Saving house cleaning for one day can be overwhelming, especially if you’re a full time mother or career woman (sometimes both at the same time). But spending every spare minute of every day cleaning is not the better option! So what do you do to simplify and save time cleaning? The first step in organizing and simplifying your task list is to create one. Create a list for daily tasks, weekly tasks, monthly tasks, and seasonally/yearly tasks. Then separate out what needs to be done when. This can save a ton of time and headache going forward!

Your daily tasks should include:

• Make the bed
• Wash dishes/utilize dishwasher
• Sweep floors clean of all food
• Wipe down all counter surfaces
• Clear daily clutter
• Collect and sort mail

These tasks are done in between deeper cleanings, on a daily basis, to help maintain a tidy and sanitary home. These are small tasks that should take under 5 minutes each (the exception being dishes, depending on family size and availability of a dishwasher).

Any other task that can be done in under 1 minute should be done daily as well.
Example:
Put away your shoes
Throw out old food
Put books away

Your weekly task list should include:

• Clean the toilets
• Wipe down appliances
• Clean the stove (see recipe for easy homemade cleaner below)
• Clean sink/garbage disposal
• Change linens
• Mop floors
• Dust the furniture
• Laundry (adjust frequency to fit your needs)

These tasks can be split up and assigned a day of the week so you’re not putting everything on one day and exhausting yourself. Remember that we are to work 6 days and Sabbath 1 day per week. (Exodus 20:8-10a: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work…) God commands our resting 1 day a week, so plan appropriately. An example of how this task schedule might work is pictured below, but of course it can be adjusted to fit your individual needs.

Download the free “My Cleaning Routine” checklist here!

 

Your monthly task list should include:

• Scrub out microwave and refrigerator
• Wax hardwood floors
• Wash all windows and doors
• Dust walls (wash if needed)
• Disinfect garbage

These tasks will keep your house looking new and smelling great. Dusting the walls will help with potential allergens and get rid of problem causing bacteria. We all know that kid that licks the walls. We may as well accept it and keep them as clean as we can. Disinfecting garbage cans by wiping them out and down with Lysol monthly will keep that garbage stench out of your home, and help to keep away gnats and other unwelcomed visitors.

Your seasonally/yearly task list should include:

• Shampoo carpets (bi-annually)
• Clean out pantry (quarterly to bi-annually)
• Wash comforters and drapes (bi-annually)
• Clean blinds (annually)
• Clean out closets (with season change)
• Clean out desk and shred documents that are no longer needed (yearly)

Yearly/Twice yearly tasks refresh your home after a long stale winter, or after busy holiday seasons. Refreshing carpets will keep your house looking well cared for, and washing old allergens out of the comforters and drapes will keep your body happy. If you do set aside a day or weekend for these tasks, be sure to take some time for yourself afterward. Ladies, go out and get a pedicure, guys go play golf. Do something to relax after a long deep cleaning.

I want to close by saying this. If you are a busy mom and/or career woman and you just don’t have the time you want/need to put into those deep cleans, it’s alright to get help. It’s not shameful to hire a cleaner to come once a month (or once a week for that matter) to help you. It’s ok to ask for help. Let me tell you friends, I am not a mom yet, but I am a full time wife, nurse, and blogger. And guess what. That’s right, I just hired a cleaning lady. She’s going to come once a month and help me do the things I just don’t have time for. And I’ve decided that I’m not going to be embarrassed or ashamed of it at all. Don’t push yourself to exhaustion to try and prove something to people whose opinion doesn’t matter. If you need help, get help.

 

Happy Cleaning!

~Paige Baldwin

 

 

Easy Stovetop Cleaner (works with flat top stoves)

Make a paste using Dawn dish soap, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide. Rub it into your stove top paying extra attention to burnt areas. Let dry for a few hours, or overnight. Use a soft, warm, wet cloth to gently scrub away dried paste. Buff with microfiber cloth. This keeps your stove top clean and shiny.