House cleaning. Some love it but most people – not so much. Fun fact, I dislike cleaning but I can’t function in a dirty environment. As a kid I had a daily cleaning routine to avoid the BIG clean day. I would wash my dish after dinner, make up my bed when I woke up and put my toys away after I used them. My room was always tiddy while my sister on the other hand was a hot mess. You can imagine the fights we had when we actually had to share a room. There was a clear invisible line that divided the mess from the mess-free zone but my dad didn’t care. When he wanted the room cleaned it meant 100% and we were both confined to our room till it was completely done. Those were the days!
FB/IG Stories Results are in… I asked – Do you clean weekly or spot clean daily and my followers answered: 86% clean daily vs. 14% clean weekly.
I often wondered if my sister’s messiness was preparing me for life with kids. My kids are constant mess-makers. For years I just threw my hands up Monday thru Friday and did a big clean on Saturday. Honestly, by Monday night my house was looking messy again. I hated losing a whole day to cleaning only to have it look like I hadn’t even tried a couple days later. A solid daily cleaning routine allows me to have my weekends back. So, if you are looking for a way to revamp your daily routine or wanting to transition from weekly cleaning to daily – here’s my daily cleaning routine…that works for me as a mom.
Tip: Keep cleaning supplies within reach. Set up a caddy with spray bottles, cloths and sponges and place them in rooms where you need them. This eliminates searching around the house for supplies and saves time.
Table of Contents
Daily Tasks:
I allot 20 minutes every day after the kids go to bed to cleaning but throughout the day I do tasks that help me stay on top of messes. These are my daily habits and not part of my 20 minutes of cleaning a day. Each tasks only takes a few minutes and are as followed:
- Wash dishes after each meal (sometimes I delegate this to my daughter or husband)
- Sweep kitchen floor and other heavily trafficked spots
- Wipe down wet bathroom counters
- Squeegee shower walls, and tub after I shower
- Put things back where they belong after you’re done with them (cushions, remotes, sorted piles of mail, purchases, backpacks or purses) – I try to remind the kids that things need to be put away before leaving a room.
- Wipe down kitchen counters (my 6 year old son loves wiping things down so we give him this one almost always)
- Wipe the table after each meal (Grayson usually volunteers for this task too)
- Add laundry as needed, keeping loads small as much as possible (wash, fold and put away)
Weekly Tasks
Spend up to 20 minutes a day on one or a combination of the following tasks:
- Wiping glass and mirrors in the bathrooms and elsewhere
- Dusting
- Wet mopping floors.
- Cleaning bathroom counters and toilets
- Cleaning out the fridge.
- Tackling clutter hot spots.
- Deeper cleaning of kitchen appliances.
- Deeper cleaning of the bathrooms (showers, sinks, tubs, fixtures).
My Daily Cleaning Routine
My daily routine is a combination of my daily tasks and weekly tasks. I like to keep it simple and sometimes will delegate tasks to our kids. Involving the kids teaches them to take responsibility and that cleaning is not “Mom’s job” but a family affair. In addition to daily tasks my weekly tasks are as followed.
Monday
Dust and clean glass and mirrors throughout the house.
Tuesday
Deep clean bathroom and tackle clutter areas and hot spots (i.e. mud room, living room).
Wednesday
Wash down walls, doors and door frames.
Thursday
Wet mop hard floors throughout.
Friday
Clean out the fridge and clean kitchen appliances. Friday works for me because I like to order my groceries online for a Saturday pickup. This way I am able to take inventory of what we have and plan our meals around what’s left.
For more details, also check out The House That Cleans Itself
Why I Like My Daily Cleaning Routine
I like my daily routine because it allows me to have my weekends back and not stress when we have a surprise guest stop by. Our house looks lived in but not filthy and I’m okay with that. As moms we are conditioned to race against an imaginary clock. We race to get dinner on the table, drink our coffee before it gets cold, clean up – we focus on speed when really we should be focusing on efficiency. Although, I call my 20 minute clean up “speed cleaning” – it’s being efficient that makes it work and allows me to have more minutes in the day and ultimately my weekends back.
Are You Ready To Take Back Your Weekends?
I’m glad that was a yes and I’m over here doing a happy dance for you. I am so happy that you will have your weekends to relax, recharge and spend time with your family. I hope this posts gave you an idea on setting up your own daily routine and let me know if you would like to know my favorite cleaning tools, supplies and hacks.
Until next time keep planning + living a life you love