Oh, cleaning. I loathe it. I know we're supposed to find joy in all the mundane things but, sometimes, cleaning is monotonous and annoying. There. I said it. If there was one thing I could spend unlimited money on without a second thought, it would be a full-time house cleaning crew! Also, if you’re one of these people who love to tidy constantly and your home is always Pinterest-worthy and sparkling, this post is not for you. This is for regular, schmegular ladies that have busy schedules and/or busy kiddos and need systems that work! With summer here, there’s too much fun to be had and no one wants to be cooped up in a messy house trying to get it under control for hours every day! Below are some things I’ve personally implemented that have helped maximize my time as a busy mom of two while keeping the clutter and chaos to a minimum. Take what you need, throw out what you don’t. Additionally, unless you are a super minimalist, cleaning fairy who only owns the bare minimum for survival, your home will get messy and that’s okay. Give yourself some grace if you’re in a busy season with work and/or little kids. Pick it back up tomorrow and move on!
Daily Habits
Make yourself a list of a few things you need to do each day that prevent huge build-ups. The two areas that pile up the fastest for us are dishes and laundry, so I try to handle those once every single day. (Instead of doing the laundry and then leaving it on the couch to rot for a week lol)
You can do these tasks at any point during your day, whatever works for your schedule. The same few tasks in the morning, or evening, or during a nap time.
An example:
Morning
Wash/Put Away Dishes
Start a load of laundry
Wipe kitchen counters
Sweep kitchen floors
Basic tidy of the house
Evening
Dishes
Put laundry away
Wipe down kitchen counters
Sweep floors
This will prevent things from becoming overwhelming so quickly.
Weekly Routines
For tasks that aren’t done daily, such as washing bedding or cleaning toilets, one of the easiest ways to stay consistent is to assign them to a certain day each week. Instead of wondering, “when was the last time this toilet was cleaned?”, you can just make Tuesday “Toilet Tuesday” (or whatever helps you remember) and clean them every Tuesday. Obviously if you have BOYS you might be cleaning the toilets more frequently but this way, you know they’re getting a good scrub at least once a week.
Some examples of ways to group or assign tasks:
Toilets & Towels Tuesday
Microwave & Mirrors Monday
Washroom Wednesday (bathrooms get cleaned)
Thursday, all bedding gets washed and that’s the only task.
Fridge Friday (clean out fridge & wipe down appliances)
Saturday is meal planning and grocery shopping for the week
Sunday is gentle re-setting and rest
There are lots of cleaning routine examples out there; you just have to find one that works for your schedule. I personally use a home planner by the Passionate Penny Pincher blog that has daily cleaning checklists. It sounds overwhelming, but has helped my scattered brain immensely, and I no longer panic when someone drops by unannounced!
Remove the Obstacles
We all know that the more resistance you face, the less likely you are to complete a task. If my current laundry system was a washing board down in a nearby river, you can bet your bottom dollar I would not be doing a load per day! Tools and strategies that make things easier are going to help you stay consistent! Stacking things you don’t want to do with habits you already have will help too. Here are a few examples and ideas:
Keep a scrub brush in your shower
This is weird, but it totally works. Cleaning the shower is one of my least favorite tasks but for some reason, this tip has helped me clean them 2-3 times a week consistently. Purchase one of those little scrub brushes that has soap in the handle and fill it with whatever cleaning solution you want. Vinegar & Dawn, plain dish soap...up to you. Pop it in your shower and when you take a shower, spend three minutes giving the walls and glass a quick scrub before you get out. You can also keep one in the bathtub and when your kids get out, you can clean the tub (or make them do it). This will keep away any scum build-up and generally dish soap/vinegar is easier on the lungs than a lot of bathroom cleaners.
Keep supplies in a caddy under your sink
This way, when it’s time to clean your mirrors & bathroom counters on Monday, you can just carry your caddy that has all your supplies already from room to room.
Keep toiletries in a toiletry bag
This one may not be for everyone but this is my Type B showing. I don’t know. On vacation recently, I realized that the bathroom counter in our VRBO was staying really clean. No brushes laying out with bobby pins scattered and hairspray bottles overturned. Everything was in my toiletry bag sitting on the counter. When I was done getting ready, I just threw everything into the bag and zipped it up. Looked neater, kept everything together and I could just put it in a drawer if I didn't want to see it. Cue the giant lightbulb! So now at home I just keep a few things in decorative containers out on the counter like cotton pads, q-tips, floss picks, etc, but the rest of my things stay in a nice toiletry bag that lives in my drawer. When I’m brushing my teeth for the day, I throw everything back into the bag and my counter stays clear!
Toilet cleaner, trash bags, soap refills in each bathroom
This way, you don’t have to walk around the house looking for supplies when it’s time to do these things.
Batch Tasks
These are things you can do a bulk of so that your future self will thank you.
Ironing
When your nice clothes come out of the dryer, plan to iron all of them at once. I don’t know why I thought I would be the type of person to iron our outfits after picking them out every day, but it’s just not going to happen and that dress will stay wrinkly in my closet for weeks. Taking 20-30 minutes to iron things *before* putting them away has helped me go mostly wrinkle free.
Chopping veggies
Not cleaning related, but just a handy tip. Chop all your veggies for your meal plan in one day, so when it’s 4 PM and your kids are losing their minds, you won’t have to chop an onion.
Vitamins in an organizer
Every Saturday or Sunday, put all your vitamins for morning/night into one of those daily pill organizers. Yes, like the one your grandma has. It will help you stay on top of your vitamins without having to remember how much of what you take each day.
Hopefully with these tips, you can spend less time cleaning every day and more time enjoying your home and family this summer.
