This is the fifth installment in my series on how I’m Harboring a Warm & Peaceful Home as part of my goals for 2019. And how you can, too! You can read about My Goals for 2019 here. (They also happen to be the new mission statement for Huntress At Home.)
Last week I talked about How to get your chores done strategically and have more time with family! That post covered a few easy things you can/should do as a bare minimum every day to keep your home under control. But I promised I would cover developing a weekly cleaning routine and the concept of zone cleaning!
Let’s talk about weekly cleaning first.
How To Create A Weekly Cleaning Routine You Can Stick To
In my post on getting your chores done strategically, I covered the minutia we are all stuck with on a daily basis. Things like:
- Dishes
- Washing & drying laundry
- Making beds
- Tidying up
- Wiping up messes, etc.
So where does that leave all the other chores? Your weekly cleaning routine!
The way that you stick to your weekly cleaning routine is to commit to your daily cleaning routine. I have by NO means perfected this, but I have come to find that cleaning day is never something I dread when the smaller things have been kept under control on a daily basis.
For instance, if I am able to go to bed with the kitchen relatively clean the night before, it’s really no big deal to give the kitchen a thorough wipe down on cleaning day. However, if the dishes are piled up and there are crumbs all over the floor and toys decorating the bar, it’s a lot tougher to get motivated! Knowing I have to tackle all of that BEFORE I can start my weekly cleaning routine really puts a damper on things.
What To Include In Your Weekly Cleaning Routine
What sort of tasks belong on your weekly cleaning list? Essentially, that’s up to you to decide. What things in your home need to be cleaned or dealt with once a week? What things can be done less often? Brainstorm all the chores around the house that don’t fall under the category of “things that need to be done daily” and choose a relatively short list of chores you think should be dealt with once per week. I would suggest choosing 5-6 things.
If your list gets any longer than that, you are likely to get discouraged and bail on yourself when cleaning day comes!
Here is my list of weekly chores:
- Vacuum all high traffic areas (no moving furniture or vacuuming in corners)
- Iron a small stack of clothes (10-12 items)
- Clean out the fridge
- Put a little extra elbow grease into the kitchen
- Change the bed sheets
- Gather and sort recycling
Your personal list may look a little different or a lot different from mine! Maybe you like to clean your toilets and showers more often than me. For now, that’s just something I do as needed, which isn’t terribly often (then again, my toddler isn’t using the potty yet, so that could change over night). Or maybe you have a trash day or pets that need attending to. Whatever your list includes, make sure it is only the 5-6 most essential things that you need to do on a weekly basis. Put everything else on your list under the “once a month” category. Or save them for when I cover zone cleaning in another post this month.
When To Do Your Weekly Cleaning
I personally chose Fridays as my cleaning day. I used to do it on Mondays, but then I would DREAD the beginning of the week! My Sunday evenings were ruined knowing I had to wake up and start heavy on the first day of the week. So, I switched to Fridays! Doing my weekly cleaning on Fridays allows me to:
- Finish the week strong
- Enjoy a clean house over the weekend (my husband appreciates it too!)
- Have the house relatively ready for my Monday Morning Moms group
I also try to get everything done as early in the day as possible. In fact, Friday cleaning is my morning activity with my kids! They enjoy the change of pace almost as much as I enjoy getting things tidied up for the weekend.
We usually aren’t able to cover everything on the list, but my kids enjoy vacuuming, jumping into pillow piles while I change the bed sheets, and I’m able to clean up the kitchen right after lunch time while they play. The rest I tend to cover during nap time or while Jonas (my 2yo) watches a movie in the afternoon.
Roll The Leftovers To The Next Day
Finally, if there is anything I don’t get to on Friday, I do it Saturday morning! It works out perfectly because my husband is home and I can tie up any loose ends.
Once you’ve decided the essentials for your weekly cleaning list, decide what day you want to designate as “cleaning day.” Then figure out how you can best configure those chores throughout your day to make the most of it. Don’t forget to include your kids! Remember, anything can be made into a game.
Enjoy Cleaning
What? Enjoy cleaning? I have only met a handful of people this comes naturally to, and bravo for them! But me? I had to learn this one with a purposed change in perspective and much practice.
I used to hate cleaning and put it off until things got out of control. My husband and I used to argue about chores or who needed to do what. Then one day I realized what a blessing it is to BE a keeper at home. I learned to find joy in cleaning and caring for our things. AND I let go of my expectations and banished perfectionism.
I have also found more joy in housekeeping as I’ve adopted a minimalist lifestyle and made more zero waste efforts. Something about having less breeds gratitude and causes you to treasure more the things that you do have.
Besides learning to adopt a different attitude about it, there are a few quick and practical ways you can instantly make cleaning more enjoyable:
- Put on some upbeat music or a podcast you love
- Take breaks frequently
- Don’t be a cleaning nazi (just do your best, forget the rest)
- Reward yourself when you’re done
So now it’s time to start cleaning! Stay tuned for a post soon on the concept of zone cleaning!
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