1. Keep Cleaning Supplies Around the House
Keep cleaning supplies where you use them most. Typically this would in the bathrooms and in the kitchen. This makes it quick and easy to clean throughout the day.2. Clean by Multitasking
Since you will have cleaning products around the house, clean as you go through your day. Spray the shower right after you get out in the morning and wipe down the bathroom counter top as you are blow drying your hair. Wipe down the kitchen every time after you cook. Doing little things throughout the day will save time later.3. Clean the Kitchen Everynight
After dinner is cooked, go ahead and do the dishes and wipe down the kitchen. Put all of the dishes away and anything else to make sure the kitchen is clean. Even though I know we are all tired at the end of the day, just think of how nice it is to wake up to a clean house in the morning.4. Do Laundry Everyday
Before the baby, I would do laundry every Sunday. But now, who wants to spend an entire day doing laundry? Definitely not me. So now, I do one load of laundry in the morning and one at night. Sometimes I run a load over night and finish it in the morning. This way, I’m getting everything done in small amounts and can enjoy my weekend, laundry free.5. Pick Up Before Going to Bed
Walk through the house and pick up random things that get out of order before going to bed. Like folding blankets on the couch, putting toys away, or any dishes that may have been left out. This will take 5 minutes and you will wake up to a clutter free space the next day.Doing these things as a part of our daily routine definitely helps. I also try to tackle a few other things everyday during the week, so I don’t have to do much housework on the weekends. Then there are things like vacuuming the furniture that don’t need to be done every week. So we try to do a few things once a month whenever we can fit it in during the week. I spend about 15 minutes or less doing each of the tasks, so it’s manageable to keep up with. Of course this doesn’t happen every week, but we try! Below is the cleaning schedule we follow.
Two loads of laundry a day? I just about fainted! =) I try to wash and dry a load in the morning, then I fold it in the afternoon after nap. We do clothes and cloth diapers twice a week, and towels and sheets once a week. I try to schedule towels and sheets for busier days, since they take less time to fold and put away. We use Sunday to get caught up on any laundry that didn’t get folded throughout the week.
Great tips! I’m trying to get better about doing little bits of cleaning every day so it doesn’t pile up and become overwhelming. I notice that most people (like yourself) who keep a clean house are doing mild clean up several times a day (so they only take 5-10 minutes at a time).
That laundry system sounds great too! I probably do laundry too much, but kids get so much stuff dirty all the time 🙂 It definitely took me a while to get in to an every day system. We used to just put everything off until the weekend, but then I hated spending my weekend cleaning.
And I love the cleaning tips you have on This Simplified Home.