Want a clean house but have no idea where to begin? Here's a personalized cleaning plan that will work for your home plus some free printables!
Want a clean house but have no idea where to begin? Believe it or not, a cleaning schedule can actually make keeping your house clean a whole lot easier!
Oh, cleaning.
It is one of those things that we all need to do, but never really want to do. In fact, over the years I have received more reader questions about cleaning, organizing, and decluttering than I could count. It seems that we all want to have a neat and orderly home, but not all of us know exactly how to get there, and certainly not as fast as we’d like to.
Because let’s face it–life is busy, and none of us want to spend all our time cleaning. So let’s figure out how to tackle it with a plan.
Are you excited? I know I am!
So let’s get started!
First, for those of you who are unsure of what a cleaning schedule is, let me break it down for you. A cleaning schedule is basically just a daily, weekly, or monthly plan for how you will clean your house. It can be as simple as one main task per day or as complex as a spreadsheet that accounts for every single housekeeping task that needs to be done over the course of a year.
It really is up to you.
If the idea of creating any sort of cleaning schedule sounds overwhelming, try not to worry—I promise it is not as bad as it sounds. In fact, as you will see below, you can do it in three easy steps!
The point of a schedule is not to make you feel guilty or to make you have more to do, but to actually relieve guilt and to create a routine that gives you more freedom and less stress. Knowing that you have a workable, manageable plan to tackle those sticky sinks and dusty dressers makes the idea of cleaning house seem a lot less overwhelming in the long run.
So bear with me. We can do this. I promise.
Before you can decide when to clean you must first know what to clean, and how often. Thus before you can create a cleaning schedule that works for your life and your schedule, you need to assess your own home and cleaning needs. A cleaning schedule for a childless couple living in a 1-bedroom apartment will look very different from a cleaning schedule for a homeschooling mom of five living in a 4-bedroom house!
The next thing you need to do is figure out what sort of cleaning plan will work best for your life and your schedule. Are you the kind of person who wants to do a little every day, or would you rather tackle it all at once so that you don’t have to think about it for the rest of the week? Do you work full time or are you home during the day? Do you have young children at home or are your kids old enough to help shoulder some of the responsibility?
There is no one “right way” to keep house, and there is no universal cleaning schedule that will fit every household’s needs. Ultimately you have to take the time to determine what sort of schedule will be both realistic and doable for your own needs. While you should take the time to consider all of the following plans, please don’t think that you need to DO all of them. Instead, pick the ONE plan that seems like it will be the best fit and try it out for a while. If you hate it, you can always try something else!
Here is a rundown of the most common options:
If you are like me and have a hard time functioning when your house is messy, this may be the best option for you. I have personally found that running through my speed cleaning routine every day keeps things relatively neat and tidy all the time so that there isn’t usually a need to “deep” clean quite as often. When I am following this schedule I will spend about 60-75 minutes cleaning each day, between the daily tasks and doing 1 or 2 weekly tasks each day.
This type of cleaning plan follows a master list of weekly tasks. You set aside a certain amount of time each day—ideally 45-90 minutes—to work your way down the list. When the timer sounds, you stop and you’re done for the day. Then the next day, you set the timer again and pick up where you left off the previous day.
This type of cleaning plan sets aside certain tasks to do each day. For instance, cleaning the bathrooms on Monday, doing laundry on Tuesday, Vacuuming on Wednesday, etc. The time spent cleaning each day will vary based on the task set aside for that day.
This type of plan saves everything for one big long cleaning day each week. This can be a good option if you work during the week and would rather clean on the weekends, or if your kids are older and everyone will pitch in to get all the chores done fast. For this type of plan, you can just pick 2-3 monthly, quarterly, and annual tasks to tackle each cleaning day.
One fun idea for families with older kids is to take a deck of cards and write down one task on each card. On a cleaning day, the cards are shuffled and dealt to each family member. That family member is then responsible for completing the tasks on their cards, or they can trade to get different tasks they would rather do.
This is an easy step!
Once you’ve determined what sort of cleaning plan will work best for your household, it’s time to create yours!
Use a calendar to schedule your cleaning days, as well as keep to keep track of the monthly, quarterly, and annual tasks that you need to remember. Or, if you prefer digital schedules, you can use other options such as Google Calendar, iCalendar for Mac, or even on online cleaning scheduler such as chorebuster.net.
Although it may seem overwhelmingly daunting at first, creating a cleaning schedule that works for your own home and family life can be incredibly liberating once you get going. Suddenly instead of a big daunting mess in front of you, there is a workable plan to take care of it.
So, when and how should you start using your plan? My advice is to pick a day to start where there isn’t too much going on. Where you’ll have the little extra time to focus on the task at hand and begin your new cleaning schedule routine.
If the kids are involved, perhaps make it a fun new thing you’re doing by playing music, a fun podcast, or treating everyone to a bowl of ice cream when you’re all done!
If you love this post, be sure to check out our digital library of helpful tools and resources for cleaning faster, taking control of your budget, organizing your schedule, and getting food on the table easier than ever before.
Click here to get full access to our library of resources now!
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View Comments
I put my cleaning schedule in an old picture frame and hung it in the utility room, then I can mark things off on the glass with a dry erase marker as they get done, then wipe it off at the start of the next week. Gives me a good feeling of accomplishment and saves paper!
I have laminated lists before to eliminate waste and paper clutter.
Great idea!
Or print and put in page protectors, dry markers work on them, too!
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webpage; this web site contains awesome and really fine stuff for readers.
Thank you for the work you have done! I have been so unmotivated this year to keep up with my housework. Your plan has refreshed my routine. Love your blog- your tips, ideas, and your sweet personality. Thanks for putting so much of yourself into it.
I used to clean one room a day at my old house. I got off schedule when we moved. This is a great post for me to find today because I was just planning on making a new cleaning schedule for myself. Thanks so much!
WOW - what a great post! I am housekeeping challenged, and have not one clue how to plan out a schedule. I have tried some things, and they've been OK, but being able to customize this for my family will be perfect. Thank you so much for all your awesome printables and plans!
thanks Ruth for your cleaning tips and schedules!! This looks perfect to get everything organized! :) Have a great evening!
Sandi
Oh my gosh these are so stinkin cute and helpful! Thank you so much. I can't wait to print one and use it.
I have tried SO many cleaning schedules that all proved unsuccessful. It looks like I might be able to find one that ACTUALLY works for me! Thanks!
These are great! My schedule is so crazy that cleaning can be challenging. I am going to really think about creating a schedule to make it happen smoother and easier... Your options should make that process a whole lot simpler!! Thanks for sharing!
This post is soo helpful. I can not stand a cluttery and filthy house unfortunately my house always ends up that way, no matter how I try. Im gonna try Option A, I thinks its the simplest. Thanks Ruth!
PS Just found your site a week ago. Ive been reading your blogs at work. Hehehe. Thanks again! Youre such an inspiration. God bless you and your sweet family!
You are fantastically more organized than I am. I am a haphazard cleaner. I have a funny cartoon on my fridge that states "If it weren't for the occasional visitor, nothing in this house would get cleaned."