Why You Should Have A Daily Cleaning Schedule

Keeping up a clean house with kids around can be a challenge for any parent. There are some days where the messes are so overwhelming that you just want to wave the white flag. The key is to create a cleaning schedule that will allow you to tidy up on a daily basis. When you regularly tackle those daily tasks, it makes doing a deep cleaning much easier, and you’ll feel less stressed in your home. If you have a home office, make sure you follow this schedule for your office cleaning as well.

Daily Quick Fixes by Room

Kitchen

With cooking, eating, and snack and meal prep, the kitchen is bound to get messy several times a day.

• Hand wash dishes after each meal/snack, or rinse and load in the dishwasher
• Wipe down counters
• Sweep up floors
• Clean the stovetop with spray and paper towels or a cleaning cloth
• Disinfect the sink by spraying/wiping it down

Bedrooms

Depending on how old the children are, they may be making messes in their bedrooms throughout the day. Save the major cleanup for the evenings, preferably before bath time and the bedtime routine.

• Make Beds
• Pick up dirty laundry and get it into the hamper
• Put away clutter in the master bedroom and tidy up

Bathrooms

You want your bathroom to be neat and clean on a daily basis because it just looks and feels fresh that way. Do a standard cleaning at least once a week.

• Pick up any dirty clothes and towels and put in the hamper
• Wipe down countertops and sink
• Empty trash bins
• Tidy up the tub by putting bath toys back in their storage area

Entryway/Hallway

High traffic areas like the entryway and hallways should always be picked up and neat, not only so that they look good, but also for safety.

• Get shoes put away neatly
• Hang up book bags and coats
• Pick up any clutter from the floor

Living Room/Family Room

The family room or living room is an area that usually gets a lot of use during the day if you have young children at home.

• Pick up clutter and tidy up
• Run the vacuum, or sweep if you have tile or hardwood floors
• Straighten up tabletops, put away toys

Get The Kids Involved

No matter how old your kids are, they should be helping out with the daily cleaning of the home. You may opt to assign them specific chores, or you may just make it clear that you have certain expectations for what will be done on a daily basis. For example, with older children, it is absolutely reasonable to have them make their beds and tidy up their rooms, clean up their dishes in the kitchen, and make sure that their dirty laundry makes it into the hamper.

You children often love to help their parents clean and straighten up, especially if it is made into a game. Turn tidying up into an activity to get the little ones into the habit of picking up their toys and putting them away. This is a great thing to do either before or after dinner time since that’s before the bedtime routine.

Deep Cleaning Schedule For The Week

Since you’ll be keeping up with the basic daily tasks, a weekly deep cleaning should not be as stressful or time-consuming. Each day can have certain deep cleaning tasks assigned, so that this way, you will not have to dedicate an entire afternoon to do the dirty work.

Monday

• Dust bedrooms and main living area
• Vacuum bedrooms
• Go through mail and paperwork that has been building up
• Empty trash bins

Tuesday

• Do a deep cleaning in the kitchen- scrub appliances, the sink, clean up the outside and inside of the trash can, wipe down cabinets
• Clean out the refrigerator and toss any old or expired foods
• Wipe down the inside of the refrigerator
• Sweep and mop kitchen floor
• Dust the dining room and kitchen

Wednesday

• Dust the living room
• Tackle laundry by washing and putting away clean clothes

Thursday

• Empty trash bins
• Vacuum the living room and bedrooms

Friday

• Start preparing for the upcoming week by taking care of any small jobs that may have been overlooked
• Gather papers for the recycle bin
• Go through mail and clutter that’s been tossed aside throughout the week
• Create a meal plan for the upcoming week

Saturday

• Tackle any big cleanup projects, such as cleaning and organizing the garage, basement, or attic
• Do any organizing projects, such as going through cabinets, changing out seasonal clothing, and cleaning out closets

Sunday

• Change bed linens and make all beds with clean sheets
• Deep clean the bathroom- Scrub down toilets, bathtubs/showers, and floors
• Empty bathroom trash and wipe down the wastebasket
• Clean up any clutter in the bathroom
• Dust shelves and fixtures in bathroom

Extra: Helpful Tips to Get Kids Helping Around the House

Obviously, age is a factor when it comes to getting the kids in on the daily and weekly cleaning schedule. For school-age kids, they should be helping out by keeping their bedrooms neat. If the children have their own bathroom and are old enough to use cleaning supplies, show them how to properly clean the tub, toilet, and sink. There are plenty of safe and natural cleaning products that you can use today, and they will do a great job of cleaning and disinfecting.

Children are able to help keep some areas of the home tidy. Make sure that they put away their footwear, backpacks, and coats when they come home from school. For younger children, set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and do a quick cleanup race with them.

Once you get into the habit of tackling your daily tasks, you won’t have to stress about cleaning or give it much thought. By doing daily cleanup chores, your home will stay fresh and be inviting throughout the week. Save yourself from the stress of a messy home and the overwhelming prospect of spending a whole day doing a deep cleaning. With this helpful and handy guide, the whole family can help keep your living space pleasant.