There is no perfect weekly cleaning schedule. There is only the cleaning schedule that works for you.
What is the secret to creating a weekly cleaning schedule that works for you?
There’s no big secret. it’s just a matter of dividing the cleaning tasks into manageable chunks. That’s what this system does.
Please keep in mind that there are seasons in your life where keeping your house clean will be harder than others—when there’s a global pandemic and the world has been turned upside down is a fantastic example. When there is a child under three. When you have started a new job, there’s pregnancy, divorce, depression anxiety, ADHD. There are so many factors that play into how hard it can be to keep a clean house. The good news is that once your home is clean, it doesn’t take a herculean effort every day. Remember that any effort is better than no effort. Half-assed is better than no-assed.
And the good news is I have two tools to help you put together a cleaning schedule. The first is a printable cleaning schedule or chore chart which is linked below and the second is the Home-Ec101 Deep Clean Challenge.
If you want a thorough explanation of how to apply the cleaning system to your home, click here. Each day is broken down and links to articles relevant to that day’s cleaning tasks are given.
Please note at the bottom of the printable there are five daily cleaning tasks that keep your life on track. Regularly performing quick chores reduces the amount of time you have to spend on the chore when you repeat it.
Then, to tackle the parts of your home that don’t need daily attention, but also can’t be ignored, each weekday has one major chore and one minor chore to keep the weekly cleaning routine simple.
The more people you have in your household, the more hands you have to help. Even if it’s just you and a partner you are not the only one making the mess, so you should not be carrying the full load. If you live in the house, you contribute to the workload, so you should share the burden of keeping the home clean.
Click the image for a handy printable pdf for easy reference.
Click for the printable PDF of the weekly cleaning schedule.
What is The Deep Clean Cycle Challenge?
It’s a once-a-week email that gives you one cleaning challenge a week designed to get your home in order. It’s designed to be used in conjunction with the weekly cleaning schedule above. If you do The Deep Clean Cycle and the weekly cleaning schedule, your house will get in better shape than it is now. Just click the link and submit your email address. Your first challenge will arrive on Saturday morning.
Singles and couples who live in average-sized homes will find the chores go quickly (and more smoothly when labor is fairly divided). Unfortunately, it’s the nature of the beast, but families with young children will find routine chores take a little more time. Get in the habit of picking up when changing activities. Use that song, “Clean up, clean up, everybody do your part…”
I know that it is really difficult in the beginning, try to remember that the effort spent teaching young kids to be helpful now will pay off. Eventually, they will actually develop the skills to be a real help. Invest the time now. Then, when they are older, enjoy reading a book or doing whatever you enjoy while they do the dishes after dinner. It is AWESOME and worth every ounce of frustration I felt in the beginning. I call it the dividend years. (I also don’t have to mow the lawn or wash the car.)
