When tomorrow comes, with no clean dishes, someone needs a clean uniform, and lunches still need to be made, it can feel like chaos. Here is my Simple Cleaning Guide to help you create a realistic cleaning routine that won’t leave you pouring from an empty glass.
For none other than it works here, KISS stands for “Keep it simple and sane!”. We all know how easily things can become unmanageable. Life, work, kids, sports—all these daily events can consume us. This daily cycle can leave us tired, saying, “I’ll get to it tomorrow.”
ROUTINE
Following a routine is essential. It helps to keep everything on track. I promise it’s just a little bit every day, and there are things that the kiddos can help with as well. Getting them to do simple tasks can cut minutes off of the time YOU spend going from room to room or up and down the stairs.
Having the kids help can instill the importance of responsibility, working as a team, and staying organized. I have broken tasks into daily, weekly, and rotation lists. Start small and work up to a routine that works for your family.
DAILY
Each daily task on the schedule should take no more than 10-15 minutes. Once you have a routine going it will be a breeze. I like to take care of bed sheets on Sunday/Monday; this way, everyone starts off the week with fresh bedding. There are many “arguments” about how often sheets should be laundered, but I’ll leave that up to you, and I say at least every two weeks, if not weekly.
I work mostly from home, so yes, it is much easier for me to get cleaning time in. If you work outside your home, I suggest that you take 5-10 minutes before work to complete as many tasks as you can. Here is where employing the kids can help.
They may not be able to start a load of laundry, but they can bring the dirty laundry to the laundry room. They can also place their breakfast dishes in the sink and attempt to make their beds. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just start getting everyone into a cycle of completing tasks.
Daily, we wipe down counters and eating surfaces and run the dry mop around the kitchen and table. This takes no more than 5 minutes. We also pick up clutter and toys (kids can help with this, too). They have a basket where they put everything in, which can help tame the clutter and then be put away another time.
Start a load of laundry and make the beds. Studies have shown that when you start the day with a made bed, you begin with a sense of accomplishment, which sets you up for success throughout your daily tasks. Read: Mental Health Benefits of Making Your Bed
In the evenings, right before bed, we run the dishwasher. This way, the morning starts off smoothly.
WEEKLY
Creating a list of weekly tasks can be helpful if you are a visual person like me. Think about 1 “big” task for each weekday in addition to the daily tasks. Monday, clean bathrooms. Tuesday, run the vacuum over carpeted areas (this can be broken into 2 days if you have lots of carpets, like upstairs one day and downstairs another). Wednesday, mop the tile, Thursday dust, Friday get to anything missed from the daily list during the week. We are a large family, so we do laundry every day. If this doesn’t work for you, use the weekend for laundry. I do wipe down light switches, remotes, and door knobs once a week unless there’s an illness in the house, then it’s daily.
CYCLED TASKS
When you have created a routine with the weekly/daily tasks, you can start working on that rotating list. The goal is to add a new item monthly or every two weeks, depending on your house. One thing that gets forgotten about in my house is the baseboards. It’s a task that I simply can’t stand. I often use this task as a form of discipline (that’s how much I don’t want to do it, lol).
Here are some items to put in the rotation. We are dusting/wiping down chandeliers or light fixtures, cleaning the oven and other appliances, and replacing filters on schedule. We have our filters for our central heat/air system on auto-order, so every 3 months, when the filters arrive, we know it’s time to change them. I suggest cleaning out the fridge at least once a month. This includes doing a good wipe-down. We all know it can be longer before we remove that expired jelly from “Best used by April 2023”.
The whole point of this is not to overwhelm yourself. Start slow, and be consistent. The secret to success is that you start and keep up a routine. Even if you don’t complete all the tasks on your list, you have made some progress. Stick with it, don’t be hard on yourself. Before you know it, you’ll have less stress and hopefully a clean house. Remember that your house is not a museum, it is your home, make it comfortable, and live life. With a systematic routine, you can keep your space clean and organized.
