A Manageable Daily Cleaning Schedule
Keeping your home clean and organized can be a daunting task, especially when you’re busy with life. But with a daily cleaning routine in place, you can keep your home clean and tidy without stressing.
In this blog post, we will guide you through an easy-to-follow daily cleaning checklist that covers all the essential tasks for keeping your home spick and span.
Manageable Daily Cleaning Routine
Remember to prioritize tasks based on their level of importance and frequency. Tailor the cleaning routine to fit your schedule and lifestyle. With dedication and consistency, you will find that creating cleaning habits makes maintaining a clean home becomes easier over time.
Kitchen Tasks Checklist
The kitchen is one of the most important areas in your home that demands regular cleaning. It’s where you prepare your meals, so cleanliness and hygiene are essential.
Wipe Counters
Use a fresh, damp cloth to clean kitchen counters after meals. It can prevent spills and food from hardening, making it easier to maintain cleanliness in the kitchen.
Dishwasher and Microwave
If you have a dishwasher, unload clean dishes and reload them after meals with dirty dishes to prevent them from piling up in the kitchen sink.
Unless you have a dishwasher, fill a sink with hot, but not overly hot, soapy water. Wash the dishes with a sponge, rinse them, and store them in a dish drainer to let them air dry before putting them away. If you’re pressed for time, dab them with a dish towel.
Sweep and Mop the Floors
Start by sweeping the kitchen floor to remove any crumbs or debris that might have accumulated throughout the day. If you keep up with the daily habit, you should be able to get away with a quick sweep.
Don’t forget to vacuum any mats or rugs in the kitchen area and wash them if they look particularly grimy.
Scrub the baseboards after sweeping to make sure that all debris has been cleared. Follow with a quick mop using a mild cleaning solution to leave your kitchen floors sparkling clean and ready for use.
Empty Trash
Empty the trash can whenever it’s full and store your garbage in cans outside until your trash pick-up day. Wipe down both the interior and exterior of wastebaskets to remove any remaining spills or debris. This cuts down on kitchen odor.
Organize the Fridge
Quickly go through the refrigerator to throw out any old leftovers or expired food. Then, wipe down the fridge shelves and the inside of the door to prevent bacteria and grime build-up.
Consider using clear storage containers to make it easier to organize items in the fridge and find things more quickly.
Taking time tidying to label items in the fridge can help keep track of expiration dates and prevent food waste, making it easier to stay organized.
If you have a few extra minutes to spare, wipe down the stovetop, and inside and outside of the microwave to keep it clean between more in-depth cleanings.
Dining Room Tasks
This is a very quick part of your house cleaning routine. Wipe down tabletops, light switches, ceiling fans, and give the baseboards a quick dust after sweeping.
Living Room and Bedroom Tasks
Though not as heavily trafficked as the kitchen and bathroom, your living room and bedrooms can get dirty fast if they’re not properly maintained.
Tidy Up/Declutter
To keep surfaces clear of clutter, consider using a wicker storage basket or other stylish storage solutions to keep your rooms tidy and organized.
Dust Surfaces
To effectively dust the furniture in the living room and bedroom, use a cloth and multi-surface spray to clean all surfaces. This should include the wardrobe, doorknobs, coat rack, railings, and any other furniture in the room.
Vacuum the Floors
Before vacuuming, you should deodorize your carpets with baking soda to eliminate any unwanted odors. Then, run the vacuum over the floors in the rooms to remove dirt and debris.
Pick Up Laundry
Pick up any dirty laundry that may be lying around. Designate a specific hamper for dirty laundry and encourage family members to use it consistently to promote organization and cleanliness.
Straighten Pillows and Blankets
Take a few minutes to straighten pillows and blankets. This can help give the room a tidy and organized appearance, making it more inviting for guests or simply creating a more relaxing environment for yourself and your family.
Bathroom Tasks
A bathroom is a messy place – and even though it’s where we clean ourselves, that left behind dirt and grime can build up faster than we’d like.
Wipe Down the Sink, Faucets, and Counter
Wipe down the bathroom sink, faucets, and countertops with a disinfectant wipe or a microfiber cloth sprayed with your choice of the cleaning agent.
Quickly Scrub the Toilet
Begin by cleaning the toilet seat and rim with a disinfecting cloth. Next, use a disinfecting surface spray on the outside of the toilet and let it sit for 10 minutes before wiping it away.
Wipe the Mirror
A microfiber cloth is a great tool for keeping bathroom mirrors spotless, as it won’t leave behind any streaks or lint.
Clean the Shower
Part of your cleaning schedule should include bathtubs and showers. For keeping these two things spotless make sure to scrub grout, clean the shower door and bath mats.
Washing/Straighten Towels
Pick up and straighten towels. This not only keeps your bathroom looking neat and organized but also prevents moisture from accumulating in damp towels, which can lead to mold growth.
Wash your bath towels, bathmats and washcloths weekly to keep them fresh and ready for showers or baths.
Hire a Recurring House Keeping Service if You Need Extra Help
If you need extra help in keeping your home clean, then consider hiring a recurring housekeeping service. At Upstairs Downstairs, we’re skilled in cleaning and organizing homes and can provide an extra helping hand when needed. Hiring us means your home is always clean and well-organized, and you won’t have to worry about doing it yourself.
FAQs
What are the benefits of cleaning your house every day?
Making cleaning a part of your daily routine leads to reduced stress and anxiety. Cluttered areas tend to create a sense of chaos that makes it harder to relax. Regular cleaning can also reduce allergens in your home, which is helpful for allergy sufferers.
It’s easier to be more productive because you are more likely to find what you need when you need it. Cleaning daily also means you’ll have more time and space since you’re less likely to accumulate more clutter over time.
Is there anything else I can do to get more house cleaning done in less time?
Rather than trying to clean the house all at once, clean in short bursts. Set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and do what you can in the high-traffic areas of your home. Using efficient cleaning supplies can make it easier to clean faster, as well.
Is it better to have a cleaning schedule or just go through my house once every few weeks?
A house cleaning schedule with daily tasks and weekly tasks added in on different days of the week, such as: cleaning the showers on Monday, washing towels and bed linens on Tuesday, etc., can help you keep a handle on the mess.
If you do a bigger clean every few weeks, it’s likely you’ll spend more time on housework overall, compared to spending a few minutes here and there every day to tidy up.
What matters, however, is what works best for your preference and schedule.
Should I hire someone to help me with the cleaning or do it myself using a cleaning schedule?
That’s a matter of personal preference and budget. If you’re short on time or physically unable to handle certain tasks, then it makes sense to hire someone to help you with cleaning.
If you’re someone who is overwhelmed by the idea of cleaning your entire home, using a daily or weekly cleaning schedule to break it down into smaller, more manageable tasks and working in smaller blocks of time can help.
How often should a house be cleaned?
How often your home needs to be cleaned varies depending on your personal preference, the number of occupants, and how frequently different areas are used.
A person who lives alone and works often will be able to clean less than someone who has multiple young children at home.
Typically, daily cleaning tasks help maintain a clean home. This includes tasks like making beds, doing a load of laundry, doing dishes, wiping down counters, and sweeping/mopping floors. Weekly cleaning tasks include vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning bathrooms.
Deep cleaning tasks such as washing windows or scrubbing walls can be done once or twice a year.