Inside: Today, we’re going to create a cleaning schedule that works specifically for you. You will find tips and tricks to help you decide what to clean and when to clean it.
Listen to the Podcast episode or continue scrolling and read below:
Keeping a clean home can be a challenge! I know that I dream of having a magazine worthy, perfectly maintained home, but honestly, that’s not attainable.
So let’s get real here for a minute.
What do you really want you home to be like? Take away all the dreams and expectations that you’ve had in the past and let’s be brutally honest.
Here is my list for what I truly want for my home:
- I want surfaces to be mostly uncluttered.
- I want trash to be in the trashcan. (i have a teenager, lol)
- I want the dust to be minimal. (like a milimeter thick as opposed to an inch. 🤣)
- I want my floors to be passable. (i.e. no cat vomit or large dried up spills)
- I want my toilet to be less than gross. (when you live with boys, this is best case scenario.)
- I want my kitchen counters to be mostly uncluttered. (i.e. dishes put away, food put away, etc.)
- I want my sinks to be empty when I go to bed. (this is truly a beautiful thing when you wake up in the morning)
- I want to have clean underwear every day. (obvi, we do wash all the clothes, but…)
That sounds pretty doable, right?
No having to fold your socks in a certain way because you love them and want to show them your adoration. Nope. I mean, I get it, kinda, but honestly, if I have clean socks in the drawer that’s a win in my book.
So how do you create a cleaning schedule that works for you?
First you have to decide what is most important to you.
If you choose a few things that you know you can do every week, you’ll be less stressed.
I recommend no more than 10 things. Your wish list might be similar to mine above. Or you might have a few different things that are priorities for you. Just sit down and brainstorm a little bit, and make some decisions. If you limit your tasks starting out, you’ll eliminate some and overwhelm.
If, when sitting down and brainstorming, you have way more than 10 things, put them in order of importance. Then take the top 10 things and start with those; NO more!
If being consistent with your home cleaning is a struggle for you, start small. The biggest part of improving is creating habits. If you need to start with just one task that’s really important to you, do that. Forming new habits is possible, and starting small is the best way to ensure success.
In the past, when trying to make changes in my life, I would try to do everything all at once. That is a recipe for burn out. Give yourself the space to start with one thing if you need it. By approaching it this way, you’re being kind to yourself, and that is really important when you’re trying something new.
Once you have decided where to start, take a piece of paper and block out your schedule.
I have recently started a bullet journal. So every week I have a weekly spread. If you’re not familiar with bullet journaling, I highly recommend it.
You can see my March Layout here.
But you don’t have to have a bullet journal to block out your weekly schedule. All you need piece of paper and a pencil. Literally draw all rectangles for each day. Block out the hours you’re at work, or school, or otherwise engaged. That way you have a visual idea of what time is left.
Next block off no more than 30 minutes in five of your days. Remember, these time blocks are just for these simple weekly tasks. They are not for bigger projects, like landscaping work or deep cleaning. They are only for the simple weekly cleaning tasks that you have prioritized during your brainstorming session.
Now, take each task and assign it to one of the 30 minute slots.
That means you will have two tasks per day for five days. I encourage this because you want to have some time off. I prefer to have a couple of days where I don’t need to think about cleaning the house, or I can use those days to do some of the other tasks that may take more time, and I don’t have to do as often.
But don’t even think about that right now. We’re just getting started on a simple weekly cleaning plan.
Finally, commit to spending 30 minutes a day, five times a week, on your cleaning schedule.
In order to make real change, you need to make real commitment. Sometimes it helps to have someone that will help you stay accountable. If you are looking for someone that is completely non-judgemental, please feel free to email me each and every week when you have completed your weekly cleaning plan.
All you have to do is send me an email with the subject line, I DID MY WEEKLY CLEANING!
And I will cheer you on!
If you’re still feeling a little overwhelmed, I have a free e-book for you called “10 habits for an Effortlessly Clean Home“.
Just click this link, and you can subscribe and download this free, incredibly helpful e-book. When you subscribe to this eBook, you’ll get my weekly update. Each and every week, I send out an encouraging email that includes a free, subscriber only printable as well as blog updates, and other inspiring tips and tricks.
The free printables I send out each week are always different. I do monthly calendar, a cute grocery list or to do list, and inspiring decorative printables that you can print and frame.
I hope that, if you enjoyed this informative post on how to create a weekly cleaning schedule that works for you, you will join my Bold crew.
Thanks so much for reading!
XOXO
Gwen