Last year I created a household cleaning schedule and posted it on my fridge in plain sight. It worked so well for me that I only needed to tweak it a little bit for this year! My house really isn’t large enough for zone cleaning, so breaking my tasks into daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and quarterly tasks really works the best. Here’s the schedule that is currently hanging on my refrigerator! (Click here for a downloadable version)
Daily
- Empty Litter Box
- Clear Counters/Tidy Living Room
- Make the Bed
- Wipe bathroom surfaces
- Sweep kitchen floor
- Run/Empty Dishwasher (as needed)
- Start/fold/put away laundry (as needed)
Weekly
- Monday: Dust / Sweep, Swiffer & Mop Floors
- Tuesday: Vacuum Rug & Carpets
- Wednesday: Wipe Kitchen Surfaces
- Saturday: Wash linens / Vacuum Rug & Carpets / Clean bathroom sinks & toilets
Bi-Weekly
- Change Sheets
- Clean Showers
The reason I set up this schedule for myself was to help me use my time effectively, to keep my house in presentable condition and to make sure I didn’t forget about those quarterly tasks. This schedule really helps me to accomplish all those things!
Here are two principles that I’m keeping in mind this year:
#1 Do It Daily
In order to have a clean home, I have to do at least one household chore every day. I started throwing in a load of laundry each morning and folding it that evening. I also run the dishwasher at least every other day (making sure to empty it before I begin cooking supper). Staying on top of the laundry and always having plenty of room to load dirty dishes makes life so much easier!
#2 Do It First
I’ve made certain chores part of my morning routine (emptying the litter box being the main one). In addition, on Saturday morning I gather all the linens from the bed as well as the washcloths and towels from the bathroom and kitchen and immediately put them in the washing machine. I don’t allow myself to do anything – not even start the coffee – until this is done. Every other Saturday when I change the sheets, I strip the beds and change the sheets before I leave the bedroom in the morning. If I’m not changing the sheets, I make the bed. Then I’m able to linger over a leisurely breakfast, knowing I’m already making progress on that days’ chores!
Following these two rules has made such a difference in how smoothly things run in my household!
What’s your cleaning routine? Do you follow a zone cleaning routine or is there something else that works for you?
Come Home For Comfort 
I’ve had this book marked for a WEEK & finally had a chance to peruse through it this morning; love, love, love this concept! I am a self-proclaimed list nerd, so stuff like this makes me super happy ◡̈ Not only is it helpful, but it helps you stay on track & organized as well – who doesn’t like checking things off their list, LOL!
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Thanks for taking the time to come back and read! ❤ Let me tell you, I am so much more motivated to do those periodical chores because my chart hangs in plain sight in the kitchen! 🙂
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I’ve been really wanting to tweet my weekly cleaning routine lately. Thanks for giving me a peek at yours. Schedules sure do help keep a house functioning well! I’m glad you’ve found what works best for you to make the most efficient use of your time and keep your home warm and inviting for you and Paul, and those you welcome through your door. I can’t resist adding how much I love the heart you have for caring for your home and that you share it with your readers. Posts like this are always helpful and inspiring. Thanks for sharing. 🙂 xo – Brenda // ChattingOverChocolate.com
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Thank you, friend! ❤ I've found that re-working my schedule keeps it functioning the best, hope you find one that works well for you!
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I gave a cleaning schedule a try when we moved to this rental and I found that it really helped to keep me from feeling overwhelmed. We move in a week and I don’t think that our new home will require “zone” cleaning anymore. I may just have to try out your schedule! I really need to become better at doing a few chores as soon as I get up. That is one place that I could definitely do better. Thanks for sharing your schedule!
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Finding a routine that worked with my daily schedule really made a difference and has helped me not feel overwhelmed with household chores. I am sure you’ll figure one out for your new home – and yay for a new house!
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Great plan! I love that you’ve made changes to improve it for the new year and that you’ve figured out a good system for your family. I have yet to tackle something like this and just end up doing things when I can. I love crossing things off a list so I bet I’d like a master schedule.
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I forget how long it’s been since I did things like change the HVAC filter, and then I’m horrified by how gross something has become. LOL. This schedule helps me be better with stuff like that. 🙂
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I love a schedule. I only clean our house once a month though. Everyone pitches in or I have a friend that I swap cleaning days with. That’s lots of fun. Staying on top of laundry for all my people keeps me busy. Mornings are typically my most productive time of day!
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Wait. Once a month? I need to hear more about that. How does that work? Do you have a blog post about your once a month system? I’m intrigued.
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Spiffy!!! You’re right – cleaning a little bit each day helps keep your house looking presentable in case someone pops over AND it saves you from the all day cleaning session. I need to add the quarterlies to my own list, especially the blinds! I always wait until they are just too awful to do it.
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Someone told me a while back that she just uses the cheapest blinds Walmart sells. When they are dirty, she takes them down and replaces them. Ha! That’s one way to avoid cleaning the blinds!
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I love the organization behind your schedule. I think that if you don’t have a plan on how you are going to manage it all then you never will.
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That’s exactly it! I end up not doing something unless I have a chart with a check box just waiting to be crossed off!
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Thank you for the cutest download ever! 😊
Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android
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Aww, I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
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I adore schedules and could totally benefit from something like this… but I avoid making one like the plague. Why is that?!
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Aww, you can do it Beth!! 🙂
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I have always had a cleaning schedule and it has pretty much stayed the same for 40 plus years now. It really makes a difference in keeping up with chores. I love to stay at our little house because I can clean it in no time!
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I’m impressed that you’ve had the same schedule, with success, for all those years! I’ve had to change mine several times in the last five years!
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great post, it is much better having a plan and schedule to keep organised and on top of things. I wrote out a schedule last year but need to update mine – your post is very inspiring.
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Updating our routines to match our schedules makes such a difference!
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