Does it really have to be so hard?
It seems these days that everyone is trying to sell you the “perfect” way to clean your house. And I’d bet some of you have purchased a beautifully designed planner or document to place on your refrigerator. This perfect schedule is supposed to solve all of your cleaning problems, right?
Wrong.
But the keeping of the home is something we should do well, and we should do it cheerfully.
In this post, I’d like to talk about why you might benefit form a schedule and how I’ve structured my own. Then I will dive into how you can customize your own routine to fit your family’s needs. Because no house is the same, and no family has the same needs. And if you make it to the end, I’ll even share some of my favorite ‘better’ cleaning products!
Why Have a Schedule at all?
Cleanliness is a habit and a skill, just like cooking from scratch or sewing. It must not only be learned, but practiced. If you’ve ever had to develop another skill, you know it’s difficult to improve if you practice infrequently. This is the first reason that I recommend cleaning just a little bit every day.
The second reason is that it is simply more practical to spend 10-30 minutes cleaning each day than wait until you have 2-3 hours in a single day. Because, let’s be honest, that rarely happens.
Third, I like a cleaning schedule because it fosters a mindset of tidiness and productivity overall. If I have spent time cleaning something in a day, I’m more likely to be aware of my tidiness habits throughout the day. I’ll be more willing to take 30 seconds to put something away rather than simply putting it down.
My Cleaning Schedule
Monday: Wash Sheets & Dust
Tuesday: Bathroom
Wednesday: Kitchen
Thursday: Grocery & Food Prep
Friday: Wash Sheets &Mop
Weekend: Special Tasks
I will also add that there are tasks I do daily that don’t need to be scheduled. Those tasks include washing dishes, vacuuming floors, laundry, and quick tidying.
You might be asking yourself some things bout my schedule. like why does she vacuum every single day? and she seriously washes her sheets twice a week?
And that’s precisely the beauty of customizing your own routine! I decided those two things were important to the functionality of my home, but they might not be as pertinent to the running of your own household. Let’s talk about some things to ask yourself when building your own routine.
Considerations for Your Own Schedule
- What things do you need to do daily? Ask your spouse what areas they like to have clean when the day is done. Caleb likes a made bed, so I try to make sure that’s done since I wake up after him in the morning. Also Consider what you like to have clean. I personally can’t stand to walk around on dirty floors, and with two long-haired animals, vacuuming every day is a no-brainer.
- What does your weekly routine look like? If you grocery shop on the same day every week, it might be a good idea to clean your kitchen (including the refrigerator) the day before you shop.
- Is a certain day busier than the rest? Choose a passive activity like washing the sheets or other laundry. You can also incorporate a rest day. If you notice, my Thursdays are set aside for grocery shopping and food prep. Those aren’t cleaning chores, but they do take a lot out of me, so I let them be alone and only worry about my daily chores that day.
- If you host a weekly gathering, consider what areas are most important for that gathering, and clean them that day or the day before. You can also find other tips in my post on hosting.
- My last tip is to know yourself. Do you have a hard time getting motivated each Monday? Choose a chore that you enjoy- or at least don’t mind too much.
My Cleaning Products
(This section includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
I hope you found this post helpful, and that you feel inspired to care for your home in a way that serves your family best and is most practical for you.
"Wash the dish not because it is dirty, nor because you were told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next."
-St Teresa of Calcutta
Thank you for visiting Headed for a Homestead Blog. I’m Rebekah, your creator and author since 2023. As a new blogger in this big space, I’m still learning the ropes, and just as excited as when I began. I hope you’ll take some time to look around and maybe find a recipe or project you’d like to try.
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Love reading and seeing all the progress and changes you two make in order to make this sweet little house…