How To Make A Home Cleaning Schedule

Keeping your home clean and tidy can be challenging at the best of times. Juggling work, family life, and household chores can often feel like an uphill battle, and maintaining high standards of order and cleanliness can become a full-time job in its own right. However, we are often told that adopting a “little and often” approach to household cleaning is the most efficient way to keep your home looking its best. Additionally, small, manageable daily cleaning rituals also help to prevent you from becoming overwhelmed by your surroundings.

Here is a simple guide to creating a home cleaning schedule, so you and your family can work together to maintain a clean, comfortable and organised living environment.

Write A List Of Cleaning Tasks

Your first step to designing an effective home cleaning schedule is to write a list of all the household chores that need to be done to keep your home clean and functional. Think about the tasks you need to do daily to maintain the standards you value in a safe, comfortable home, such as laundry, vacuuming, dusting and dishes. Your list will ensure nothing is overlooked so you can design a detailed, thorough cleaning schedule.

Determine The Frequency Of Each Task

Take into account how frequently you wish to clean each room and identify the areas that have the highest priority - this will enable you to create a tailored cleaning schedule that fits your lifestyle, ensuring a clean and tidy living environment. Some tasks will need to be done daily, whereas others may only need to be completed every few weeks or as needed. Your cleaning task list may look similar to this:

Daily

Dishes
Laundry
Hoovering
Make beds
Wipe bathroom surfaces
Clean kitchen countertops

Weekly

Dust surfaces
Mop hard floors
Wipe down mirrors and windows
Disinfect the bathroom
Clean out the fridge
Change bed linen

Monthly

Dust light fixtures
Wash doors and baseboards
Steam clean hard floors
Wash cushion covers
Hoover under sofas and beds
Deep cleanse the washing machine

Yearly

Shampoo all carpets and upholstery
Declutter your clothes
Polish hardwood floors and furniture
Clean out kitchen cupboards
Clean behind kitchen appliances

Categorise Your List

Once you’ve made a comprehensive list of all your cleaning tasks and determined the frequency you need to complete them, now is the time to start categorising your jobs to create a schedule that works for you and your family. One excellent way to make your cleaning schedule seem less daunting and more manageable is to time how long each task takes to complete - this will allow you to prioritise complex, time-consuming tasks and get them out of the way. Depending on your flexibility and daily routine, you may also want to categorise each item by room or day of the week.

Deep Cleaning

Don’t forget to list the essential deep cleaning tasks in your cleaning schedule. While they might not be the most enjoyable or pleasant, having a visual reminder will guarantee their completion. These tasks may include hoovering inside all chests of drawers, defrosting the freezer, purging the garage and sweeping the chimney. The sense of accomplishment and order you will feel after completing these deep cleaning tasks is well worth the effort. Alternatively, you could book a professional cleaning service to ensure thoroughness and efficiency.

Make A Family Rota

If you live in a busy household, getting everything done single-handedly can be extremely overwhelming. Delegating tasks to your housemates or family members will ensure everybody does their part to maintain a clean, organised home. Consider the age and capabilities of each family member to determine their responsibilities. Younger children can contribute by tackling lighter tasks such as dusting and tidying up toys. Meanwhile, older children and adults can handle more demanding chores such as cleaning bathrooms and vacuuming - here is a rough guide to age-appropriate chores. Assigning tasks fairly will foster a sense of shared responsibility and teamwork within your household. You could even set up a reward system to encourage young children to participate.

Ensure Your Schedule Is Visible

Your final step in creating a home cleaning schedule is to ensure it is clear, comprehensive and visible to all household members. Consider making your schedule using an attractive online template - you can then print it off, laminate it and display it somewhere everybody will see, such as on the fridge door.