Cleaning on a schedule is something I've been doing for over 10 years. I bet my parents wish I used it when I lived at home and was a mess! It was a little rigid at first, but it's come to be something that makes my life a lot easier. I don't need to think about it. I just do it. Like any other routine, once I'm in it it's automatic.
I've shared this before both on this blog and via email to people who've asked but I'm revisiting it here because I do what I want. Sometimes I make changes to my hausfrauing schedule every few weeks. Other times it goes unchanged for months.
It is rare for things to get unmanageably messy or dirty in my house because I don't buck the hausfrauing schedule. The only time things look like a shitbomb hit us is when I've been sick or when we've just returned from vacation and things are strewn about. But we all have those upside down weeks and I find if the actual cleaning goes by the wayside, keeping on top of the daily dos lets me coast for a while in a fairly presentable manner.
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| A copy hangs on my fridge because I'm a dork |
We all have a lot of stuff going on. I don't like living in squalor but I don't like spending time on the weekends cleaning and running all of my errands so I try to space it out over the week.
If I miss a day of anything, it's not the end of the world. I do try to stay on top of things because when I do, tasks don't take a long time week to week. It all ties together - if I've kept everything picked up and put away, vacuuming or dusting all three floors of the house doesn't take more than a half hour even when I have to travel with the vacuum.
Keeping time to a minimum is important to me - I get home at six or later and exercise at night as well. Food prep on the weekends takes dinner out of the equation most days.
Hanging this up also reminds of the quarterly or monthly tasks that I hate but that must be done. Doing them on a schedule means there's really no more ass breaking spring cleaning here. I do my ass breaking spring cleaning out in the yard now. Blah
Hausfrauing doesn't bother me, but my favorite week of the month is undoubtedly the one that contains the Tuesday our cleaning lady comes. The rest of that week is cake!
Do you use a cleaning schedule? Are you a weekday or weekend cleaner?
Linking up with Shanna for Random Wednesday
Those slippers are glamorous! I'm still trying to figure out a schedule that works for me. Sometimes I like getting stuff done after work and sometimes it all feels like too much and it waits for the weekend, but I do like the idea of doing things as you go instead of letting it all pile up and then having to do a massive cleaning job. I'm trying to follow the 1-minute rule right now and it definitely helps keep the clutter to a minimum!
ReplyDeleteI'm finding that as long as I keep up with basic tasks like dishes, laundry, and floors during the week, the other stuff just comes naturally when I have a chance. I seriously admire you for keeping up with this schedule so well. When I'm not feeling like doing this or things get busy, the cleaning is the first to go.
ReplyDeleteI wish I were this organized. I should really start getting stuff done throughout the week instead of feeling overwhelmed on the weekends.
ReplyDeleteYou are so organized. I tend to do it all on the weekends since I workout on the weekdays and then blogging catch up. I do maintain though through the week so it's not much time on the weekends. The Monthly and Quarterly stuff is great to see visually as a reminder. I tend to forget those until something reminds me or pops into my head.
ReplyDeletei split the tasks with my husband for both house chores and taking care of kayla. it keeps both of us happy and sane!
ReplyDeletewe do most of our stuff on the weekend but i do try and get a load of laundry in on wednesday. when you have a kid and everyone in the house works out every day, laundry piles up fast. we also try and clean as we go so reduce cleaning so dishes are done while cooking and immediately after each meal (we never have dishes in the sink and rarely use our dishwasher), kayla tidies up her shit before pulling out another toy, laundry is put away right after it's folded (or at least we try to).
i;m not this scheduled at home, but at work i am! we have it charted a little like this. i am the worst at putting away laundry. i will fold all day but putting it away...no!!! thank you so much for your comments on yesterday's post. your words are a comfort.
ReplyDeleteI have a very similar cleaning schedule that I made. I looked through schedules on pinterest and then combined several into one that works for me. Once you actually get into the habit of it, it makes life so much easier. Then you go into feel less stressed because you have all sorts of chores to do.
ReplyDeleteI'm more of a haphazard clean as things need it kind of person. But I have a small apartment with no yard as opposed to a house with a yard/garden. And I don't have dogs so I'm sure that cuts down on a lot of floor work. Does MFD help or have his own maintenance list?
ReplyDeleteLovely, my dear. You got the housecleaning gene from Grandmom. With 6 kids, Gamma was always picking up and did move and rearrange furniture a lot and clean. Being one of the early working moms, I never acquired a real need
ReplyDeleteto clean while working. No sharing chores back then and still now I am sure you girls have to nag. Except for my Stephen- good God, so happy about that. I Have the luxury of time now, wipe up the bathroom every time I am in it, stuff like that. AND Rich is very neat- which is half the effing battle.
Love you to infinity and beyond, Your Momma
I so need to make a cleaning schedule. I wish I was as organized as you are. I usually end up wasting a whole day cleaning and doing laundry. I so need to get better at staying on top of cleaning. Great post.
ReplyDeletelove your schedule. I just have the basics on mine since I live in an apartment and move every year (I ain't cleaning no windows) but once we have a house, I'll really have to do all these things! Eek!
ReplyDeleteYour Monday to-do is on point.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a schedule; I tried it, but I found that it stressed me out when I didn't feel like doing something or didn't get something done, even if it was scheduled for that day. So, I kind of do a little at a time like you, but not on specific days. The only thing I really do on the same days usually is washing the sheets, which I do on the weekends. Otherwise, I do stuff as needed (except for the floors--those get done daily. Shiny, dark hardwood floors was the worst idea ever with dogs).
ReplyDeleteAnd like you, nothing ever gets out of control unless we/I am sick or we are back from vacation. I can't even understand how out of control people let their houses get. Ughhhhh.
Haha my routine is not nearly as organized and on point as yours, but I bet my parents also wished I had this list when I lived at home. Womp, womp.
ReplyDeleteI live in a one bedroom apartment but grew up in a sizeable home and my parents had a schedule. I never got it until I lived alone. Even my one bedroom gets out of control if I don't keep up. I will admit that I don't and then its a shitstorm to get everything cleaned. I need a schedule like this!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great schedule. what a way to get all things done!
ReplyDeletewww.amemoryofus.com
I love that you said no one wants to do anything on Monday because that is the truth! I love your schedule! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston
ReplyDeleteI am the worst at doing all these things on a regular basis! I think a schedule on the fridge is a great idea. Perhaps I can aspire to your level lol
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing! I can't believe you made that yourself! I have resigned myself to tidying every night with the big clean on Sundays but this is so dang well-organized, I might print when we move and keep on the fridge! Seriously. Bravo to you.
ReplyDeleteI love that you purposely don't schedule anything for Mondays. It's true! No one wants to do anything on Mondays. Let's not talk abut how often I clean (or don't for that matter) the house.
ReplyDeleteI love schedules! So seeing this just makes me happy! lol ...I like my house clean and organized, if my house gets too out of sorts then I feel anxious and like things are out of control. I wouldn't say that I have a cleaning schedule due to having a toddler that is usually behind me making the mess as I go, but I do pick things up as things go.
ReplyDeleteCan I just hire you to organize and be my life coach??? Ha!! I just can't seem to stick with schedules, charts or calendars...I have tried....believe me!!! I kinda feel like a loser after reading this post!! Ha!!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I know anyone as organized as you. it's impressive. I just cleaned the shit out of my house the other day and it felt awesome!
ReplyDeleteLOL at "no one wants to do anything on Monday" could not be more true! I love how organized you are, I pretty much do nothing during the week except for cooking and cleaning up after dinner. The weekends is when I clean the bathrooms, strip the beds, do laundry, dust, etc.. and sometimes there just isn't time to get anything other than laundry done :-P
ReplyDeleteI have a rough cleaning schedule, with certain things like picking up toys, dishes, and wiping down counters being daily chores, laundry once a week, food shopping on a specific day, etc. Other than that, I do things when I remember. I live with people whose idea of clean is very different than mine so I try not to be too rigid or I'll lose my mind.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a cleaning schedule because I've got very little space, I can spend two hours and be done with the whole house.
ReplyDeleteI do sweep daily because I have kids, dogs, and a yard full of sand. I also do laundry on Tyson's days off currently but that varies. I assume when Little K starts school the laundry schedule will need to be more strict.
I really need to get myself on a cleaning schedule of some sort. Right now I'm going through stuff & packing my house up & then hiring someone to do the move out clean up...but for my next place!
ReplyDeleteI have a cleaning schedule too. If I don't stick to it, things just get out of hand lol
ReplyDeleteI love that you have yourself on a schedule. I usually spend 3 hours of my Saturday cleaning the entire house from the week and I would really love to try and break it up every night like you do so that I am not wasting away precious weekend time!!! I get home around 630ish most nights so it is doable. The only thing I currently do during the week is laundry, which is Wednesday nights. And I cook at least 3 or 4 nights a week too. Well, I keep up with the dishes as soon as they are dirty because I cant stand dishes in the sink. Just no.
ReplyDeleteLove your schedule. I'm really not good about cleaning as I go, but I'm getting better. I hate that it takes forever to clean if I have to do it all at once! I really need to get some daily dos ingrained in my brain.
ReplyDeleteI agree, letting stuff pile up makes it much harder to do later, though I don't follow through as often as I should. I was much better at keeping a schedule when I cohabited, but being that it's just me, I definitely let things slide more and pay for it on the weekends. I hung up my Spring Cleaning Guide on the fridge so I remember what I'm supposed to be doing each day!
ReplyDeleteI used to be ocd about cleaning, more in the beginning of the relationship. Then we moved in together, and I don't think he Realised how neurotic I was. I like clean, organized, him? He makes piles of shit around him, pop cans on the coffee table. He has Friday's off and when I'd come home from work, id be livid. Who the F wants to come home to a pigsty and have to pick up after my man-child all the time?
ReplyDeleteWe've been together 13 years, married almost 7 and I've learned to let a lot of shit go, within reason of course. But it drives him nuts that I'm constantly in the kitchen or cleaning and never just chillin and hanging out. Well MISTER, if you helped me out a little? I've come to terms that he'll never be as eager to clean as I, and he has improved, it still drives me up the wall how messy he is at times.
Speaking of, I have to vacuum tonight. I have white fluffs flying around the house from the boys :)
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ReplyDeleteMost of the time I tell myself to do the dishes, wipe down counters and pick up the house nightly than save all the deeper cleaning for Friday nights or Saturday mornings. I probably should create a schedule one of these days to keep me more organized but for now I write down the important weekly to do's on the fridge and try to pick up as much as possible.
ReplyDeleteI love this, I need to get on a schedule like that... I feel like I spend my whole weekend cleaning and doing laundry!
ReplyDeleteI need to have a cleaning schedule. I basically clean when things look awful. I vacuum daily, because my kids are pigs. The bathrooms are usually cleaned at least once a week because my kids are pigs.
ReplyDeleteYou're so organized, I love it. I don't have a set schedule and if I don't keep up with laundry everything is like 10x worse. My husband likes to think he's neat but god forbid he actually put a dish in the dishwasher. I make sure the kitchen sink is empty and clean every night. I can't wake up to a mess in the kitchen because it will just ruin the day.
ReplyDeleteFuckin hell woman. I'm glad I live far away from you because I could never have you over to my house. You would be appalled. Seriously. People need to pay you to get them organized like this. That's incredible!
ReplyDeletei need to set something like this up with daily dos or something.. i quite like setting aside a few hours on the weekend and cleaning the house from top to bottom, it makes me feel good. i don't know why. i love the difference, whereas if i did it bit by bit the difference wouldnt be as drastic. that being said, one day if i have kids, i won't be able to be like 'now you all just sit still for 5 hours so i can clean the house and relax, okay?' so i should probably definitely do something like this.
ReplyDeleteWow you get so much done during the week. I basically squeeze everything into Sunday and rotate the big cleaning projects from weekend to weekend. Throw in some blogging and it makes for extremely busy Sundays.
ReplyDeleteI don't really have a "cleaning schedule" per-say. I typically clean right after working out on Saturday morning, then I have the rest of the day to do whatever. But since I haven't been working full time, I'll come home and get some stuff done and then I can't stop myself so I'll move from one cleaning project to another. And yet my house STILL isn't clean. Ugh. The joys of having dogs who can't seem to grasp control of their fur and how often it sheds. I mean, pick up after yourselves dogs. #doghairisanaccessory
ReplyDeleteI vacuum. Then I vacuum again, then again...dogs. I don't have a schedule other than wash. Vacuum every day or every other at least, dust once a week, bathrooms wiped down constantly, mop floors weekly. Never ending...
ReplyDeleteI am truly impressed and amazed! You have a cleaning lady AND you also clean? That's incredible. I don't think I'd do much except pick up stuff and put it away if I had a cleaning service. I do like your organization though. I have monthly tasks and every-day tasks, not weekly tasks. The dogs' medication is given by my husband and the groomer takes care of the rest. I do some spot eye-cleaning and butt-cleaning but that's it. You even clean the ceiling fan and fridge? Sounds like so much, I couldn't do it!
ReplyDeleteI want to be you when I grow up.
ReplyDeleteI need a cleaning schedule! It's been on my to do list for forever now.
ReplyDeleteI have a cleaning schedule too! I was thinking about posting it as well, but was wondering how well it would be received. Glad I'm in good company. :)
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