It's almost the end of May, and the end of Cleaning Month. So, until next year when we clean again...! No, no, just kidding. We hope you clean your house at least once before May 2010 (preferably even a few more times than that). Now that you've invested time and energy into deep cleaning your house, set a schedule for keeping it clean. Regular maintenance will cut down on the "ugh" factor. After all, one-hour cleaning increments are much easier to deal with than five-hour cleaning marathons. Jump below for some of our schedule guidelines...
This is taken straight from Maxwell's Eight-Step Home Cure:
Daily Schedule:
- Make Bed.
- Wash dishes.
- Put clothes away.
- Sort mail.
- Clear answering machine.
- Clean all kitchen surfaces
- Take out full garbage.
Weekly Schedule:
- Clear all surfaces (put odds and ends away).
- Wash clothing, take in dry cleaning.
- Take out recycling.
- Change sheets.
- Water plants.
- Clean bathroom and kitchen.
- Quick-vacuum all floors.
Monthly Schedule:
- Vacuum, sweep, or mop all floors.
- Flip mattresses.
- Clear out refrigerator.
Every Three Months:
- Wash windows.
- Declutter refrigerator, front door, bulletin board, etc.
Every Six Months:
- Spring cleaning (April or May)
- Fall Cleaning (October)
* Perform deep treatment on your home: clean and declutter, change seasonal clothing, clean out drawers, closets, under-sink storage, purge clothing, extra CDs, DVDs, books, and furniture.
Related Links:
Spring Cleaning Tip #9: Invest and Nest in Your Home
Spring Cleaning Tip #8: Don't Forget To Clean These Places!
Spring Cleaning Tip #7: Fix What's Broken
Spring Cleaning Tip #6: Use The Right Tools
Spring Cleaning Tip #4 & #5: Time to Freshen Things Up
Spring Cleaning Tip #3: Get Inspired
Spring Cleaning Tip #2: Don't Get Overwhelmed!
Spring Cleaning Tip #1: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Image: Cambria Bold
Hello, anyone have a comment?
view Maxwell's profile
I like this list, very simplified. I've been learning that lists for everything work very well for me these days. I often end up with a stack of mail on the counter and get behind rather quickly!
view Annabelle_K's profile
This is a perfect summary. It should be made into a magnet and put on the refridgerators of rental suites.
view wendy-rae's profile
Printing this to see if I can keep on top of it!
view Nolann's profile
I think this list is good, for a starting place - I can only see it really working for a single person with no pets. (maybe 1 pet, if shedding isn't too bad). And it doesn't even mention dusting, which I have to every day.
I have to wash a load of clothes on a near daily basis. We don't have air conditioning, so our house is always open - it leads to more dust inside, which means more cleaning. And with two young sons, bathrooms and kitchens need cleaning more often. I can't imagine what my floors would look like if I only vacuumed/mopped once a month!
But like I said, the above list is a very good starting point - just build on it to fit your own situation.
view Fnnkybutt's profile
Yeah, I wish I could vacuum or mop once a month! I sweep our kitchen twice a day, mop once a week (but really it needs it twice a week), and vacuum twice a week. I do have a small dog and two small children, so of course that meas more dirt on the floors.
view sar3j's profile