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!!
Our cleaning process needs so much improvement. Right now, I just do a huge clean after work on Friday so we can start the weekend off fresh. We then destroy the house all weekend, so I clean again Sunday to start the work week off fresh. Destroy the house all week.. clean on Friday.. it's a terrible cycle!
Your chore chart is perfect! Thanks for sharing, I'm going to have to try that and the basket. I always try to focus on the kitchen and the bathroom – if they are clean, I feel much better.
I like to keep a small hand held vac in high traffic rooms, that way it's quick and easy to address small clean ups. I also like to do a quick bathroom clean by putting cleanser in the toilet, letting it set while I hop in the shower and scrub, then get out, rinse the tub and flush the toilet!
I don't have a dishwasher, and my main rule is to make sure the sink is totally clean every night. It's less about cleaning the sink, and more about making sure I've already cleaned counter tops and dealt with all the dishes, but mentally making it about the sink makes the rest of it seem like less of a chore.
I do a room a day. That keeps everything in order.
My favorite cleaning tip is to keep a mini hand vacuum charged at all times. I have one of those pink Kone ones and it makes cleaning up little messes so much easier. I find that I have to drag out my huge vacuum less and less because if I clean up little messes when they happen there never really is a huge mess I have to spend hours cleaning.
I think having a regular cleaning routine is the best tip — no matter what you feel like you need to do on a daily or weekly basis and however it fits into your schedule, the regularity of it counts.
I too have found that its best to do a little bit every day. I also keep cleaning supplies on both levels of my house so I don't have to keep going up and down the stairs. We have a laundry schedule too which helps cut down on feeling like it all has to get done on Saturday.
Thanks for the super simple chore chart! I love that.
I live in South Texas with VERY hard water and had tried everything to get the stains off the glass shower surround. Thanks to Pinterest, I discovered the Vinegar and original Dawn trick. It worked like magic and I've never loved my shower more! I'll be adding it as a once a week chore!
I started to follow a schedule a lot like yours after I saw a "chore chart" of one of my friends. So I do one big chore a day and then another lady I know said she takes a timer with her as she goes into each room, sets it for 10 minutes and gets whatever she can done in that room in 10 minutes and then moves on to the next room. I am not as good at this one as I'd like to be, but when I do it it really does help a ton.
I take a tip from my mom and throughout the day/week, put things on the steps heading upstairs. Shoes, scarves, books, whatever needs to go up or down. Then when you're heading up to bed you can easily remember to pick it up. It used to drive me crazy as a kid when my mom did this, but of course here I am turning into her. It works!
Right now my method needs lots of work. I printed out your chart to try and help. Currently I lose a weekend day to vacuuming, putting things away and washing the dogs. I hope to get organized and have a more normal schedule.
Other than taking 10 minutes to pick up any stray items that have been misplaced throughout my apartment, I choose one room per day to clean. (I have six rooms total in my apartment, so it works out pretty well.) It's been working well so far!
I try to keep to the 20 min a day for 30 days checklist.
I don't have any tried and true tips, but I try to stay on top of laundry and dishes as much as possible. I am also thankful for the bins in the living room where we can store the kids toys.
My husband and I both work a ton during the week (usually 40+ hours), so your calendar is definitely something I need to try–we normally just clean everything on the weekends and that's no fun. My cleaning tip is to soak a rag in vinegar water in the microwave, heat it for 3 minutes, then use it to wipe down counters (and clean out the microwave).
I tried the chore chart, but it just wasn't for me. I prefer a weekly deep clean. I do, however, keep a yearly chart. That way I know when it's time to do big odd jobs like clean out cabinets, purge the basement, or maintain appliances. It also includes household tasks like having jewelry inspected, starting garden seeds, or taking the pets for shots. I have a list for each month in my planner so every time I turn to the next month I see what jobs are on tap.
I work part time so Mondays are my cleaning days. I clean from top to bottom every room. I like having a clean house at the beginning of the week. This also frees up my weekends knowing that the house will be really clean on Monday I do not waste weekends with cleaning chores. My tip is for cleaning my stainless steel refrigerator door. I use WD40 on the outside.
love the chore chart! i think it helps to put everything back in its place at the end of the day – that way you don't wake up to a mess!
The only tip I have is to make it as easy as you can for yourself – have a place to dump stuff you'll get to later that is out of sight… just make sure you actually get to it later.
I have been using a chore chart for a couple of years and it makes a difference when you have 3 kids.
I also get my kids involved by having a "cleaning party". I put kids music while they clean up their room. Once they are done, I give them a special treat.
I just try to stay on top of the dishes and the laundry. I am also forever thankful for the bins in the living room where we can stash the kids toys every night.
Hmm … thanks for this post, I have just been working on trying to be more consistent with house cleaning. After I visited a woman with a newborn and her bathroom was cleaner than mine, I knew something was wrong … :P
One of my favorite cleaning tips is for cleaning the microwave. Before cleaning it, microwave a bowl of water for a few minutes and let it sit inside with the door closed for a few more minutes. The steam softens up all the stuck-on stuff and makes it SO easy to just wipe off.
:)
My favorite cleaning or organization tip… Um. I need MAJOR help in this area and am in no position to offer advice to others! My partner and I save in other areas and pay a housecleaner to come every other week. Best tip I've got! :)
Great chore chart! My least favorite chore is having to tackle a huge sink full of dishes at the end of the day (no dishwasher). I've recently gotten in the habit of washing all the dishes (even the pots and pans!) after each meal so that they can't pile up in the sink and leave me overwhelmed before bed.
I am newly obsessed with the wipes-in-a-can (clorox or whatever generic brand I pick-up) for keeping me sane in my bathroom. While I love my husband, I don't love how he manages to turn the bathroom into a mess in a single day – all the dried water drops and various products left on the countertop and the usual boy-related toilet grossness :) I tend to use a wipe everyday to keep it looking tidy, and it takes under a minute to maintain my sanity.
the daily chore is the way to go. I have a problem with laundry, so I just leave it to one day, force myself to get it ALL done, and then don't think about it again until the next week.
I have some spray cleaner and rags in nearly every room – that way I dont have to go all the way to the basement for all of the cleaning supplies, but clean up without leaving the room. It works well for me.
I love a chore chart! I also use cleaning wipes throughout the week for a quick clean.
I LOVE the basket idea. I'm going to run out today and pick a few up. Thanks for the inspiration!
I totally stink at cleaning, but the Dyson and the Shark Steam Mop have helped out a lot!
I need to do laundry more often…it always piles up and then becomes too daunting! I really like your chore of the day. Much more manageable!
Love this! This chart really does make everything very manageable instead of dreading spending an entire day cleaning top to bottom. I try my best to keep my counter tops and tables organized – it's so easy to walk away leaving little bits of clutter everywhere but it's also just as easy to put those 5 things back where they belong or stack that pile of papers and mail neatly.
My tip is to do a little cleaning every day similar to the chart, except instead of doing specific chores daily, when I get home I set a 30 minute timer and clean only for that amount of time. I find that I move quickly and am very efficient because I know it;s only 30 minutes.
I don't have a chore chart, but I am printing that out! The only thing that makes me like cleaning is a nice-smelling product (thanks, Method!). I also have systems in place for dealing with clutter (like having a recycle bin outside so junk mail never even makes it in the house).
Thank you much! I am older and should already have one of these, but I do now.
We had to downsize, and after years of struggling to fit everything in…let most of it go. Donated it, got wood floors, painted everything, and boy! How freeing! It is easy to keep.
I am altering and printing to make this evev easier! Thank you!
Fly Lady is my muse, she says 'you can do anything for 15 minutes'! That helps me get going when i don't WANT to do IT. Claire
Great post, Jenny! I too have a daily cleaning checklist. The cleaning is so much easier when I stay organized and focused. Once you have a routine set and an overall plan, it takes very little time each day.
As for my kids, we have ALL of the toys, games, puzzles, art supplies in a closet. Everything is labeled and in clear, lidded, rubbermaid containers. Each child is allowed to have 2 boxes out at once. When they are finished, clean up is really easy.
Schedule, schedule, schedule! And clear containers only.
My number one tip for making me organized & sane is using lots of pretty storage boxes (with labels) and baskets of all sizes. It really makes it so easy to clean up quick to just throw everything of a kind from puppy toys strown all over the house to extra toilet paper rolls in its own basket that can be hidden away. Plus, you know where everything is if you need to find something quick! And there are just soooo many awesome choices out there right now.
I make sure to do a couple loads of laundry during the week so that I don't have to waste a day doing it during the weekend.
Schedule, schedule, schedule! And clear containers only.
I make sure to do a couple loads of laundry during the week so that I don't have to waste a day doing it during the weekend.
I don't use a chore chart, but maybe I should! Clothing gets out of control in our house, so I've started moving items I haven't worn in a while to a closet in another bedroom. If I don't go back to that closet to get an item to wear for several months, it gets donated to Goodwill. Keeps the master bedroom closet decluttered & filled only with the clothing I actually wear!
i love this and pretty much do the same. though i have to do laundry more often with a baby that spits up all day long and gets a new outfit every 4 hours or so…
when my toddler is playing with things she knows she has to put whatever she is playing with away before she gets out the next thing.
I use a chart too! Otherwise I can get overwhelmed trying to figure out what deep cleaning needs to be done first. I make a point to do at least one load of laundry a day (including folding and putting away) and whenever I leave a room I glance around and grab one or two things that can travel with me to get put away. It really helps with decluttering! But I definitely use the basket method for bigger jobs :)
Trick I learned from my husband – vacuum the kitchen floor as part of the post-dinner clean-up routine. I was skeptical at first, but the kitchen is so high traffic that upon seeing the amount of stuff that accumulates during the day, I was converted.
I have enlisted my 2 young boys in cleaning. They LOVE spraying cleaner, so I put them in charge of cleaning mirrors, and spraying kitchen chairs. They can't get into too much trouble with Windex.
My tip is do a little each day… I try to do one load of laundry each day and vacuum at lease one room if not more and my daughter cleans the windows and dusts everyday! And I love clorox wipes, I love the smell of a clean house!
I wash our bedding every Sunday! During the week I consistently stay up on the laundry and then by Sunday all I have to do is wash our sheets and we have fresh clean bedding for the week ahead! Great giveaway!