House Cleaning Schedule: Daily, Weekly, & Monthly Routines To Keep Your Home Feeling Fresh
Sometimes the sheer amount of work to be done to keep your home clean feels distressing. Add to that the unpredictable chaos of life, and it’s easy to become downright overwhelmed.
You might find it hard to believe there are ways to scale down the pressure and fulfill the responsibility of maintaining a clean home. But Tidy Up Portland! can testify to the manageability and effectiveness of a house cleaning schedule — tailored by you — that paces you so your stress level doesn’t skyrocket.
Read on to learn how to set up a house cleaning schedule that prioritizes tasks according to their frequency. You will also become familiar with examples of daily, weekly, and monthly schedules.
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The Benefits of and Tips for Implementing a Cleaning Schedule for Your House
A house cleaning schedule can be very freeing. Even though it involves dedicating yourself to a plan, it is low-stress, forgiving, and good for your home.
Depending on your stage in life and other unique circumstances, your schedule will be different from anyone else’s. Your times of availability are a major factor in determining your cleaning schedule. In addition, the size, layout, and occupants of your home are all variables that affect the kinds, locations, and numbers of messes.
Follow these suggestions to establish a schedule that will work for you:
Ease yourself in. Go through each room with a pen and paper, writing down necessary tasks as you go. Write them in the order that they will be done, from top to bottom. Categorize tasks by how often they are needed, daily, weekly, or monthly.
If you miss a task, don’t stress. Make it up the following day or on your make-up day.
Keep supplies stocked and easily accessible, such as in a caddy you carry from room to room or in various places where they are handy when and where you need them.
Get the family on board. Assign tasks to each member of the family. A team effort at cleaning the house can be a cohesive force that makes house cleaning easier and more enjoyable.
Have your home professionally deep cleaned to give yourself a clean slate to begin a new routine. Contact Tidy Up Portland! today to schedule a cleaning.
What Is a Normal House Cleaning Schedule?
Schedules will vary for everyone, but typically, a solid schedule will involve tasks that should be performed on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. On average, people clean 6-7 hours per week. Establishing a schedule like those described below may help you minimize the time you spend cleaning.
Example House Cleaning Schedules for Every Stage of Tidying
Daily House Cleaning Schedule
Some tasks are best done daily to consistently have an inviting, clean, presentable home. These usually include:
Making beds.
Wiping counters, table, and stovetop.
Washing dishes and sanitizing the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Use a sponge or magic eraser to remove marks, then fill the sink with warm water and a tablespoon of bleach. Drain and rinse after five minutes.
Sweeping floors.
Using a squeegee on shower walls to prevent mold growth.
Clearing clutter and taking out the trash as needed. Clearing clutter becomes easier when you designate a home for every item.
Optional tasks:
Laundry: If you have a small family, you might not need to do laundry every day. Fold or hang up your clothes right after each load.
Weekly House Cleaning Schedule
In addition to your daily tasks, dedicate each day to one of the weekly tasks on your list. Let one day be for making up anything you missed. Here is an example of how this might look in your home.
Sunday: Just do your daily tasks.
Monday: Clean bathrooms.
Scrub shower or tub, sink, and toilet.
Clean toothbrushes and holders with warm soapy water.
Clean mirrors.
Sanitize sponges in a bleach/water mixture for five minutes.
Tuesday: Dust and/or clean fixtures, cabinets, and furniture. If you have children, cleaning the furniture might involve more scrubbing, as they tend to touch everything.
Wednesday: Flush kitchen drains with boiling water. Vacuum.
Thursday: Wash floors. Your daily attendance to cleaning floors might be less intensive, such as sweeping and spot cleaning. On this day, you’ll go the extra mile and bring out the mop.
Friday: Make-up day.
Saturday: Wash sheets and towels. If you don’t do laundry multiple times throughout the week, this is a good day to wash dirty clothes as well.
Optional:
Clean litter box.
Get rid of expired food.
Launder machine-washable throw rugs and runners. Beat large rugs.
Reorganize cabinets, fridge, medicine cabinets, and countertop. These get disorganized as people grab and return items hastily.
Monthly House Cleaning Schedule
Tasks done monthly are the deep cleaning tasks that are hard to fit in on normal days. You can incorporate these into a catch-up day or any day that you end up having more time. These tasks are more intense and take longer to perform well, but they are not necessary to do except occasionally. They include:
Dusting and washing baseboards
Cleaning light fixtures
Wiping down fridge, microwave, and other appliances
Wiping out cabinets
Washing windows
Flushing drains with vinegar, baking soda, and boiling water
Scrubbing walls and door jambs
Wiping door handles, light switches, remotes, and any other items used by the whole household that aren’t included on your daily and weekly cleaning list
There are a few ways you can go about tackling the monthly tasks. You can stagger these responsibilities so you do one of them each week on your catch-up day, or you dedicate each month to one and get through all tasks in the course of the year.
The first method is better, though, because it ensures that monthly tasks are done monthly, not yearly. If you are not accustomed to performing these tasks on a routine basis, the second method would be better than nothing, but it’s a good place to start until you get the hang of things.
Additional House Cleaning Tasks To Consider Scheduling
If you have neglected areas of your house that are out of sight, consider adding these areas to your cleaning list, as needed. Commonly overlooked areas include:
Behind the refrigerator
Behind and under the stove
Around the dryer and vents: You can use your vacuum to reduce the amount of dust.
Plants: They can collect dust too!
Washing machine tub: Run it through a cycle with only a small amount of bleach.
Under couch cushions: Use a vacuum and don’t forget to clean out its filter.
Seasonal (or Rotating) House Cleaning Tasks
These tasks should be done every three or four months:
Wiping or cleaning ceilings, especially in the kitchen, where food splatters occur
Swapping out seasonal clothes and storing or donating what is no longer needed
Laundering pillows
Deep cleaning fridge and oven, including cleaning out the freezer and discarding expired food
Polishing wood furniture
Changing batteries in smoke detectors and ensuring the mechanism is free of dust
Replacing or washing the shower liner
Changing air and dishwasher filters and cleaning stove vent hood filters
Cleaning grout
Optional:
Sweeping out the fireplace
Cleaning porch or patio and outdoor furniture
Rearranging stacked books to keep them from warping
Cleaning leather furniture and polishing wood furniture
Yearly House Cleaning Tasks
The following tasks can be done yearly, but they are essential for maintaining the lifespan of your possessions.
Deep cleaning carpets, rugs, and upholstery
Clearing out gutters
Cleaning curtains and drapes
Vacuuming, deodorizing, and airing out mattresses
The Professionals at Tidy Up Portland! Can Keep Your Home Clean on Your Schedule
Making a plan for how you will keep your house clean is the first step toward reducing the stress of so much responsibility. If you would like Tidy Up Portland!’s cleaning services to be a part of this plan, call us today to learn about the help we offer.
Unlike many housekeeping businesses, we use eco-friendly, sustainable products to clean your home and offer online booking to make your experience with us that much easier.
Our employees are trustworthy, professional, and efficient cleaners. We look forward to helping you manage the cleanliness of your home.
