My husband's schedule and hours vary daily and between my very active 7 month old son and our very active 4 month old German Shepherd mix pup who is still a training work-in-progress, cleaning takes the back seat, and then the messes just pile up and I feel like crap for not cleaning and then I don't feel like even getting started. You feel me?
So I've simplified. I've decided to stop trying to do what everyone else is doing in cleaning land, and do what works for me.
Cleaning one thing/room a day might work for some people, but I don't want to be covered in <insert various cleaning products here> every single day. I don't want to be cleaning every damn day. At least not the big stuff. And I don't want my bathrooms sparkling while my kitchen looks like a troll lives under my sink and comes out at night and has a party. I'm a "clean it all at once" girl to the core. My grandma cleaned her whole house all at once and then it was all nice and clean until next time, and that's just how I have to do it, and I've finally embraced that about myself.
So here's what I've decided to try, and maybe it will work for someone else who just can't fit in cleaning like those neat and tidy little schedules do.
Three Days a Week, Every Two Weeks
Gasp. Every two weeks? What??? Yes. Every two weeks. Judge away if you must. My house just doesn't get that dirty that fast and I can't clean something that is already clean. Even if it is to maintain the clean. Nope. Can't do it. It just seems to get so pointless after the second time. Hell, even after the first time, and I look at shelves that just don't really need to be dusted yet and TVs and mirrors that are still smudge-free.
So. Three consecutive days, two while my husband is working, the second when he has a day off. That way he isn't using up his days off cleaning with me, but I still get one day where he can watch the baby so I can clean uninterrupted, and he can help out and do his designated chores when our son takes a nap.
Day One - House Part 1
- All dusting - Shelves, TVs, fans, lamps, any flat surfaces, etc.
- Bathrooms - Showers, toilets, sinks, mirrors, etc.
- Clean/organize offices
- Pick one thing to organize. For me this can include paperwork, various drawers around the house, my stockpile, makeup, hair products, tools, and accessories (I'm a licensed hairstylist, I have a lot!), desks, closets, just to give you some ideas.
Day Two - House Part 2
- Vacuum carpet and all rugs
- Mop all floors
- Kitchen/Dining Room - wipe down cabinets, break out the glass cook top cleaner for the stove, clean out the fridge/freezer, counters
- Bathe the dogs
- Pick one "doesn't need to be done all the time" chore - blinds/curtains, baseboards, vacuum couches and chairs, AC filter
Day 3 - Technology Organization
This day you might not need, but I sure do. I spend SO much time on my computer and my phone, working, social networking, researching, etc. etc. that everything gets to be a mess after a while of "I'll organize this later."
- Organize picture, music, and documents folders
- Run a defrag on computer (as needed)
- Clear out Internet cookies, history, cache, temporary files, etc.
- Uninstall any unused programs (as needed)
- Delete accounts on any websites I'm no longer using (as needed)
- Clean out E-mail inbox
- Uninstall any unused apps on phone
- Delete any downloads that I don't need
- Clean out picture folders
Exceptions to the Rules
Dishes, laundry, kitty litter box, garbage, and general picking up are on a "as needed" basis.
This definitely is not going to work for everybody, but I hope at the very least it's given you a few ideas on building your own cleaning schedule. Honestly, it might take some time to figure out. I had to try a few different ways before settling on this one. Find something that works for you, and by works, I mean minimal stress on you, and you don't end every day irritated about all the things that never got cleaned (like I had a tendency to do).
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