A Cleaning Schedule You’ll Actually Keep Up With!
One of my goals in 2024 is to create and keep up with a cleaning schedule to keep my space tidier. I must admit, I’m not always the neatest person by default, and it takes a bit more effort for me to motivate myself to clean- there’s just so many other things I’d rather do! Last year I tried the whole “Sunday Reset” craze that was going around on Tiktok, where you dedicate Sundays to cleaning up your house or apartment to “reset” for the week ahead. My problem? Sunday would come around and I’d be so overwhelmed with what I had to get done and just wanting to relax before heading back to work the next day that I would give up halfway through my reset.
This year, I’m dedicating a maximum of 30 minutes to cleaning each day of the week. Each day will be focused on one particular area of my house, from the bathrooms to the kitchen to my living room. This will help me stick to my routine by making it less overwhelming, and it won’t take up an entire day! Here is how I’m breaking down my cleaning schedule:
Daily Cleaning Tasks
No matter what, there are going to be tasks that you’ll have to perform every day or at least on random days throughout the week. It’s a part of everyday life, and if you’re so strict with your cleaning schedule that you ONLY empty your garbages on a certain day of the week it will be counter-productive and you’ll be left with a smelly house.
The first daily task on my list is to make my bed. Not only will this make your room feel tidy, it’s also just a great way to start off your day.
Next up is wiping down your surfaces in high-traffic areas. For me, this is mainly my kitchen countertops and my dining table. These are areas that I use every day and there are always little crumbs and spills that happen (cause that’s just life!) so it’s important to just quickly wipe these down on a daily basis.
I have a bad habit of coming in the door and just throwing my coats, bags, and shoes on my bench or table and just leaving them. I’m just excited to be home and see my cat, can you blame me? So, I’ll need to take a few minutes to straighten up and put my outerwear away so it’s ready to go for the next day.
Of course, the next daily task on my cleaning schedule is to do the dishes. I’ve made it a goal this year to cook more meals at home, which automatically means more dishes! A bad habit of mine is leaving these in the sink for another day- let’s not do that anymore. Instead, load up the dishwasher (or get that sponge ready if you’re doing them by hand) and get them cleaned up right away!
Monday- Bathrooms
Next to laundry, cleaning the bathrooms is my least favourite cleaning task. When planning out my weekly cleaning schedule, I decided it was best to get the worst task of the week out of the way so I don’t have to stress about it anymore. Monday’s are usually my most productive day of the week since it’s a fresh start, so bathrooms are first up in my cleaning schedule.
Again, this does not have to take hours upon hours! Once you get into a good cleaning schedule, it will take a maximum of 30 minutes to clean up your bathrooms (depending on how many you have of course!)
First up is the toilets of course. We’re cleaning inside the bowl with a good bleach cleaner -I personally use the Lysol Cleaner that’s designed to get right up in those hard-to-reach places. While you wait for that to soak, take a spray or a Clorox wipe and go over all the outside surfaces, especially the seat and the handle! Finally, take your toilet brush and scrub away that cleaner inside the bowl before flushing it away.
Next up is the sink. Wipe down the faucets, the sink itself, and make sure the drain is clean. I have a lot of hair, and sometimes that leads to some clogging (especially in my bedroom bathroom!) so make sure to clear any of that nasty gunk out too.
Can’t forget the mirror! What’s worse than going into someone’s bathroom and seeing a bunch of who knows what on that mirror when you’re trying to see your beautiful face? Windex is my favourite product to use here, and make sure to use either a dry cloth or paper towel so you don’t leave streaks!
Your shower and/or bath doesn’t necessarily need to be cleaned every single week, but doing a quick wipe down in between your deep cleaning sessions will help keep it looking shiny.
Last but not least, make sure you change the garbage if needed and refresh your towels. Those towels can have a build-up of bacteria, so you want to change them out quite often.
Tuesday- Kitchen
For some reason, my kitchen is my favourite place to clean. I guess it might be all the time I spend there cooking up some delicious meals (or trying to at least lol) but seeing my sink and my fridge sparkling is very satisfying to me.
Other than the general cleaning of the countertops (which is part of the daily tasks!) you want to make sure you’re wiping down other high-touch surfaces as well. Your appliances are probably used on a regular basis, so these are top priority to wipe down. If you have stainless steel appliances, wipe them down and then go over them with special stainless steel wipes to make them sparkle! These are the ones I use.
Next cleaning task is to give your sink and faucets a good wipe-down. Make sure you get in all the nooks and crannies of your faucet where build-up can easily accumulate. You can also clear out any smells in your drain by using baking soda and vinegar- pour the baking soda down and let it sit for 10-15 minutes as you clean other areas and then pour a 1/4 cup of white vinegar down. Finish it off with some boiling water and you’re sink will be smelling way better!
Speaking of smells, its important to do a weekly look-through of your fridge to make sure there are no forgotten veggies that are ready to throw out or expired products. I’m so bad with my sauces! This is a good thing to do while you’re wiping everything down as well.
Finally, it’s time to clean up any spills or crumbs on your floor! Do a quick sweep and mop to tidy up and you’re done!
Wednesday- Bedrooms
Wednesday is bedroom day on the cleaning schedule. This could be really quick if you only have one bedroom in use like me, or it could take a bit more time if there are multiple bedrooms in your house. Either way, this section shouldn’t be too time-consuming which is perfect for hump day!
The biggest task for me is putting away my clothes. I don’t mind doing laundry, but putting those clean clothes away? Awful. I try to put my clean laundry away the same day I do it, but throughout the week I’m pretty bad for leaving clothes on the floor or discarded outfits that didn’t work out. Take a quick 5 minutes and hang or fold everything and your space will automatically feel better!
Next, its time to do a general tidy up of your surfaces. Put things away in your nightstands, clean up your makeup products, and ensure everything is in it’s place. Then, you can do a quick dust and wipe down of everything.
This next cleaning task gets missed pretty often- clean your door handles! I always seem to get my makeup everywhere including the handles, so this is a step I definitely have to do every week.
Finally, do a quick sweep (and mop if you think its necessary) and you’re done! Easy.
Thursday- Living Room
Thursday is the day for the living room on this cleaning schedule. This is usually another easy day, but it’s always nice to have a clean space for when your guests come over!
The biggest cleaning task for this day is probably the couch. Do a quick vacuum of your cushions (and under them!) to get rid of any crumbs that may have accumulated throughout the week- especially if you sometimes eat on the couch like me!
Next up is to tidy up your shelves/coffee table and do a quick dust. Depending on the activity in your household you may not have to dust every single week, but it’s sometimes surprising how quickly those surfaces get dusty!
If you have kids (or just a cat that likes to birdwatch like me) it’s time to clean the windows. I always find little paw prints all over my windows, so just take some Windex and a paper towel to them to make them sparkle again!
Finally, fluff up your pillows and place a throw blanket down and your living room should be looking neat and tidy once again!
Friday- Hallways & Foyer
Whether you’re hosting people at your place or simply enjoying a lazy weekend alone, it’s always nice to have a welcoming entryway to come home to. Cleaning the foyer and the hallways is Friday’s cleaning task!
We’re going top to bottom here. First, start off by wiping down any windows you have in your entryway. Your guests will see these first (or you’ll need to see out to look for your UberEats driver!!) so it’s important to have these looking streak-free and shiny. Once again, take a product like Windex with some paper towel and get to work. You want to avoid towels or rags on the windows, as these will lead to streaky messes.
Next, you want to wipe down your door handles. Front door, any closets or hallway doors you may have, etc. These are very high-traffic areas that can collect germs or stains, so you want to make sure they’re a priority on your cleaning tasks.
If you have any decorative shelving, benches, storage units, or anything else that can house clutter, you want to make sure to tidy up these areas. These areas are the first thing your guests see, and a cluttered mess can just bring bad vibes into your home. Make sure to dust as well!
Finally, it’s time to clean the floors. Any entry-way rugs should be vacuumed/swept, or even thrown in the washing machine if it’s okay to do so. Then, you want to do a quick wipe down of your baseboards. These are often overlooked, and can easily build up dirt and grime over time. If you keep up with it, all it takes is a quick once-over with a wipe and you’re good to go! Lastly, do a mop, especially if you have hardwood floors. Now your entryway looks nice and inviting again!
Weekend- Laundry & Larger Cleaning Tasks
The weekends are for the bigger cleaning tasks, so choose a day (or both if you’re motivated) to do some of those tasks you’ve been putting off. If it’s nice weather and you have a yard, this may be the day you get down and dirty in your flower beds or mow the lawn. Maybe you’re feeling motivated to do a big clean-out of your closet and donate some old clothes (to make room for new ones of course!) This is also a good time to disinfect your garbage cans or do a general tidy-up of your garage.
No matter what, the weekend is for laundry (at least for me!) There’s usually a lot more downtime to be able to throw a couple of loads in, whereas during the week you don’t want to have to worry about it after a long day at work. It’s important that you put your clothes away during this time too- don’t leave it until Monday or else those clothes will more than likely stay where they don’t belong!!
What does your cleaning schedule look like? Let me know!
