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 cleaning tip is to regularly invite friends over! Even when I don't clean for myself, I'll clean for them.
I alternate Friday mornings to dusting & bathrooms and vacuuming & mopping with little quick cleaning off and on during the week. I really like the idea of a chore chart.. think it will help since I work out of the house and feel stressed staying on top of the cleaning as well!
My favorite cleaning trick is to get someone else to do it…lol, just kidding, best bet for me is to do a little at a time…always looking for tricks–and motivation!
I have never had a cleaning chart nor a routine that I've stuck with or managed to follow. So the chart you posted is so great to see. Now that I only have one daughter living at home and she does her own laundry and cleaning, I can cut down on some of the chores on the chart which leaves me a day or two to not think about cleaning, which is great. But the chart also means that I don't have to madly spend one whole day cleaning. I'm going to give it a try! Thanks for posting this.
I keep 4 separate hampers in the laundry room. One each for whites, lights, darks and kitchen linens.
It cuts my laundry time down.
rjs682 at yahoo dot com
I have no cleaning routine. I usually end up spending a good chunk of my Saturdays making up for not cleaning up during the week. I may steal your chore chart.
Wowzers! This chore chart is awesome! I am putting this to use for sure. As my children are getting older (7, 7, 4) they are helping to clean, a little, but they still make plenty of messes throughout the house! It gets overwhelming for sure. Thanks!!!
Sam B.
my tip is baskets, lots of baskets! they keep toys in one place
Two days ago I made my first attempt at a cleaning chart. I've been so frustrated with our messy house. I LOVE your pick up basket idea. And plan to implement that immediately. If I win, I will buy the best pick up basket I can find! And I'm printing out the chore chart as soon as I'm done typing.
My number one tip: Don't be lazy in the evenings. What I do with my time after I get my 4 young kiddos in bed is a good indicator on how my house will feel.
I don't have any cleaning secrets -isn't that sad!!! I'm liking your schedule and will try it out! Maybe its the answer to my cleaning issues :) Thanks
We have an unwritten rule at home that for every piece of clothing (not accessories) that is bought an older one has to be given away. It was hard at first but now I have gotten used to it and my closet stays organized.
What a great list! One thing I missed though; when do you dust? As for myself, I feel I am fighting a losing battle with cleaning. Two gardeners and two dogs mean a lot of dirt gets tracked in. Maybe your chart will help me.
My tip is probably more organizational than cleaning, but does help with cleanup later. Paper seems to be the bane of my existence, so I make sure the mail is sorted and dealt with as soon as its brought into the house. That way I don't have to pick it up again. Now magazines are a whole other story!
BABY WIPES!!!
i use this one brand of baby wipes (K******d)to wipe and clean pretty much anything in terms of "exterminating" dust and germs to make my house "baby-friendly" for my little one. I can't seem to trust any other cleaning products that are out there…haha >.<
The container store and Target are literally my two favorite places to shop. I am obsessed with organizing and reorganizing and searching for that perfect method!
I'm also a big proponent of baskets, they're by far the most stylish way to hide a pile in a hurry!
Nicole
I clean the shower while I'm taking a shower. I keep Lysol, a large plastic cup, and a sponge brush on a handle, underneath my bathroom sink. Every 2 or 3 days, when I'm about to hop in the shower, I bring a along the cup filled with some lysol deluted with water and my scrub brush. In a matter of minutes, the task is done! chavezdaus@yahoo.com
I try to do the dishes every night. (Try being the key word) If not, they seem to be the only thing I can think about when I get home from work the next day.
7 times! Well I clearly have the dirtiest rugs in town. You can bet I'll be vacuuming at my earliest opportunity today!
P.s. I love what you did with you kitchen island. So clever. Great blog!
I have a cleaning app on my phone! I like to see things in a list – it keeps me on track! Each day of the week has a different task, like clean the tub, wash the floors, etc. it also has programmed daily tasks. In the morning it tells me to empty the dishwasher, take out the garbage, sweep the floor, etc. It times me too…I have 20 minutes to get it all done, and after that, I throw in the towel! Best part is, if I don't feel like cleaning, I just turn off my phone!
Wow! Great post. I am going to change my whole routine based on this. Thanks!
My tip is have a drawer in the kitchen which has extra space. If someone stops by you can quickly throw the stuff that accumulates in the kitchen in the drawer.
I am also a basket fan. I have been using baskets since we had our little girl. I have baskets in high toy traffic areas. Very convenient at clean up time!!! Everyone must try..
I saw your chore list on Pintrest and I haven't been off your site since. I have also shared with several friends. Love it!!!
My family (husband, 2yr old baby girt, and myself) just moved from a 1200sqft house to a 4200sqft house. My chore list just wasn't cutting it. I kept revising mine but it just wasn't realistic, I was trying to do too much. Last night I printed your chore list and went through the entire list before bed. Woke up this morning, made the bed, emptied the dishwasher, and even folded some clothes. I feel great about it!
Thank you for sharing and I look forward to reading much much more!
I try to focus on one task per day, similar to your chart. I feel like it has helped a lot, but my house just isn't as clean as it was before the kiddos came and took over (:
I have set up a schedule similar to yours where I do at least something everyday so the weekends are not bogged down.
My most helpful habit is setting the timer for 10 minutes every night and spending that time to "tidy" up. It is amazing how much you can do in just 10 minutes!
After stepping on the dreaded wooden blocks in the middle of the night,I made a plan that part of the bedtime routine would be a clean up party. Everything back in it's place. I also clean the bathroom while the kids bathe. Multitask, multitask, multitask.
My chore chart it fairly useless since I don't actually use it. However, I try to keep up on the big cleaning tasks weekly and we have a recurring task list which includes cleaning in Outlook.
I just printed out a few copies of this cleaning schedule- a great addition to the homewarming basket of goodies to give my friends and family! Great site.
I just printed out and laminated a few copis of the cleaning schedule… a great addition to the housewarming basket of goodies for new home owners!
One of my favorite tips is to fold a load of laundry as soon as it comes out of the dryer. It's just a tip I like though, can't say I'm good at it :) I am really going to try your chart!
my tip is to spend at least 15mins every night straightening the house!
My favorite "clean it while you're going about life" tip – keeping microfiber cloths (new ones cycled in once or twice a week) in the kitchen and bathroom, and automatically wiping down counter/sink surfaces after I'm done with a meal or using the sink. Microfiber is AMAZING for picking up dirt, and if I automatically do it as part of the cleaning up process, it becomes so subconscious that I don't have to think about it.
I hired a professional organizer a few years back. The main thing I changed is keeping similar items together. I no longer store cleaning supplies in every bathroom. They all stay together in laundry closet. I no longer have stashes of pens in drawers in each room. They all stay in one office supply station. It has changed the way we live.
I love the basket idea… clutter you can't see totally doesn't count as clutter anymore! The best change I was able to make, though it was difficult, was to just get rid of stuff I don't need. Excessive stuff just makes my living space unattractive and stresses me out.
My tip… Incorporate a clean out the fridge and pantry day. Eat leftovers, throw away expired items and reorganize, clean and arrange the items. Makes for a budget saver, too!
I had to stop reading through the posts to see if I had something new from someone else. Great ideas and encouraging to break it up. I love for everything to be clean at once but that is not realistic if you are going to live in your space. I try to get my family to leave their shoes outside in a basket or at the door so we are not tracking in what is from the outside. I am a big fan of baskets and getting your kids involved in picking up the clutter, especially theirs. My 22 month old son picks up his trucks, blocks, trains, etc. before bedtime which is so helpful for us and hopefully good for him.
Your chore chart is something I can aspire to. I'm not the best housekeeper, but this will help give me some direction. That being said, my housekeeping tips are pretty shabby, but one thing I live by is the recycling bin and trash can in the garage. I gives me a place to deposit the junk mail so it never makes it in the house, and also a spot for the empty soda cans, etc. that I've accumulated on my recent excursion. This keeps the car from looking like it's been lived in!
By far, my favorite organizing tips and tools are bins and my label maker – I put almost anything I can in a bin/basket and then label it. Then no one has an excuse that they don't know where it goes!
Great ideas! I'm a piler so lately I've been giving my piles deadlines. If I haven't used my fabric pile in a week it gets stored away. If I haven't read my books in two weeks, they find a real shelf…that sort of thing. I find it gives me enough time to get to them if I'm motivated and it's realistic enough that my house can still stay clean.
I was talking about making a chore chart just the other day! My main tip though is never go to sleep with a dirty kitchen. I have nightmares if I don't know that everything is in it's place. You won't have time to clean it in the morning and there's nothing worse than coming home to last night's dirty dishes so just do it before bedtime!
xo* ~Hannah B.
Hi Jen! I'm nearing the end of my "freedom" as my husband and I prepare to have our first child next month, and I admit I'm a little overwhelmed about being able to "do it all", especially things I do NOT like to do–like cleaning. But last month I started on a daily cleaning schedule (though I like yours better!) and it's been a lot easier! Thank you!
Hi Jen! I'm nearing the end of my "freedom" as my husband and I prepare to have our first child next month, and I admit I'm a little overwhelmed about being able to "do it all", especially things I do NOT like to do–like cleaning. But last month I started on a daily cleaning schedule (though I like yours better!) and it's been a lot easier! Thank you!
I do most of my cleaning during the day, but my biggest trick is that as soon as I put the baby to bed, I come back downstairs and clean up the kitchen and pick up the family room. If I do that, then I can relax for the rest of the evening, and come downstairs to a tidy house. If I don't, then everything gets backed up the next day!
Wow, that chore chart is a revelation! My tip is going to reveal how much I need it! When I'm in a hurry to make things presentable, the winded I'm using on my bathroom mirror adds a nice sparkle to the sink as well.
I've started having the kids do "morning chores" every morning while I do mine. They race a timer to see if they can beat it. If they do, they get a marble (which we keep in vases), and after a certain number of marbles, they trade them in for a toy. It's been working!
I started doing a load of laundry as soon as I get done working out. Then it doesn't all pile up for the weekend and my workout clothes aren't laying around for days.
I love your chart! I used to have a cleaning routine, but have really let it slip due to crazy work schedule. I was just talking to my daughter today about making a written cleaning schedule and then I saw your post. One thing I have done consistently is bathroom wipe down. I keep the Clorox Wipes where they are handy and do it just before I go to bed. Another habit I have kept consistently is folding laundry as I take it out of the dryer. As I do this I separate it into piles by where it belongs. That way I never have a basket full of unfolded laundry. I also do a load of laundry a day and if I skip a day I do two the next day so I don't get behind. It keeps the laundry pile from being too overwhelming!
I, too, spot clean my floors. The minute I see a smudge or a spot, i take a paper towel and clean it. For the bathroom floors, I vacuum them when I do my vacuuming for the week. I then take a Clorox wipe and go over the entire floor instead of trekking out the mop bucket and mop.
At this point in my life I don't have such a regimented routine, but one thing I constantly do is wipe down bathroom and kitchen counters every night. I can't stand going to bed feeling like things are left undone.
I use a chore chart and keep it in my home organization binder. I love that it keeps me on track and I feel like I am getting something accomplished each day. My favorite cleaning tip is: vinegar! Seriously, it is miracle stuff. Mix with a bit of water and you can clean almost everything in your house!
Only 3 of us and I only did laundry one day a week, we would have nothing to wear…..I love Clorox cleaning wipes we go through a container a week at least.