What are some things that you do around the house to keep it clean?

Question

I am getting ready to move into our first home. We've always lived in an apartment and I am trying to make sure that I stay on top of the cleaning so that I don't wind up overwhelmed...it's almost a 4,000 square foot home and I KNOW that I am going to be a busy woman. I am a stay at home mother as well. I'd like to make a spreadsheet of household chores so that I can set up a cleaning schedule to most effectively clean my house and KEEP it clean! What are some things that you do, on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, and on a monthly or semi-annual basis to keep a nice clean and tidy home for your family?

To answer a question, I have one child, a two-year old. Unfortunately for me, right now is not a good time to be teaching him that he needs to take part in the clean-up. That just doesn't factor into his brain right now. But thanks for the reminder. Just as soon as he is a little bit older, he WILL have chores to do.

As far as the question that I asked, I was really looking for more of a list of chores that people can come up with. I am making the spreadsheet and need ideas, perhaps something that I didn't think of, of other chores to add to the spreadsheet and in turn put into my cleaning routine! Please help me out if you can! Thanks!

Answer 1

Congratulations on your new home!

I am also a stay-at-home mom (kids 8, 5, and 18 months); here's my basic schedule, plus a few jobs I schedule so I don't forget them.

Monday: pick up, dust, and vacuum; groceries
Tuesday: errands (cleaner or laundromat, Target, Sam's, post office, making phone calls)
Wednesday: clean sheets day (change all the beds; air the blankets on the washline, wash pillows if needed), laundry
Thursday: pick up, dust, and vacuum; clean bathrooms, laundry if any; wash trash cans
Friday: deep-clean kitchen, odd jobs (see below)
Saturday: pick up, vacuum, supervise kids' chores
Sunday: meal planning

Odd jobs: I do this on a rotating basis, depending on what it is. About once a month: clean lampshades, globes, etc. and dust lightbulbs; clean oven; wash windows; wash woodwork; organize drawers, cabinets and closets; dust blinds; turn matresses; clean ceiling fans. Twice a year: clean jewelry, silver, brass and copper; clean light fixtures (usually at the end of the summer); clean workshop/storage area; wash curtains and drapes; clean under heavy appliances; empty closets, drawers and cabinets and clean; shampoo rugs and upholstery.

Every day: sweep the kitchen floor; put away papers and magazines; empty trash containers; put out fresh towels in kitchen and bathrooms; put away all the clothes (either in hampers or closets/dressers); make beds; check bathroom supplies.

You understand, with a small child in the house, some of these jobs get pushed back. Also, with a list like this it's easier to get help from the other people in the house. I like having a clean house but I don't do it to the exclusion of a happy family.

Answer 2

Im a clean freak lol and also clean homes for a living.I like a to do my real good cleaning on Friday so it looks nice for the weekend so Ill scrub bathrooms ,mop floors,dust and vac and just do a real through clean that day from top to bottom.during the weekend Ill just do a quick pickup dishes basicially just what has to be done.On Monday Ill vac,do a quick dust and go over the bathrooms since I did not do them all weekend clean the kitchen good.Tuesday.wendsday.thursday I dont kill myself cleaning Ill always do a quick pickup and make the beds but I wont vac and all that since I just did it Monday.Every so often when Im not doing anything else Ill run a high duster along the ceiling for cobwebs or along the baseboards for dust or maybe vac the furniture just things I dont do all the time but needs to be done.Just make sure you use good cleaning chemicals it makes your job so much easier I love the spray comet for bathrooms and always use end dust and windex ..it the bathrooms get bad with soap scum a little soft scrub works great.Vinager and water is awsome on hardwood floors.If you have bathrooms that arent used much just do a glass clean instead of scrubbing .

Answer 3

Congratulations on the purchase of your home! Your idea to keep a cleaning schedule is a smart one; proper time management is a big stress reducer. You didn't say how old your children are, but I suggest that you begin delegating tasks to them as soon as possible. They'll learn to be more responsible and you'll be teaching them good habits that their future spouses will appreciate. Young kids also love to be "Mom"s little helper," and they will eventually become more conscious of the messes that they might otherwise leave behind. At first, patiently teaching them to clean will seem to be more trouble than it's worth, but over time it will pay off.

I recommend that you close off rooms that aren't used on a regular basis, especially if you have small children or indoor pets. (It can also help save on heating and cooling bills.) The closed rooms won't need as thorough of a cleaning as the more frequently used rooms, so you won't have to hit them as often; however, carpet manufacturers recommend that you vacuum at least once a week regardless of whether or not the room has been used.

Decide if it's more efficient for you to clean one entire room at a time OR if it's easier for you to dust throughout the house, then vacuum throughout, etc. Personally, the idea of cleaning the whole house at one time is daunting to me and causes me to procrastinate. I am more inclined to maintain a clean house by doing little tasks as needed and find that having a set of cleaning products nearby (in the kitchen and bathroom areas) facilitates this. For example, brushing my teeth at night may prompt me to Windex the bathroom mirror and the sink's chrome fixtures provided I don't have to trek across the house to get the cleaning supplies. With the sink area looking so good, I'm encouraged to give the tub a quick scrub, and so on. Sometimes I'll even scrub the tub while I'm taking a shower and waiting for the conditioner to work its magic in my wet hair!

Still, I do have to have designated "cleaning days." Try this. Turn on some peppy music and start a load of laundry. With clothes in the washer, you're free to dust and vacuum or make a special dessert for dinner. After a while, pop the clothes in the dryer, thern de-clutter and scrub other areas of the house that need attention. By this time, I'd be ready to get off my feet, so I turn off the music, pull the clothes out of the dryer, turn on the TV and mindless fold towels while being entertained.

As a stay-at-home wife and mother, I also suggest that you have your cleaning done before your husband gets home. No one likes to come home to a messy house. If, for some reason, you have to stray from your usual cleaning schedule and don't have much time to straighten up the house, quickly pick up only the areas that your husband will see when he first gets home and spray them with air freshener. He will still get a good feeling about home being a good place to be. Then, show him that he's important to you by sharing your prime evening hours with him (and the kids, too). Your marriage will be better for it.

One word of caution: Don't be anal about keeping the house spotless. If your house is immaculate all of the time, no one will feel comfortable in it. Home should be a place to relax, unwind and re-energize. We can't do that if we're afraid that moving around will mess up the place.

Answer 4

Congrats on you new first home ! Being a SAHM is anything but, easy ! So, here are some tips on keeping it clean/tidy. For starters get some antibacterial wipes (lysol/clorox) makes them and there's even some generic one's. I find them especially handy to clean/quick touch-ups for the kitchen/bathroom/nursery. Also, get some microfiber dust cloths they are wonderful to clean with you can use them wet/dry and with/without cleaners.... You can get them cheaply at Walmart $5 for 12.. Just don't wash them with fabric softner/dryer sheets.

* I like to when I get up in the morning wipe down the bathroom surfaces with a antibacterial wipe (counters,sink,toilet) then I empty the trash. Round-up any laundry and take downstairs to laundryroom.... I'll start a load..

*Make my way into the kitchen- wipe down surfaces/appliances/high chairs... Make breakfast for the kids... unload dishwasher and load again.. While the kids are eating I'll dust/vacuum. Sweep kitchen floor... Mop 2-3 times a week...

*Let the kids out they play with toys.... I'll make the beds, spot clean.... Change laundry

*At night before bed the kids ages 1 and 3 yrs. will help pick up the toys.. They are stored in the livingroom in nice wicker baskets that go under our end tables out of the way ! If the dishwasher is full I run at night on time delay... *uses less energy/ hot water at 4am.... Start a load of laundry-put in dryer in the morning....

I also once a week deep clean the bathroom, kitchen. I use 50/50 bleach water and spray tub/tile surround... Scrub/rinse.. Pour 2-3 cups bleach in toilet let it sit 1/2 hr. swish/rinse.. Clean outside... Clean mirror, wash rugs, mop floor...

Kitchen clear countertops, wipe down, sweep/mop floor... Clean out fridge right before garbage day..

Bedrooms change/wash bedding once a week- dust, put away clothing and vacuum...

I work pt. in the evening so I vary my routine accordingly... We have a 3 bdrm/ 2 bathroom home with a family room in the basement.. I also have a dog/husband to keep after as well... Good luck

Answer 5

I'm kind of jealous. I have too many hobbies and not enough time and you have too much time and not enough hobbies! I would suggest volunteering. It really is rewarding and you unlike a paying job you can do something you REALLY enjoy. You could read to kids at the library's story time, a school or children's hospital. You could be a literacy volunteer or volunteer at a local vets office. You could volunteer to do office work or join a board. You can even volunteer to help around a daycare, etc etc etc. (I'm assuming you can walk to somewhere) If you don't want to volunteer (look into it) you could learn to knit or crochet. You can always join some sort of group for women who want to socialize and if you can't find one, start one. You could have meetings at home. Bookclubs are always great! You can fill a lot of time by learning a new craft hobby! Good luck!

Answer 6

we are vacuum the house once a day, and pick up constantly, i have nurses that come to the house 3 days a week, and so i want the house to look nice and be nice... i have two boys ages 6-10yrs old and so they are old enough to pick up their toys and put their clothes in the wash and stuff like that,,, but with children as young as yours u can start to teach the 2 yr old how to pick up and make a game of it but just keep on top of it or it will get a way from u quick...