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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!!
oh thank you thank you for posting this cleaning chart. it's been a losing battle for me and never felt i could catch up. i've been following your cleaning chart this week and while still behind and lots to clean, i've never felt more in control of the whole process. there's hope! so that's my tip – use your cleaning chart!
your chore chart is awesome! i was just thinking about making one myself.
i have 2 boys, 5 and 2, and when i'm picking up the house, i put all their stuff onto a tray, set a timer, and say, 'in 10 minutes if it's not put away i'm throwing it out.' by isolating their job to one area, there's less chance they get distracted, and it keeps them occupied while i do other things. my older one delegates to his brother, and he decides what random drawings, craft projects, etc, get thrown out.
I wipe down the bathroom counters and faucets every time I go in them. This way I never have to worry that the mess is building up. Every day I look around and ask myself, what if my mother-in-law stopped by right now? That motivates me to quick clean up any loose ends.
Lisistevens@hotmail.com
Of course a cleaning list is only good if you follow it!! :) I love lists, but the hardest part in our house is not the cleaning, it is having everything picked up and put away in order to clean. Everything must HAVE a place and everything IN its place (but no junk drawers please-drawer organizers :)). With four boys and a husband, this is our most essential cleaning tip. Also, don't remove the laundry from the dryer unless you are prepared to fold and put way immediately (I hate laundry mountains – my kids love to jump in them, but they make me crazy) The cleaning is the fun part — especially listening to my favorite music and singing as loud as I want while running the vacuum, even the baby sleeps through it
Dirty ovens that take forever to clean- I finally learned the fast way spray it down with water and then sprinkle baking soda liberally over the whole thing and leave for an hour burnt on anything wipes off… so much better then potent cleaners!
I like to set a timer every night for 20 minutes. My hubs and I both pick up/vacuum/sweep/clean something for the entire 20 mins. It keeps one person from doing everything or wasting a whole day away. Hope it helps!
At our house we like to put on "clean-up music." It puts us in a good mood and speeds us the cleaning process. :)
i like using my macs icalendar to keep track of the chores i should do more often, but can never keep track of -how- often. this way, i get home from work, check my computer and i'm instantly reminded of whats on the schedule for the day. i get it done and then the evening is free for relaxing!
keeps me on top of things, feeling good about getting things done and not having to worry about if i'm missing anything.. the computer will remind me!
The chore chart caught my eye on Pinterest. I love it. It's just me, my husband, a cat, two dogs, and occasionally the 9 yo nephew, but the house can definitely get into chaos! Your list has certainly simplified it for us. Thank you for developing it, we use it everyday. You're a peach.
Saw your chore list a few days ago on Pinterest. Even though it's just me, the hubby, an old cat, two dogs, and occasionally the 9 yo nephew…the house can get pretty chaotic. We have incorporated your list into our daily living. Got a super cute basket that we "dance" thru the house with every evening. Also, and this is the absolute best part…because its not my idea or my list of honey do's, the hubby helps out cheerfully…we do it together. So, a big thank you to you!
The chore chart caught my eye on Pinterest. I love it. It's just me, my husband, a cat, two dogs, and occasionally the 9 yo nephew, but the house can definitely get into chaos! Your list has certainly simplified it for us. Thank you for developing it, we use it everyday. You're a peach.
The chore chart caught my eye on Pinterest. I love it. It's just me, my husband, a cat, two dogs, and occasionally the 9 yo nephew, but the house can definitely get into chaos! Your list has certainly simplified it for us. Thank you for developing it, we use it everyday. You're a peach.
I have a chore chart printed but so far, haven't stuck to a schedule. Instead, I try to fit cleaning into 15 minute intervals and do little "cleaning bursts" on weekday mornings and evenings. It helps me to stay on top of things even when I'm exhausted. If I say to myself- clean up the kitchen for 15 minutes while dinner's finishing in the oven, I'm much more likely to go for it.
I really like the idea of a cleaning chart and I will try yours! Currently, I usually end up spending like 6 hours on a Sunday getting everything clean- yikes!
I have a cluttery family, so I put small baskets in our worst clutter zones, like a catch-all, and I empty them on the weekends. The areas look clutter-free because it is hidden, and I don't drop anything while I put it all away!
I love the checklist! My husband and I are a team, if one of those daily tasks need done, whoever comes across it first takes care of it. We also try to do one load of laundry a day and I teach my son to pick up his own room, wipe off his bathroom counter, etc. He's been putting his clean laundry away since he was 4. We all just really try to work as a team.
love your cleaning checklist. will give it a try and love the baskets.
thanks for all the great tips! always need help cleaning and organizing.
Love the chore chart!! Thanks for sharing. Keeping up with laundry seems to be the biggest task in my household, so I try to do it in the evening 3 times a week. Folding is not so bad if you do it while watching one of the Housewives shows. :)
I don't have a chore chart, but maybe I should. I love a clean house, but it never seems to be that way! I've started to use baskets to collect things in – like one this winter for all hats/gloves/scarfs that come off when you walk in. That way when you do have time to clean you're using it to get things done instead of picking up items.
We had a chore chart growing up. There were 8 kids in my family, so it was my mom's way of distributing the jobs evenly so she didn't have to clean up after us all!
I just tried a new way of cleaning my oven burners that worked great! Put the burner in a ziploc bag with 1/2 cup of ammonia. It doesn't need to cover the burner, but just let it sit overnight or for 8 hours or so and in the morning you can just wipe all the slime off! Works great!
becki.barker@gmail.com
I am obsessed with this chore chart! Im not the best cleaner in the world but one thing I try very hard to do is wash all of the dishes before I go to bed every night.. the task is SO much more daunting when you wake up to it in the morning! My days always go better when I dont have that chore in the morning! Thank you for such a helpful post!
Pledge… It is THE best stainless steel cleaner there is. We have tried everything & it is the only one that really takes away those pesky fingerprints.
My tip is to not clean one room at a time. I learned doingit that way bt I found that if I spray down the surfaces all at once and then go through the house cleaning it saves me time. I also do all the vacuuming at once.
This has inspired me to do more cleaning during the week. Thanks!
love this adult chore chart!
i make sure every night i go through my apartment and de-clutter. I also can't stand to have a single dish in the sink so i definitely make sure the dishes are done and the counters are atleast wiped off!
I am a list girl- if it is on my list I will get it done. Some days the lists is long and some days the list is short. We also have cleaning parties with our kids- we list out all the things to clean around the house and make a list with an equal amount of fun activities. After doing one cleaning chore we do one fun activity. Everyone helps and it is quality time together.
I hate to clean but your chart looks like it will be very helpful.
I am trying to stay on top of cleaning — it is not an easy thing for me, but it is for my husband, which makes it more stressful when I am under it all! Thanks for the chart — I currently have cleaners come twice a month, but this will help with the rest of the month!
I have been looking for a schedule like this that was more comprehensive than my own–thank you!!
I use white vinegar to remove water stains, dryer sheets in baseboards and other surfaces to slow dust buildup, and do just a little bit every day as well so as to not overwhelm myself. When I've planned meals well, I get dinner things ready in the morning as much as I can do there's not a mad rush at the end of the day when everyone's home from work and other activities and dinner doesn't happen late.
My favorite tip is to have less stuff. I use the one in/one out rule, and get rid of something for every new thing I get.
urchiken at gmail dot com
We are one of the "crazies" that have a chore chart. And the sad thing is that I have to follow everyone around all day and ask them "did you look at the chore chart?"
wish i had some good tips and tricks to share…but i'm still figuring it all out myself! so happy to have discovered your blog because i think it'll be very useful in this regard! :)
I enjoyed your post. I have a white board and two teenagers that rotate daily duties. On Monday I post the chores on the white board so everyone knows their jobs for the week. I love microfiber cloths for cleaning and we set a timer, turn up the music and work for a set amount of time together. I do "inspections" after we are finished. Many hands make short work.
As far as organization goes I like to de-junk as often as possible. Every weekend just take 10 minutes and pick a part of the room that needs attention and get rid of and clean as much as possible. Even if it's just one cupboard. It makes all the difference in the long run :)
Such a great chore chart; and happy to report that I definitely use the basket method!
I love the chore chat; happy to report that I use the basket method!
I do all laundry on Tuesday. Deep clean a floor Wednesday (switch between Up and Down each week). I do dishes and put clutter away at the end of each day which takes less than 30 min. Keeps us relatively clean which I love.
I use lots of storage space to keep my areas clean. My rule is to not leave something visible unless it's used daily. This takes away a lot of the visible clutter. My email is ifindbargains@gmail.com
Thank you for sharing your chore chart. It is a great idea; I've printed it out and will give it a whirl starting tomorrow.
I have three children the same ages as yours, Jenny, and about six months ago my husband revolutionized our lives with a daily clean-up. Every evening before bed, our whole family works together to clean up the house. Papa directs the kids as they pick up every toy, scrap paper, and clutter from all over the house while I take care of cleaning the dining room and kitchen. Once the kids are in bed, my husband and I come downstairs to a peaceful, clean house… and we get to wake up to it too!
My other cleaning tip is to get dirty dishes into the dishwasher as soon as possible. Everything goes more smoothly for me when my kitchen is tidy and uncluttered.
Wow, this is great. I saved this for when my husband and I are settled again into a house.
Key in our marriage is laundry. Gosh, i can't stand laundry. But I realized if I do one load a week, it's very manageable. Yes, I know once we have kids I will need to do loads every day. But right now, just to keep us organized and clean undies on my husband…I gotta do one load a week.
I'm not the best at keeping a clean house. But also use baskets too!
cleaning….what cleaning? i sometimes keep soft scrub and a sponge in the shower so i can just scrub it out while i'm in there! teehee! measterhaus@gmail.com
I keep lists, and reminders of my chores, and have to pay the "put off" jar if I put off any tasks that are due that day.' My label maker and baskets and tubs everywhere are key for me.
Never leave a room empty handed.
I keep lists, and reminders of my chores, and have to pay the "put off" jar if I put off any tasks that are due that day.' My label maker and baskets and tubs everywhere are key for me.
Never leave a room empty handed.
I have downloaded the chore chart (thank you!), and now I need to win the contest, and then I might have a cleaning tip to share. With a set of boys ages 7, 4, and 2, I have resigned myself to legos on the floor as daily reflexology foot massage.
I love your chore chart! It actually seems doable. Thanks so much for sharing. My organization tip that works for me is to run the dishwasher every night, even if it isn't completely full.
I have found that a chart helps to keep me on task as well. In fact, I had one up for several months, used it (and my husband followed), thought we had a "habit" going and took it down. What happened? We got out of our "habit" of this routine and went back to the usual Saturday deep cleaning and landry fiasco. I so need to be organized!
A chore chart is a great idea! The best tip I have is to always pick up before bed, just a quick put everything away so the next day doesn't start out in a mess.
I was caught in the cycle of cleaning from the front of my home to the back until I realized that nothing in the last bedroom (our playroom) was ever accomplished because it was very last on a long list that I was killing myself with every day. Now, I've changed things a bit, and I don't focus on making sure each room is perfect before I move on; instead, I make it presentable (you know, the way that if someone knocked on your door unexpectedly, you'd let them in :) Now, everything is manageable on a daily basis because nothing is so terrible that I can't finish it.
Do you do windows every week?