that." Yay!