There are two times a year that I really start evaluating my cleaning and organizing skills. Every Spring and Fall I start questioning what kind of undomesticated diva I have become. This is when I put away all the spring items and dig out the dust covered fall and winter items. Nothing like blowing dust off your fall décor to remind you that you may have opportunities in the home cleaning and decluttering departments. With Fall upon us and the daunting task of cleaning our new home prior to move in I have decided I need to have a written cleaning and decluttering schedule if I ever hope to stay on top of it all. So, this week I blew the dust off my 2020 planner which has not been touched since March and started writing out my weekly grind cleaning schedule. Let me share how I have broken up the endless cleaning duties to make the jobs seem more achievable.
Daily Tasks
There are certain chores that just must be done daily to keep the funk away.
- Make the Bed - Making the bed as soon as I roll out starts my day off with an accomplished task setting the stage for a productive day.
- Do the Dishes - Unfortunately, if we eat at home, we create dirty dishes. I chose to load and run the dishwasher after dinner and unload after my morning coffee. I try not to leave pots and pans in the sink overnight. I do not like waking up to that mess! Wipe the countertops and sinks in the kitchen and bath. If you have littles, teach them to wipe the counters and sink in their bathroom after they brush their teeth at night. One less chore for you mommas! My favorite dishcloth to get the job done is our Sticky Toffee waffle weave dishcloth. It's lightweight and best of all its bleachable.
- Take the Trash Out - Stinky trash is a no-go in our house. Nothing puts me in a worse mood than a foul-smelling kitchen.
- One Load of Laundry - I found many years ago that the mountains of laundry are only controllable if I do one load a day.
Weekly Grind Cleaning Schedule
Monday - Other rooms (laundry, offices, playrooms, etc.)
Because Mondays are often unpredictable and chaotic, I have decided that is the day to clean rooms that give a little grace. These are rooms that if you do not get to them on cleaning day you can shut the door when the unexpected guests arrive.
- Declutter - throw away old mail and magazines, swipe the socks off the top of the dryer, throw out broken toys. Get rid of the things you do not want to revisit next Monday.
- Dust
- Vacuum
Tuesday - Bathrooms
Weekly cleaning of the bathroom eliminates so many gross boy mom stories. I have read so many posts in cleaning groups from boy moms saying the only way they could get the smell out of the bathroom was to use their husband's shaving cream. Let's avoid that!!- Sweep and mop
- Disinfect sink and countertops
- Clean mirrors
- Scrub tub - When you scrub the tub go ahead and throw away the empty shampoo bottle. This helps avoid the bottle graveyard we have all had at some point in our lives. Yep, I have experienced this enough to include this note in my cleaning schedule.
- Shake or wash rugs
- Empty trash
Wednesday - Bedroom
My bedroom is my retreat. There is nothing better than a clean room with freshly washed sheets. Can I get an Amen!- Dust
- Vacuum/sweep
- Wash bedding – Bedroom days there is more than one load of laundry to be done. Start early.
- Clean ceiling fan/light fixtures
- Declutter - Clean the clothes off the corner chair. Yes, I have one of those too. We all do. 😊
Thursday - Living Room/Dining Room
If living room day is Thursday you better bet the judgey neighbor is showing up on Wednesday evening to chat about the other neighbor's grass that is too long, so it’s important to not let more than a weeks’ worth of dust collect. I have included the dining room with the living room because it's typically pretty easy to clean. Wipe the table and chairs and vacuum.
- Dust all surfaces including the TV
- Polish furniture
- Vacuum floors and under cushions
- Toss throw blankets in the laundry if needed
- Clean ceiling fan/ light fixtures
Friday - Kitchen
I always spend more time cleaning the kitchen than I ever intend to but there is a lot to be done if I want to avoid smelly odors and I do!
- Refrigerator - check for expired food/leftovers and throw out
- Wash dishes
- Wipe sink
- Clean disposal - I use ice and lemon wedges when it gets a little stinky
- Disinfect countertops
- Clean stovetop
- Wipe appliances
- Sweep and mop
- Take the trash out
Saturday - Porches and Garage
- Sweep
- Remove cobwebs
Sunday
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