How to Create a House Cleaning Routine

Cleaning your house can be a daunting task. Everywhere you look, there are things that need to be tidied, put away, or washed. No one enjoys cleaning, especially when you are busy with work and juggling a busy life.

But, you can make cleaning easier. Just like with most other things, the longer you leave it, the worse it becomes. Tackle the cleaning as it comes and never let it pile up. This may sound good and simple, but as we all know, life has a habit of getting hold of our free time and before we know it, a day, a week, and sometimes a month can fly by and we still have not gotten around to washing that dingy window in the living room.

This is why it is important to create a house cleaning routine. The idea of a routine is to create a plan that you can follow, that will help to break down the work into more manageable chunks that you can more easily fit into your day. You are not alone in this. Include other people from your household into your routine. This is a great way for kids to learn how to be responsible, and a great way for others in your household to share in the same common goal. Everyone wants a clean, comfortable home.

First, make a list of all the cleaning, washing, and tidying that needs to be done. Do not leave anything out. Nothing is too big or too small for this list.

The next step is to sort the tasks by how often they need to be done. For example:

Daily: Make the bed, do the dishes, wipe down counters, etc.
Weekly: Do the laundry, sweep or vacuum the house, dust, etc.
Monthly: Mopping, clean out cupboards, deep clean the bedrooms, clean out the fridge, etc.
Seasonal: Wash windows, etc.

Once you have sorted through the cleaning tasks, the list should be less overwhelming and more manageable. Depending on your needs, some of the tasks may need to be done more or less often.

Knowing what needs to be done, and how often each cleaning task needs to be completed, assign a set amount of time to each cleaning task. For example, to make a bed, five minutes; clean the dishes and wipe down counters, thirty minutes; and so on. By assigning a time to each task, you become more aware of the time you have in your day, and are better able to decide where each task needs to fit. Sometimes, if you want to be as accurate as possible, or if you have never noticed how long it takes to complete a task, time yourself to better prepare your routine.

Now that you have a list of tasks that you know need to be completed, when they need to be done, and how long each one will take, you can begin to build a routine. Use a blank calendar or create a weekly, or monthly list that you can keep somewhere in your home for you and other members of your household to see. Breaking down the tasks, and making them more manageable, will help you to better accomplish them, feel more in control of the chores, and allow you to feel less stress when it comes to keeping a clean home.

Just like with any routine, be flexible at first. Give yourself time to adjust to the routine you have set. Do not be too rigid or hard on yourself if one day you cannot find the time to fully clean your kitchen, or if you leave a bed unmade. Just work to best find the time to fit these tasks into your routine, and be aware that certain tasks may take longer depending on the season, the amount of other things you need to accomplish, or simply just life getting in the way.

Clean as you go, and remember that the longer you leave something, the more daunting it will become. Use your house cleaning routine to encourage others to help, and follow it to the best of your abilities, and it will become habit.

With these tools, you will hopefully get more our of your time at home, and cleaning will feel at least a little bit less like a chore.