You’ve probably seen several cleaning lists floating around Pinterest and other online sites. Most of these lists are absolutely wonderful but they might not always work for you. I have tried a lot of the different pre-made cleaning lists and I’ve always found them too in-depth or lacking certain things that I needed. Since one of my goals in 2014 was to get better organized, I figured it was time I make my own cleaning list.
Creating Your Own Cleaning List
Step 1 – Create a Plan: The best thing you can do before you start creating your cleaning list is to come up with a plan. Think about how you what you want your cleaning schedule to look like. Do you want a daily list of chores, weekly or maybe something completely different. You should also be thinking about if you will do all the cleaning yourself or divide it amongst other household members. Lastly, think about all the rooms in your home and start jotting down all the different things that need to be cleaned.
Step 2 – Create Your Daily Schedule: Certain things need to be done everyday like laundry. The bathrooms probably don’t need to be cleaned everyday, so you’re probably okay with leavings things like that off your list. Some common chores that are put onto daily lists:
- Dishes
- Vacuuming
- Sweeping
- 1 load of laundry
- Make the bed
- Wiping counters down
- Taking out garbage
Step 3 – Create your Weekly Schedule: Your weekly schedule is important since these are the bigger chores that really do need to be done every week. Some common chores that are put onto weekly cleaning lists are:
- Cleaning bathrooms
- Mopping
- Dusting
- Washing the bed sheets
- Laundry
Step 4 – Create Your Monthly Cleaning Schedule: Your monthly cleaning schedule might be very detailed depending on the different chores you need to do around your home. The good news is if you’ve stayed on top of your daily and weekly cleaning list, you won’t be cleaning over messy or unorganized rooms. Some common chores that are put onto monthly cleaning are:
- Cleaning the windows
- Wiping down baseboards
- Cobwebs
- Garage
Step 5 – Divide and Conquer: Congratulations you have created your own cleaning list! Doesn’t it feel good to be so organized? Now the goal is to stick to the schedule and ensure you are staying on top of the list. A cleaning list does work if you are making sure the daily, weekly and monthly tasks get done. However, do you really want to tackle this list alone? Probably not. Look over your list and start assigning certain tasks to members of your family. Sometimes asking for help can be hard, but believe me it needs to be done! Even small chores like wiping down counters can be done by young children. Teens and adults can take on tasks like cleaning the bathroom, dishes, laundry and other chores. You might even consider a family meeting where everyone can pick the chores they want to do. Sometimes when children have a say in their chores the chores get done much easier.
Step 6 – Print Your Cleaning List: You can make your cleaning list as plain or pretty as you want. Just make sure to print it out and put it somewhere in the home where everyone can see it. Not only will this serve as a reminder to get the chores done but it will eliminate the question of what each person is supposed to do on any given day.
What tips do you have for creating your own cleaning list?
Bonita says
I am a widow, with one dog. I hate housekeeping, though my mother was constantly cleaning something. Really bad habit of not being organized and motivated when it comes to cleaning. Everything else is organized, cabinets
Dresser drawers, closet, dishes, spices, refrigerator etc. Any suggestions?
Karen says
Divide and conquer, not concur. However I do concur 🙂 Great tips!
Alea Milham says
LOL! Thanks for catching that.
Jill says
Just laughing. We do laundry with our family of 5 once a week! Everyone’s different.