A Realistic Cleaning Schedule You Can Stick With

Looking for a realistic cleaning schedule that you can actually stick with? Look no further! Check out our tips for keeping on top of cleaning, broken into daily and weekly tasks. Then simply print out our cleaning schedule and get started!

Creating a Realistic Cleaning Schedule

When it comes to creating a realistic cleaning schedule, the first thing to do is to break down your cleaning tasks into a few different main categories:

• Daily Tasks
• Weekly Tasks
• Monthly Tasks
• Seasonal Tasks

Let’s dive a bit deeper into two main focus areas to get you started: Daily and Weekly tasks. These are the hardest to get a handle on, and once you get these down, adding Monthly and Seasonal tasks become a breeze.

Be sure to check out the Organized Mom Cleaning Planner to help you get everything into one place!

Daily Cleaning Tasks:

So that cleaning your home doesn’t become an overwhelming task on the weekends, you’ll need to do some things every day.

In the mornings, swing through the bedrooms and the bathroom. A few quick tasks will keep these areas looking great. Make the beds, make sure dirty clothes made it to the hamper, and that any toys, books, clutter are put away. In the bathroom, check to make sure the towels are hung up and that the toothbrushes made it back to their holders.

After dinner, work on the kitchen and get your dishes done. Wipe the counters and the table and sweep up the floor. Take the kitchen trash out every day if you have a large family (or if you have stinky trash)!

If you always seem behind on laundry, try to find the time to run one load every day or two. Commit to seeing that through from start to finish making sure to wash, dry, fold, and put away!

Before you hit the sack, take a spin around your living room and pick up any general clutter. Put shoes by the door, hang up any coats or backpacks your kids might have left out, put away toys, and get the throw pillows and blankets back on the couch.

Taking these simple steps daily will do wonders for keeping your house tidy and it will feel so good to come down in the morning to a picked up living room and a clean kitchen.

Weekly Cleaning Tasks

Some cleaning jobs only need to be done once a week, but that doesn’t mean they all need to be done on the same day. Try to tackle one job a day so you can enjoy your free time on the weekends, instead of cleaning all day!

Take a look at your schedule and see what days you might have a little more free time than others. Choose those days for the more time-consuming chores, like the kitchen or bathrooms. On days you have less time, plan on a smaller chore, like emptying the small trashcans throughout the house.

As always, try to get the kids involved! Assign some of these chores to your kids if they are old enough. Teach your kids to make their beds in the mornings, and to put away their laundry and their own toys. Help them get in the habit of daily cleaning and straightening! You’ll be happy for the help and you’ll be instilling good habits in your children.

Click Here to Download Your Free Cleaning Schedule!

Monthly Cleaning Tasks

Make a list of chores or things that you can work on through the month. Maybe pick a room and work on thinning out the stuff in that room.

Gather things to donate to charities, things to sell on Marketplace, Poshmark, or take to the consignment store, and get rid of or trash some things that just need to go. 

Seasonal Cleaning 

Make a list of seasonal tasks that can be done at different times throughout the year. These can be things like power washing the deck and siding of the house or reorganizing the garage.

You know that the outdoor tasks are typically better to do in the summer and the indoor ones are better to do in the winter.

Take a few minutes to brain dump the chore list and see what you think would work on better during each different time of the year. 

Now that we have general ideas going for each type of cleaning tasks you need to do, let’s share some examples of using these different schedules to help you clean house a little easier. 

Actual Cleaning Schedule Examples

Here’s an example of a daily cleaning routine that includes little tasks to do throughout the day to keep a tidier home:

Morning:

• Make the bed
• Open the curtains to let in natural light
• Wipe down kitchen countertops and appliances
• Empty the dishwasher

Midday:

• Sweep or vacuum the floors
• Wipe down bathroom surfaces
• Do a quick tidy up of living areas
• Take out the trash

Afternoon:

• Do a load of laundry
• Dust surfaces and furniture
• Water indoor plants
• Clean windows and mirrors

Evening:

• Wash dishes or load the dishwasher
• Declutter any areas that have accumulated items
• Sweep or vacuum those pesky high-traffic areas
• Take a few minutes to relax and unwind

By breaking up these tasks throughout the day and making them part of your daily routine, you can maintain a clean and organized home without feeling overwhelmed.

Remember, consistency is key! Stick to whatever schedule you decide upon and adjust it as needed to fit your lifestyle and preferences.

Also, remember that each schedule will look different for different families. A working mom may not be able to accomplish the same amount of tasks during the day as a stay at home mom can.

These things need to be considered when deciding what tasks to add to your list. 

Weekly Cleaning Routine Schedule Example

Now that the house is a little more picked up daily, we can focus a bit more on the tasks to do weekly. Remember to adjust this for your family’s needs and do what you can each day without having to spend too much time on each task and feeling overwhelmed. 

Monday:

• Vacuum all carpets and rugs
• Clean the kitchen countertops and sink
• Dust all surfaces in the living room

Tuesday:

• Mop the kitchen floor and bathroom floors
• Wipe down all kitchen appliances
• Clean the bathroom sink and mirror

Wednesday:

• Change bed sheets and pillowcases
• Organize and declutter the bedroom
• Sweep the front porch or entryway

Thursday:

• Scrub the bathtub and shower tiles
• Clean all windows and glass surfaces
• Dust and polish any wood furniture

Friday:

• Do a thorough clean of the refrigerator
• Vacuum upholstery and cushions
• Wipe down light switches and door handles

Saturday:

• Clean the oven and stovetop
• Wipe down all bathroom fixtures
• Dust and clean ceiling fans or light fixtures

Sunday:

• Organize and clean out the pantry
• Clean and disinfect garbage cans
• Sweep or mop the garage or basement floor

By following this weekly chore schedule, you can ensure that your home stays clean and organized throughout the week.

Remember to tackle one task and that doing a little bit each day of the week will cut down on the overwhelm you feel when you’re starring at a disaster zone of a house that has been turned upside down, wondering how you’re going to pick it all up in time, just on the weekends. 

Monthly Schedule Ideas

Now that you have a weekly cleaning schedule, you can think more about the deep cleaning that needs to be done, but less frequently than the everyday or weekly cleaning. 

Here is a list of monthly house cleaning chores that you can do each month of the year. Add these to your list and customize your own cleaning routine:

January:

• Deep clean the carpets and rugs
• Clean and organize the kitchen cabinets and drawers

February:

• Wash all windows and window sills
• Clean and organize the linen closet
• Deep clean all of the baseboards

March:

• Dust and clean all blinds and curtains
• Clean and disinfect all light switches and doorknobs

April:

• Clean and organize the garage
• Clean and organize the outdoor patio or deck

May:

• Clean and disinfect all electronic devices and gadgets
• Deep clean the refrigerator and freezer

June:

• Clean and organize the laundry room
• Dust and clean all ceiling fans and light fixtures

July:

• Clean and organize the children’s play area
• Clean and disinfect all remote controls and game controllers

August:

• Deep clean the bathroom tiles and grout
• Clean and organize the home office or workspace

September:

• Clean and organize the entryway or foyer
• Dust and clean all bookshelves and decorative items

October:

• Clean and organize the pantry
• Wash all pillows and cushions

November:

• Deep clean the oven and stovetop
• Clean and organize the bedroom closets

December:

• Dust and clean all holiday decorations
• Clean and disinfect all bathroom fixtures

By following this monthly chore schedule, you can make sure that your home stays clean and organized throughout the year. Remember to tackle one task at a time and take breaks as needed. 

Then you can think of the rest of your list and decide what makes sense to do during different seasons in your area and work on a seasonal cleaning calendar. 

Seasonal Cleaning Task Sample Schedule

Spring:

• Clean and organize the garage
• Wash all windows and window sills
• Dust and clean ceiling fans and light fixtures

Summer:

• Deep clean the grill
• Dust and clean all blinds and curtains
• Clean and disinfect outdoor furniture

Fall:

• Clean and organize the basement or storage area
• Vacuum and shampoo carpets and rugs
• Clean and organize the kitchen cabinets and drawers

Winter:

• Clean and polish hardwood floors
• Dust and clean all electronics and screens
• Clean and disinfect all doorknobs and light switches (really important to do during cold and fly season to help keep all of your family as healthy as possible)

Practical Tips for Making the Best Realistic Cleaning Schedule

• Obviously, change out tasks that you do or don’t need. Think about your own needs and make a personalized cleaning routine. Everything shared here are just examples of things you may want to include, but is not a comprehensive list of the tasks every single home out there will need done.
• Don’t hesitate to ask for help. You can ask your friends or family for help if needed. I find one of the best ways to make sure I get it all done is to assign different tasks to different family members. Sometimes people get specific daily chores, sometimes they’ll get weekly or monthly chores, but it’s a way to make sure that I don’t feel like all of the pressure is on me to keep a clean home. It also teaches others the importance of pitching in, having responsibilities, how to actually clean, being part of a team, and so much more. I also find that what I ask others to help with, or even how much I ask them to help with will change throughout the year. During the hectic, running to and fro days of our lives (you know when every kid has busy schedules needing chauffered here and there and we have work meetings and need to do XYZ each day), I’m in the survival, doing the bare minimum and I might ask others to help pick up my slack more than when I have more time at home to do those tasks on a daily basis. 
• Don’t be afraid to hire help. If you find that you just can’t find the time to do certain things, and you can afford it. Go ahead mama, hire that extra set of hands to help you out. Whether it be a cleaning company or cleaning crew to come in and help you get it all cleaned up, or if you just need a local teen to come watch your small children so you can finish those small cleaning tasks, sometimes hiring someone to help you out, in whatever capacity, can be exactly what you need in order to keep a tidy home. 
• Just remember that a messy house is still going to be there the next day. Don’t stress yourself over getting all the small tasks done every single day, week, month or year. Usually, a messy house is a house that has been lived in and where memories are made. It’ll still need cleaning tomorrow! It’s okay to accept that you can’t do everything, everyday. Just try to make steps to form new habits for a cleaner, or tidier home each day.

​Having a printable cleaning schedule that you can use for each type of task- daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal for the entire house is so helpful and can really help you stay on track. You don’t have to clean the whole house in one day. Break it down into manageable tasks. 

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