68 Homekeeping 101: The Basics

With the kids home all summer and a lot of conversations with friends happening about general household chores, I thought I would take some time to focus on the basics. Because just as much as I love a little hack for cleaning shower heads, a great homemade cleaner recipe, or an amazing cleaning checklist, the basics are what keep our house running on a daily basis.

Having the kids home from school all summer is always a quick reality check of how messy the house can get oh-so-quickly, and how important our "all hands on deck" mentality is. From beach towels to athletic gear to multiple meals a day and sleepovers galore, things can spiral out of control in the blink of an eye. The following "basics" have definitely been our glue, and although some of these tips might seem ridiculously obvious, they are absolutely worth mentioning.

I have talked about this before but here it is again because it is my top tip for quickly maintaining your home: Set yourself up for success.

I recommend storing your household cleaners in the primary areas of your home so they are easy to grab and use. Also, simplify your cleaners down to just what you need to reduce confusion for the entire family. Many all-purpose cleaners are just that and can tackle counters, windows, stovetops and even quick floor cleanups. Keep bathroom cleaners under a bathroom sink and kitchen cleaners under the kitchen sink.

The basic cleaning supplies that I have found I can get away with using for 99% of our household chores are:

• Duster
• All-Purpose Cleaner (I just use a mixture of distilled water, 2-3 drops of dish soap, vinegar, and tea tree oil, and apply it to counters, appliances, glass, and floors)
• A couple cleaning cloths (one for glass, one for surface)
• Vacuum
• Mop

In the bathroom:

• Toilet bowl cleaner
• Toilet brush
• Surface cleaner & cloths
• Shower cleaner inside of a dispensing scrub brush 

I have loved and used cleaning caddies for years now, and they are great when I am doing a bigger room-to-room deep cleaning session, but for daily battles, I like that my go-to cleaners are right within an arm's reach of the mess. I also recommend keeping a vacuum and broom on each floor of the home and storing less-used specialty cleaners together and out of the way (I keep mine in our laundry room).

By removing a lot of the extras and keeping it simple, my family asks me fewer questions and are quicker to just grab what they need to get the job done.

Color code the cleaning rags.

We use microfiber cloths for just about everything, and to prevent cross-contaminating the bathroom germs with the kitchen germs, I assigned the two spaces their own cloth colors. Green is used in the kitchen and blue is used in the bathroom (or for other dirtier jobs). I also added a stack of pink for our pets near their feeding station. Easy enough for all of us to remember and the rags just get stored in their designated areas.

At the end of each week, the bathroom rags are washed with my mop heads and bath mats, the pet rags are washed with dog bed covers and their bath towels, and the kitchen rags and dishtowels are washed together. I always wash these items on a sanitary cycle during my Sunday linen wash day.

Baking soda and dish soap can clean just about anything.

Clear dish soap makes a really great stain remover and I use it all of the time on furniture, clothing, rugs, and spills. Because it is clear, I don't have to worry about it damaging colors or materials (I always start with a small drop or two and paired with some water it typically does the trick). Baking soda is a good deodorizing agent and also helps to absorb the spill/stain/wetness.

For those tougher messes (think pots, pans, baking sheets, ovens, etc...), soaking items with baking soda, dish soap and water is a major sanity saver. After cooking I always soak our pots and pans with baking soda and dish soap and by the time I am ready to wash them, they come clean with little to no scrubbing.

Baking soda and dish soap seem to be a powerhouse cleaner when combined, and I wouldn't hesitate to reach for the combo when tackling any major cleaning job around the house, inside or out!

Clean from top to bottom.

This general rule applies to just about any cleaning task; it is always easiest and quickest to work from the top down. Washing glass? Start at the top and make "S" motions down to the bottom. Cleaning the kitchen, wash counters and the table first, then vacuum/mop the floor. Bathroom? Clean the mirror and work down to the sink and counter and finish at the base of the toilet. Spraying down the siding outside, start at the top and... you got it! Work your way down.

Clean with the grain.

There are times when I actually encourage folks to go against the grain, but that is not the case when it comes to basic homekeeping. Washing items against the grain will bring out imperfections and may cause the surface to appear less clean than it is. It is always best to clean floors, stainless steel, wood furniture, etc... with the natural grain of the item. When the cleaner dries, it should blend right in and enhance the beauty, not fight it.

Dishwashers are not just for dishes!

Did you know that so many other things can be cleaned in a dishwasher? A few examples of things we have washed in our dishwasher are light fixture shades, toothbrushes, sponges, scrub brushes, toys, soap dishes, shower caddies, combs, vases, canisters, baseball caps, drawer organizers, basic tools, vent covers, etc...

Of course, I say this with my use with caution warning, the top rack is usually best for anything you worry about. Avoid putting anything too precious in the dishwasher, also avoid washing anything made of wood or with a delicate metal finish. Always rinse items first to prevent clogging up your dishwasher and when in doubt, leave it out.

Fold/hang clothes straight out of the dryer.

In the past I would get in a habit of taking clothes out of the dryer, tossing them in a basket, and taking them to another room of the house to deal with. Then I would do my best to fold things during a nightly T.V. show, but too many times the contents wouldn't end up put away. And just as I did when I was a kid, my boys would mix dirty with clean or would leave piles on their beds which would then tumble to the floor...

A while back we decided to try something new, so straight out of the dryer the clothes are either immediately folded or put directly on their respective hangers (I just grab the empty hangers out of the closet on my way to the laundry room), and stacked in a portable basket. Same for linens. It only takes a couple of minutes and makes it much easier to put everything away right away. I also have the boys doing this with their personal loads and it has completely cut down on the piles of questionables around the house and in each bedroom. The wire baskets we use are lightweight and portable making it easy to tote around the house and return back to the laundry room (as shown here).

Laundry can quickly become a monster if not managed regularly but really isn't all that hard if you just get into a good groove with it. I am not sure why it works so much better for us to just deal with everything right out of the dryer (vs. taking it to the couch or our bedroom to fold), but it has been a huge sanity saver so I call it a very basic win. And while we are on the subject, giving each member of the house their own designated day to do their laundry has also been amazing.

Multi-task whenever possible.

I have gotten into the habit of building some of the basic household cleaning tasks into my routine each day, which makes it much easier to maintain the home in general. For example, I wash the bathroom sink/counter each time I brush my teeth. I scrub down the walls of the shower while actually taking a shower. I quickly wipe up the kitchen counters while making my coffee. I wipe down the inside of the fridge each week when I put away groceries. These very quick add-ins really add up each week.

Make your bed every day.

Maybe I should move this one to the top because it might just be the most impactful. I will admit that I haven't always been a believer in making my bed every day, and never really encouraged the kids to do it either. But after it became such a positive habit, I can't imagine not doing it. It makes a huge difference in quickly pulling our bedroom together, but it also has been really uplifting to my mood. And I love leaving our bedroom door open and catching a glimpse of the tidy bed, which can be exactly what I need when I am having a messy day.

Not buying it? I encourage you to try it for two weeks and check out this article (or listen to this awesome speech). It is a great basic housekeeping and life-changing task!

Homekeeping takes some effort.

Dang, if I could teach my kids anything about basic housekeeping, it would be that life is so much easier if you just pick up after yourself right away. And if that just isn't possible, to set aside a few minutes at the end of each day to do so. Too many times we have spent an entire afternoon on a weekend dealing with a week's worth of random piles and messes. I can think of 1,001 other ways I would rather spend a weekend day, and my family agrees.

I know that some people are naturally more tidy than others. That some people can look right past a pile or mess and be completely unphased by it, while others can't focus or relax until that pile is gone. We have both personality types living under our roof and it has always been a give and take and compromise.

There are definitely days when I say, "the chores can wait", and the clean freak in me has done a lot of letting go over the years. There is something to be said about soaking up the little moments in life and I know first hand that our time with our kids goes much too quickly. So cheers to playing a card game after dinner instead of stressing out about those puppy nose prints on the patio door.

But the matter of the fact is that the mess will continue to be there until we deal with it, and it only snowballs if we don't.

So we try to find that right balance and do our best to take care of a lot of the basics each day and to pick up after ourselves when we take things out.

We also work together to do a quick pick-up at the end of each day. I leave a flexible basket hung on a hook near the stairs to corral random items that need to be brought down, and it also works great for running through the house and collecting things like electronics, mail, crafts, toiletries, socks, etc... that have been left out throughout the day and need to be put away. We always tidy up the kitchen (run the dishwasher after dinner, quickly sweep or vacuum, wipe down the table/counters) and fluff the sofa pillows before bed. It makes all of the difference just taking 10-15 minutes each evening to start the following day off right.

I wish there was a red "easy" button or magic cleaning fairy that would come in and get things done while we sleep, but general homekeeping just takes some work and discipline. We aren't always perfect or on top of every mess, and we still have times when we have to play catch-up and binge clean parts of the home, yard or garage. But we continuously instill in the boys that we are all responsible for our home, and always have them help with the basic homekeeping responsibilities.

I think this is one of those discussions that could really benefit from your added ideas and advice in the comments below. I hear so often that people are generally overwhelmed with household chores and keeping up with daily duties. People want quick tips, shortcuts, and basic ideas to make homekeeping more manageable and less discouraging. Do you have additional ideas to share? How about small things you have added to your routine that have had a big payoff? Any ah-ha moments that we all could benefit from? Let's chat!

79 My Five Favorite Ways to Organize Room-by-Room

Well, you guys! You did it! You made me cry the happiest tears I have cried in a very long time. I am so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support you all showed me after my last post. I am still making my way through all of the emails and comments and letting every word soak in. So. Much. Good. And so many new ideas and thoughts that spurred from our conversations in the comment section! I looooved it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!


Today I was invited to host a blog hop surrounding my favorite subject of all time: ORGANIZING! I mentioned I wanted to do more connecting and sharing this year, and this was the perfect way to dive right in!

I am joining a group of lovely ladies, and each of us was asked to share our favorite organizing tip for five different rooms in our homes. I absolutely can't wait to check out all of the other blogs and pick up a few new ideas for myself! You all can follow along with my fellow friends below:

L I S A :  Shine Your Light

K R I S :  Driven By Decor

J E N N I F E R :  Dimples & Tangles

P A M :  Simple Details

I will admit, I had a hard time narrowing each room down to one tip, but this was a really good exercise for me and really got me thinking. So, I picked what I thought were ideas that made a big impact on my day-to-day life, were easy enough that most anyone could implement and were budget friendly. Some of these might look familiar, or seem obvious, but sometimes the obvious needs to be spoken.

This was the hardest room for me to narrow down. I could have talked about how to date pantry items and leftovers or how to best layout your kitchen or why I think lazy susans are amazing or what to store under your kitchen sink or how I meal plan. I had so many ideas it inspired another post or two for the near future. That said, I decided to focus on a product I use in almost every area of my kitchen (and home). My number one tip for organizing in the kitchen is to use my absolute all-time favorite bins, the multi-purpose bin, to organize everything.

I have bragged about these bins to the moon and back and I still pick up a couple more every time I visit The Container Store. I love their price, but more importantly, their versatility, especially in the kitchen. These bins come in a variety of widths, are easy to clean, are translucent, are lightweight and have handles. Here are a few ways you can use these bins to whip your kitchen into organized shape:

• In the fridge to create zones and kits. Think breakfast items and yogurts, lunch making supplies, produce, snacks, baggies containing treats and leftovers. 
• In the pantry for dividing out produce, breads, spreads, chips, wraps...
• In a cabinet to hold paper products.
• Under the kitchen sink to corral cleaning supplies.
• In a cabinet to hold clean rags and dish towels.
• In a cabinet to store medications and vitamins. 
• In deep drawers to file and divide specific gadgets, utensils, and lids.
• On a nearby counter or shelf to corral daily mail and papers.

This is one that may seem obvious to most when I say, "create an inbox!". But friends, you really need an inbox!

Not all inboxes are created equal and it also helps to have a plan that correlates with your bin. The plan is just as important as the inbox itself.

I placed an oversized paper tray on my desk. I love this particular option because it is a little longer and wider than traditional letter trays. It also has stacking components as you can see above, so I can keep a few other desk goodies nearby without taking up all of my usable workspace. Lastly, I keep it in the most accessible location in my office, so I can easily add things to it throughout the week and also quickly work on it when the time comes.

As the week goes on, anything that enters the house that requires my attention or an action goes into my inbox. That might include a catalog I want to look at, a form I need to sign, scan and email, an address I need to log into my address book, Christmas cards I need to file away, receipts I need to expense, return labels I have printed, dates I need to add to my planner, etc... A lot of times these things are thrown at me and I can't give them my immediate attention, but I want them in a single place so if I need them at any point during the week, I know where to look.

The reason why the width of the tray is important is that it also fits a standard file folder. That allows me to add a specific place to put any bills or invoices that need to be paid. I like to keep those items separate as Bryan and I do our budget together and I never want to misplace any of our financial documents.

So, part one is to have a single drop zone place for all of the things to do. Part two is to actually do those things! I block 30 minutes on my calendar each week to go through my inbox and clear it out. It is a reminder that chimes on my phone and also a reoccurring task on my weekly list. I don't typically need that much time but I like to have it blocked just in case.

This one is easy peasy. Do you ever go to grab a set of sheets and part of the set is missing? Do you struggle with nicely folding those awful fitted sheets? Or have piles of sheets toppling over in your linen closet?

You know those inexpensive mesh laundry sacks generally intended for washing delicate clothes? Well, they also work great for corralling your individual sets of sheets. Just fold the sheets the best you can, tuck them inside a zippered sack and add a lavender dryer or sachet sheet for good measure. It keeps all of the set pieces together and smelling nice.

Also, people ask me all of the time why our "linen" or hallways closet doesn't actually have many linens stored in it. The answer is because I store most of our linens in the actual room they belong in. Each bedroom has two sets of sheets, one on the bed and a backup set. Same for bathrooms, one clean towel on the hook, one back-up. The mesh sacks store nicely in a bedroom drawer, in a bin or up on a closet shelf.

No surprise, my favorite bin is making another appearance!

In the bathroom, I always recommend adding a cleaning kit under the sink. Bathrooms are gross, germy, grimy places, and no one wants to run all the way to the kitchen for cleaners on a frequent basis; keeping some essentials in each bathroom encourages frequent wipe downs.

Under each of our bathroom sinks I have added a couple of bins to hold the following:

• Lidded toilet brush
• Toilet bowl cleaner
• Multi-surface cleaning spray (homemade recipe found here)
• Shower scrub brush with cleaner added to the handle (homemade recipe found here)
• Sink & grout brush
• Trash can bags
• Magic erasers
• Cleaning rags

I try my best to quickly wipe down each bathroom each day. A quick pass over the mirror, down to the faucet and then around the counter (all with the same spray). The scrub brush quickly removes any makeup or toothpaste from the sink. I also try to use the shower scrubber on the walls of the shower every day or two to prevent soap build-up.

I add enough clean rags to the bin each week to get me through seven days of wipe downs, and after each cleaning, the dirty rag is tossed into a separate bin until wash day. I purchased the rags in bulk so I can do this for each bathroom, and at the end of the week they are all washed together in their own load. 

Speaking of washing laundry, let's chat about that next! I made a rule for the family awhile back that I wouldn't allow any dirty clothes to be left in the laundry room, with the exception of special wash items. Each bedroom has a hamper and each person has a specific day of the week to do their own wash. Sundays are for rags, delicate items and linens. 

On their specific day, a family member will take their hamper of dirty clothes and any empty hangers to the laundry room and do their laundry. Clothes are folded and put on hangers directly from the washer or dryer and brought right back to their rooms.

Taking away community hampers was an instant win for us! No more mixed socks or arguments over who should do laundry and when. Or what clothes belong to which kid. No more finger pointing at one another over shrinking sweaters and mixing colors. I will never say that I love doing laundry, but these quick tips have really helped us all with sanity and accountability! 

_______________

Thanks again everyone! I hope one or some of these tips are helpful and easy enough for you to give a whirl. Don't forget to check out the other posts below for even more around-the-house organizational tips:

L I S A :  Shine Your Light

K R I S :  Driven By Decor

J E N N I F E R :  Dimples & Tangles

P A M :  Simple Details

26 Creating A Cleaning Schedule With Free Printables

It has been a few years since I have popped in to share our current cleaning process and schedule. Just like our home has evolved as our family has changed and grown over the years, our cleaning tasks and assignments have also changed. I have always been a believer in everyone chipping in to help around the home, and our kids have been actively helping sweep, do laundry and wash dishes for years. But there have been times when we fall off track or when some of us seem to carry more weight than others. Or certain tasks would be neglected for far too long. The only way we have ever been successful in staying on the same page and holding everyone accountable has been through creating and displaying charts.

Today I am not only going to share some sweet new printables with you all, but I am also going to share our current cleaning plan. We are in the busiest stage of life yet. Our three boys are in three different schools as well as three different sport leagues (with 6-7 days of practices and traveling), Bryan works full time, coaches High School baseball and does contract work, while I have been working on projects outside of the home, caring for my nieces a couple days/nights per week, running the boys to and from games, practices, drivers education and work, all while trying to keep this blog and all of its arms afloat. We cherish any spare second of time we have these days, and the last thing we want to do is spend our time cleaning together. Every year that I have been a mom, my cleaning expectations and standards have lessened, although, I will always crave and appreciate a clean home. Without hiring out cleaning completely, is there a way to find that perfect balance? Is it possible to maintain a tidy home while utilizing spare time for going to the park and reading by the fire and building Lego cities and working on afternoon crafts? This is something that has been on my heart so much over the past year; balance, time and family. Not cleaning.

So while I am not aiming for perfect, and maybe clean some things a little less frequently than others, we have found a pretty good balance for us right now. Here are a few of my top tips as well as our current cleaning schedule.


TIP ONE: GET ON THE SAME PAGE

Download FREE Fillable Cleaning Task Printable 

I have found that if we get too comfortable or things start to slip, that we all benefit with a quick family meeting. We talk about the importance and benefits of task sharing, discuss our current schedules and assess our home goals and priorities. We quickly cover all of the tasks that we find important to work on daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually. I jot them all down and then we talk through priorities and schedules and what chores make the most sense for each family member. Everyone is encouraged to participate and make suggestions, and this has been our biggest cleaning win.


TIP TWO: WHAT REALLY MATTERS?

This will really be different for everyone. No two homes, family dynamics, schedules or expectations are the same. You really just have to decide for yourself what matters in terms of your time and cleaning desires. I have put some cleaning tasks on the chopping block in order to spend more time on other things, and for the most part I haven't found any negative impacts from doing that. So while creating a cleaning schedule and plan, consider how much you really have to do to find your cleaning harmony.


TIP THREE: CREATE A SCHEDULE/ROUTINE

What happens when someone doesn't pull their weight? Kids can be a roller coaster of behaviors and emotions and sometimes they don't want to play nice. OK, who am I kidding? We ALL have those days. There will be times when the boys might ask for help from us or each other, or task share, or even lose a privilege if they aren't staying accountable. But generally speaking, if we have all of our expectations set in advance and stick to a routine, things go much smoother. The kids know that when they ask to play at their friend's house, my first question will be, "Did you finish your daily tasks?" Now I can predict when I am going to get asked for something because they will rush to get their chores completed. That doesn't happen overnight, it was a process that came from a little diligence on all of our parts.

This is where the printables and checklists come in handy! And I am very excited because I have finally put together a printable that YOU can pre-fill on your device and either save and utilize electronically or print out to add to your planner or post on your command station. I have been wanting to add this feature to my printables for years!

There are two primary checklists that keep us on track, both I have modified and updated to share with you today. One covers the entire year, while the other keeps us afloat each week.

Download FREE Fillable Annual Cleaning Task List Printable 

Above is a general task list that we filled out with what we hope to accomplish over the course of a year. A space to check the list daily and weekly, as well as checkboxes to track those less frequent tasks. Let's take a look at the tasks we filled in on our family checklist and a little more detail about each one.


D A I L Y

When it was time to come up with daily tasks, we selected things that make the biggest impact to our day and the appearance of our primary living spaces. 

Make Bed // This is a goal, but not an everyday thing. There is just something about a made bed that completely transforms the entire look and feel of the bedroom. It is also more enjoyable to crawl into a made bed at night so I try to start and end the day on a positive note.
Total time: 1-2 minutes.

Dishes/Dishwasher // Dishes pile up fast around here so running the dishwasher and a quick handwash is a high priority daily task in order to keep our kitchen sink and counters clutter free.
Total time: 10 minutes.

Wipe Down Kitchen Surfaces // If I force myself to wipe down the sideboard, dining table, counters, and island every night, it also forces me to do a quick counter declutter.
Total time: 1-2 minutes

Wipe Down Bathroom Sink/Counters // A quick scrub of the sinks to remove whiskers and toothpaste and a speedy wipe down of the counters keeps the bathrooms feeling fresh and clean until our deeper cleaning day. Tip: Store scrub brushes, rags and cleaner below the sink for quick access.
Total time: 1-2 minutes

Sweep/Vac Kitchen, Entry & Stairs // I try to run our vac or do a quick sweep of the primary hard floors in our home each day. With a shedding dog, tennis shoes and cleats, and nightly dinners, our floors feel the most pain. I only focus on the dining/kitchen and entryway each day, and the stairs twice per week.
Total time: 3-5 minutes.

Sort Mail // Every day when the mail comes in, it is open, sorted and the junk is recycled. Anything that requires action lives in a bin that is tackled once a week.
Total time: 1 minute.

Laundry // We wash 1-2 loads of laundry per day, but the biggest change we have made this past year was to assign each person their own day. Each day of the week is assigned to a family member, while Sunday is when I wash specialty items and linens.
Total time: 15-20 minutes.

15 Minute Pick-Up // This is for everything else, and we rarely ever need the entire fifteen minutes. During this time we will make sure that everything is ready for the next day (lunch boxes, backpacks, papers, etc...), pick up any daily clutter, fluff pillows and fold blankets, etc... This time shrinks if we stay on top of basic cleaning and picking up each day.
Total time: 5-15 minutes.

OK, I know what you are thinking. If you add up all of that time, the average is about 45 minutes per day. Buuuuut, when you divide that by the five people that live in our house, it goes down to about 9 minutes per person! That is definitely skewed, but having all hands on deck does reduce the total time any single person has to spend cleaning each day. I rarely have 45 minutes to dedicate to cleaning, but I can definitely find 15-30. Especially if I am awake for 17+ hours of a 24 hour day.


W E E K L Y

These tasks are not quite as urgent or impactful to the overall feeling of our house each day, but are still fairly important. I wouldn't want to go too long without doing most of these items because the longer they go untouched, the longer it takes to clean them when the time comes. Many of these tasks are sprinkled in throughout the week so we aren't stuck doing extra chores on the weekends.

Mop Floors // I will touch up spots on my dining/kitchen floors with either my all purpose spray or spray mop as needed, and then once per week I will thoroughly cover all of the hard floors in our home including the three bathrooms.

Clean Glass/Furniture/Stainless Surfaces // This includes cleaning mirrors and glass, as well as our two primary windows (front picture window and back sliding door). Furniture is given a dusting and kitchen appliances and cabinet faces are quickly wiped down.

Vacuum Floors // All rugs and carpet are vacuumed.

Clean Bathrooms // Toilets and showers are cleaned.

Collect and Take Out Trash/Recycling // Each week on garbage night we collect all of the trash from the bins throughout the house and take it down to the curb.

Tidy Workspace // It's nice to start the week with a fresh work surface, this goes for myself and all of our boys.

Clean Out Fridge/Pantry // Before and after my weekly trip to the grocery store, I clean out any expired foods and leftovers from our pantry and fridge. I wipe up any spills and do a quick inventory of our stock to be sure I am meal planning accordingly and not over-purchasing food we already have on hand.

Clean Out Cars // Our cars always seem to get so messy so quickly. We try to bring everything in each day, but let's be real, there is always containers from eating on the road, dirty socks and athletic gear, loose change, travel mugs, napkins, cords, etc... I shudder just thinking about it. It really helps to dedicate a couple of minutes each week to cleaning out both cars and wiping them down.

Wash Linens // As I mentioned above, once per week we wash any specialty items, bath mats, and bedding.


M O N T H L Y

These items slowly get grimy, so we make an effort to check on them once every month or two.

Vacuum Furniture // This includes vacuuming the sofa and chair cushions, as well as removing the cushions and vacuuming the remaining nooks and crannies of the furniture.

Clean Trim/Doors/Hardware/Cabinets // I love white trim but it does show everything. Each month I try to quickly run my vacuum brush attachment along the floor trim and then wipe down the interior trim and doors where they are dirty (I am not scrubbing every last piece of trim from floor to ceiling each month). I will also clean the white treads on the stairs, wipe down door handles and cabinet hardware, and also clean the cabinet faces throughout the remainder of the home (the kitchen cabinets are wiped down weekly).

Clean Trash Cans // I can't seem to figure out how trash cans can get so sticky and dirty when they are generally used with a bag, but each month I spray them and wipe them down inside and out.

Wash Windows // I only clean our primary windows each week and the remainder of our windows are washed once every month or two. I will wipe down the glass and clean the grooves with a rag and cotton swabs.

Clean Appliances // The dishwasher and washer are run through a special cycle to clean the interiors and then wiped down. The oven is vacuumed, the glass door is cleaned and the interior wiped down. Fridge shelves and bins are checked for spills and the microwave interior is also cleaned.

Vacuum Vents // We take the vacuum brush attachment to the vent covers, exhaust fans, and dryer vents. We will also remove floor vent covers and vacuum down as far as our hose will reach.

Vacuum Mattresses // We run over the mattress tops with the furniture attachment and then sprinkle a very thin layer of scented baking soda. This task is also a trigger to rotate mattresses and wash specialty bedding.

Room-By-Room Declutter // This one task really makes a big difference in how we maintain all of the organizational systems we have put in place over the years. Once a month I will grab a basket and go room to room to remove anything that we no longer need or use. The number of items collected is generally less and less each month, but I do try and challenge myself and the rest of the clan to be ruthless. This process includes pairing down bathroom toiletries, quick clothing purges, extra papers and office supplies and junk drawer revamps. We keep a bin in the trunk of each car for returns and donation drop-offs and staying on top of this each month prevents us from having to do big annual purges and closet cleanouts.


Q U A R T E R L Y 

Quarterly we will tackle some general home maintenance items.

Change Filters // We check in and clean or replace the filters for our fridge, furnace, fans and air purifier.

Descale Appliances // I run my descaling solution through my coffee machine and maybe clean our iron.

Descale Shower Heads // We fill gallon-sized bags with vinegar, attach them to our shower heads with rubber bands and let them soak overnight. The following morning we remove the bags and run the water through the shower head. If they are heavily clogged, they can be boiled in hot water and vinegar for 10-15 minutes and scrubbed clean with a bristle brush.

Clean Vacuum // The vacuum is disassembled and cleaned, including the filters and brush roll attachment.

Wash/Replace Shower Curtain Liners // Liners can be washed in the washer if you add some soft towels to the mix. I just wash with our regular homemade detergent by adding it directly to the drum of the washer and vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser. Hang to dry.

Clean Cabinet Tops // The very tops of our cabinets and tall furniture are vacuumed/dusted/wiped down.


S E M I - A N N U A L L Y

The little things that still make a big difference, these items are generally forgotten about but really do give the house a quick pick-me-up.

Wipe Out Cabinet Interiors // Dust can collect and build up behind closed doors, so twice a year we remove everything from our cabinets and drawers to vacuum them out and wipe them clean.

Deep Clean Grout // We have gone through the process of sealing our grout so our daily maintenance keeps it pretty clean, but a couple of times per year we give it a little extra attention to clean up bad spots and even re-seal it if necessary.

Touch-Up Paint // Occasionally walls, trim, and furniture show our wear and tear so once or twice a year I like to do some quick paint touch-ups.

Clean Window Treatments // I am not one that will wash my curtain panels as I have shrunk them and ruined them in the past. On occasion, I will go over them with the brush attachment on our vacuum and will dust the grooves of our wooden blinds.

Clean Garage // Each spring and fall we try to do a clean out of our garage which includes purging old items, dusting anything on shelves and washing the walls and floors.


A N N U A L L Y

These are the items that typically fall on our Spring Cleaning to-do list which we will tackle over the course of a few weekends in April and May.

Wash Deck // With some deck wash and a handled scrub brush we remove a year worth of outdoor grime.

Wash Exterior Windows // The exterior windows are sprayed with the hose, cleaned with our long handled window attachment and then squeegeed dry.

Wash Outdoor Furniture and Textiles // Each spring I will wash our outdoor cushion covers in the washing machine and spray and scrub non-machine washable pieces. We also take this time to oil our wooden furniture and wash the dining tables and chairs.

Clean Light Fixtures // The globes and shades to our pendant lights and sconces are removed and washed.

Deep Clean Appliances // Once a year we will pull out appliances and clean the floor under and behind them. We will also wipe them down and vacuum any vents and hoses. Specialty pieces/components are removed and washed.

Power Wash Exterior // Have you ever sprayed down your siding with your garden hose or a pressure washer? I am always wide eyed at the amount of dirt and number of bugs that come streaming down when I do this, so I try to at least spray down the siding on our front porch, around the garage door and along the back side of our house once every year.


TIP FOUR: TAKE BREAKS!

We generally try to leave our Saturdays as our "play" days. We do the bare minimum on this day each week so we can focus on refreshing ourselves and doing things we enjoy. When it comes to many of the tasks that we spread out throughout the year, we may schedule them in for a few hours on a weekend or check one or two things off when we have a slower week or season. We can add dates to the checklist and always see what we haven't touched in awhile when we have some time to spare. The goal is not to be overwhelmed, and if we pile on a few things one weekend, we may decide to treat ourselves to something special the next.


TIP FIVE: DISPLAY IT!

I have found that these lists work best when they can be paired with a dry erase marker, especially the things we need to focus on daily/weekly. That way we can display the chart in a central location, check it off each week, and then start again the following week without printing a new sheet.

I purchased some flat clear sign holders that I affixed to the inside of our pantry door with Command Strips. The annual printable slides behind our weekly list; we use a pen for maintaining the annual page, and the dry erase marker directly on the acrylic holder for the daily tasks. The acrylic is easily wiped clean with my homemade screen cleaner and a dry rag. (I use the second sign to hold our meal planning printables).

The daily task checklist is the glue to this entire operation. There is a line for each member of our family, and we list the items we need to focus on each day of the week. This is where I will spread out the daily and weekly items so they don't feel so cumbersome and overwhelming. Each boy has 1-2 household chores per school day, the additional tasks on their lists include general reminders for homework, reading, packing their lunches, etc... This is where we assign our specific days for laundry or times for showering (we spread it out so we aren't running three showers at once). I also use this as a place to keep myself on track with my days to do general business logs, budget check-ins, grocery tips, etc...

(People always ask why Bryan has fewer items on his daily lists and it is because he does many of the heavy lifting chores such as yard maintenance, shoveling, the majority of the cooking, and a large portion of those household maintenance items that occur quarterly/semi-annually. It all really evens out but looks a little skewed on the chart.)

The downloadable printable has five total pages, breaking down a week for five, four, three or two people, and another that can be used with even more flexibility.

Download FREE Fillable Weekly Task List Printable 

BONUS TIPS:

App Pictured Above is the MultiTimer App

I know that cleaning is not generally a favorite activity and that most of you would rather be doing just about anything else. But, there are ways to make it more enjoyable and to help ease some of the pain.

• Upbeat music is a great way to boost energy and lighten the cleaning mood.
• I have become completely addicted to podcasts and find they are a great way to keep me entertained while I do mundane chores. Audio books have the same effect. 
• Clean with another person and agree to be personal cheerleaders for each other.
• Set a timer and race the clock. See how much you can accomplish in just a short amount of time. 
• Host friends/Have a party! If I need a little motivation I will invite some people over for appetizers and drinks. It's a great way to check a few extra things off of my list to prep the house and then reward myself after.
• Think of other fun ways to incorporate your hobbies into cleaning. Do you love to exercise? How can you build a workout into your cleaning routine? 
• Lower your expectations. Your family members may not clean to your standards, but if they are trying, then keep them encouraged and let their efforts be good enough. If they see you re-doing their work, they won't be motivated to do it again. 
• Fall behind? It happens! Give yourself a few hours to catch back up. Start at the back of the house and work your way to the main living areas. Grab your cleaning caddy and an empty basket to collect items that need to be re-distributed. Give yourself an hour or two for each level of the home. You can do it!
• Having a place for everything is SO important and is what helps reduce time while picking up. It is always the items that don't have a home that end up piled on random surfaces and cause headaches. Prioritize those items high on your list to organize as it will save time in the long run.
• Less is always more. Less to organize and clean means more time to do the things you truly love.

My goal is always to motivate and excite you, and hopefully throwing all of this information at you doesn't do the opposite. Give yourself time to make a plan, try things out and re-evaluate. Tap into ways that you can feel excited to clean and don't feel like you have to do it alone. Look for fun and encouraging slogans for the kids that reinforce the importance of hard work and teamwork ("We work hard so we can play hard" and "Many hands make light work" and "I may be strong but we are stronger"). And last but not least, take breaks and find a balance that feels right for you. Set your own standards of what is "good enough" and try not to compare your cleaning habits to others. 

I would love to hear from you and how your approach cleaning. Do you have any additional tips for making it more fun and exciting? Where do you find your motivation?

Looking for more? Check out these cleaning posts below!

Printable Tips:

To download printables, click blue "download" button from the Box.com screen. The printables work best when opened with Adobe Reader, which can be downloaded free here (and is also available as an app on most devices). Printables should be editable upon opening, and lists can be saved and re-edited time and time again.