From Chaos to Calm: A Cleaning and Organization Series

"Cleaning - it's just like getting up out of bed, a necessary part of everyday life. But let's be real, sometimes it can be a drag. Many people struggle to keep up with their space because they don't have a cleaning routine that works for them. It's not for lack of effort, but often what's available on the internet just doesn't fit with our unique lifestyles. It can be overwhelming to try different cleaning styles only to find they don't quite work for us. But fear not! There's a cleaning routine out there for everyone, and with a little patience and creativity, we can all find a way to make cleaning work for our individual needs."

Links provided are not affiliated. I find it helpful when people link thinks that related to what they are talking about. It makes it easy to find ideas.

The modern concept of a cleaning schedule as we know it today has evolved over time and has been popularized in recent decades through books, magazines, and online resources.

In the early 20th century, home economics became a popular field of study and many books and magazines were published with tips and advice on household management, including cleaning and organization. In the 1950s and 60s, the rise of the suburban middle class in the United States led to a greater focus on home ownership and homemaking, and cleaning schedules became more common as a way to keep homes tidy and organized.

In recent years, the popularity of social media and online influencers has led to an increased focus on cleaning and organization, and many people share their own cleaning routines and schedules online for others to follow. Today, cleaning schedules are a popular tool for many individuals looking to keep their homes clean and organized on a regular basis.

"Those who are curious about what cleaning schedules looked like in the 1950s may want to check out an Apartment Therapy post which includes a link to a book from that era. {I linked their blog post above} While the book is a bit pricey, okay a lot pricey, the post itself is a fascinating read and well worth checking out. I'm glad they bought it to check out, instead of me. Apartment Therapy offers some valuable insights into how cleaning practices have evolved over time, and their post on a 1950s-style cleaning schedule is no exception. I highly recommend taking a look!" -no affiliation

"Although I have no affiliation with them, I've chosen to use Branch Basics as my cleaning product of choice today. With so many cleaning products readily available at dollar stores, it can be tempting to opt for those cheap alternatives. However, many of those products may not be the healthiest or most environmentally friendly options. I believe that using clean, non-toxic cleaning products is important for both our health and the environment, which is why I recommend giving Branch Basics a try."

Some easy way to check the safety of your products is to use an app like think dirty and they have products available for purchase. The app is free to use.

"Branch Basics was created by a group of women who suffered from a range of health issues, from mild to severe. Through the use of clean products and a healthy environment, they were able to overcome their health challenges. One of the founders even avoided a kidney transplant at the young age of 23. Inspired by their own experiences, these women decided to start a business to help others live a cleaner and healthier lifestyle. Their commitment to providing non-toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning products has earned them a loyal following and a reputation for being a trusted brand in the industry. Read their story here.

Reader, keep in mind that while you don't necessarily need aesthetically pleasing cleaning supplies, I personally find enjoyment in using them because they fit well with my personal style. If your home has a neutral color scheme, you might want to consider coordinating your cleaning supplies with it, as it can create a sense of harmony and completion. However, if you don't have a specific style or a neutral color scheme, the appearance of your cleaning supplies may not be as important to you. It's worth noting that this tip is often mentioned, and I've found that it comes naturally to me. I have linked for you my amazon cleaning supplies list that is ongoing. There is no affiliation and I do not get anything from you visiting the list.

Now that you have your cleaning products ready to go, it's time to tackle the more challenging issue at hand: creating a cleaning schedule. It's understandable that many people find this task daunting, but with a little planning and organization, you can create a schedule that works for you and helps keep your home clean and tidy. Let's dive into it!

People often struggle with creating a cleaning schedule, as they may try methods that are overly complicated or don't fit with their lifestyle, as I mentioned before. Personally, I don't find it helpful when a method suggests doing a load of laundry every day, as my household of three would not generate enough laundry for that frequency. Additionally, some schedules can be too busy and overwhelming. In reality, you probably already have an instinctual understanding of what needs to be done in each room of your house, and you may not always need a detailed list, unless you prefer having a checklist to keep track of your progress.

You might be considering the approach of "picking and choosing" what works for you from a cleaning schedule, but this method doesn't always work for everyone. It's okay to need some guidance and assistance. Personally, when I come across a schedule that has too many tasks listed, it can be overwhelming and I tend to skip over it. That's why I created my own simplified version, which has been effective for me. If you prefer a straightforward approach, then keep reading for some tips.

It's an obvious point, but it's worth mentioning: tidy up each room during the day so that by the end of the day, everything is neat and clean. I'll describe in more detail what this entails below.

Monday: Hallway/Stairs

Tuesday: Kitchen

Wednesday: Bathrooms

Thursday: Kitchen

Friday: Bedroom

Sat/Sunday: Outdoors

This schedule is tailored to my lifestyle and it works like a charm. Of course, if you don't have stairs in your home, you can skip that part. Similarly, your outdoor cleaning routine might differ from mine, but don't worry, I'll explain everything in just a moment. You might be tempted to think that the schedule looks overly simplistic, and you'd be absolutely right. However, this is all I jot down in my planner for each day. Let's now delve deeper into the details of my cleaning routine.

The first week or so of this routine might require a bit of effort, especially if your home needs a bit of tidying up. Personally, I'm all about functional minimalism. My home isn't completely barren, but I'm not into collecting knick-knacks either. It took me around a week and a half to get everything in order and fully embrace this schedule in the way I intended.

To kick things off, I tackled a thorough cleaning of my entire house, with no particular order in mind. The sole objective was to get everything spick and span. As I was getting into the groove, I began following the cleaning schedule. For instance, let's say I started on a Wednesday - with my trusty schedule jotted down in my planner or displayed on the fridge, whichever is within my daily purview - I knew that Thursday's cleaning task would focus on the living room. So, on Wednesday, I unleashed my cleaning fury, and on Thursday, I zoomed in on the living room. Even if I had already cleaned or partially cleaned the room on Wednesday, I still did something to tidy it up on Thursday.

I found that starting the schedule during my cleaning spree was key to cementing the routine in my mind. Sure, you could wait until your house is entirely spic and span to "start" the schedule, but what if it takes you two weeks to get everything clean? Without some sort of structure in place, a room could quickly devolve into chaos again by the time you finally kick off the schedule.

So, once my home was sparkling clean and I was officially on board with my new cleaning routine, I had designated a specific day for each room. Of course, every day pick up is still a must - if a room is used, I make sure to take a quick scan and see if anything was out of place or needed to be moved to another area. Remember, just because you haven't been in a particular room all day, doesn't mean it hasn't been used by others in your household. So, it's always wise to give each space a once-over.

Listen up! You gotta remember that each day is dedicated to one room only, which means you don't have to clean every room every day. So, don't get carried away with a full-blown cleaning frenzy every time you enter a room. Take Thursday for example, that's my living room day. On that day, I give it a good deep clean, while on other days, I just give it a quick tidy up if needed. This way, each day, everything is clean and when it comes time for the big clean, it's not a huge disaster. Trust me, you don't want to wait till the end of the week to pick up a room, because it will take you forever to get it cleaned up. So, keep it simple and follow the routine!

I'm going to give you an example of my weekly cleaning routine. Let's call it week one, starting on Monday. I'll be giving my hallway and stairs a good deep clean. Since my laundry area is in the hallway, I'll be wiping and dusting my dryer and washing machine. I'll also give the walls and ceiling a good dusting, and sweep and mop the floor. Oh, and I can't forget to clean out my cats' litterboxes! The rest of the day, I will be doing whatever else I need to do and not forgetting to pick up as I go throughout the day. Then, it will not feel like I am cleaning all day. I am not spending all day cleaning my whole house. Here is another example.

On Tuesday, it's all about the kitchen. After savoring my morning coffee and munching on breakfast with my little one, I roll up my sleeves and tackle the kitchen like a boss. With no errands on my schedule, I start by unloading the dishwasher because I made sure to load it up the day before. And since I'm a pro at keeping things tidy, there are no dirty dishes in sight - they are all in their designated spots. With the counters free of clutter, I quickly wipe them down. Thanks to my superpowers, I made sure to throw away any trash yesterday when I was in the kitchen for the umpteenth time.

Next, I'm going to dust! But wait, didn't we just deep-clean everything last week when we started getting out whole house clean and ready for this? That's right, so there shouldn't be too much dust lying around. If you forgot to dust, don't sweat it! We'll give this room a quick once-over today and make sure it's looking spotless. And next Tuesday, when you come to dust again, it'll still be looking fab. Just remember, no dusting until then!

Once we've dusted the room, it's time for some sweep and mop action. Dirt and dust, they somehow always manage to sneak in no matter what. Even if you've been locked inside your house for days, dirt will find its way to you! Especially if you've got little munchkins and furry friends running around. But fret not my friends, if you do some light sweeping every day or every other day outside of the designated room day, it'll save you a lot of trouble.

Some chores need to be done more often, like picking up trash and doing a quick tidy. And of course, sweeping is a must. But, mopping is different, my friend. It only happens on a specific day for a specific room. Once a week, that's it! And the best part? It's only for that room! You don't have to mop the entire house all at once, which can be super tiring. So, don't sweat it, just mop it!

So, we've conquered the kitchen, but you might be asking yourself, "What about laundry?" Well, friend, that's totally up to you and your laundry needs. Personally, I'm not a fan of doing laundry (who is, really?), so I try to tackle it every 3-4 days. That way, I'm not stuck with a mountain of clothes to wash and fold.

In my little household, it's just me, my husband (who works from home), and our toddler. We don't generate a ton of dirty laundry because we don't hoard clothes like dragons hoard gold. We're all about that minimal wardrobe life, baby! So, if you're also trying to avoid laundry hell, consider downsizing your clothing collection. Trust me, your future self will thank you.

Let's talk about some other tasks you might want to add to your cleaning checklist. These could include things like cleaning the microwave or fridge, organizing the pantry, and cleaning the dishwasher filter (if you have one). Here's an example of how you could tackle one of these tasks.

So, I've got this super handy dandy planner that keeps my life together. It's like my personal assistant, except it doesn't get paid. Anyways, picture this: I crack open my planner on a Tuesday morning, and boom! Kitchen day is staring me in the face. But wait, there's more! Last Tuesday, I wrote myself a little note to clean the dishwasher filter once a month, and wouldn't you know it, today is the day. So, I'm gonna tackle that along with my kitchen duties. And to make sure I don't forget to do it again in a month, I flip ahead to that Tuesday and jot it down. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

Alright, let me break it down for you with another example. Say it's bathroom or bedroom day, that means it's time to change the bed sheets and hand towels (unless you're feeling fancy and want to change them more often). The same goes for kitchen towels on kitchen day. I toss them in the laundry area to wash on laundry day and replace them with fresh ones. It's up to you how often you want to do this.

Now, let's say it's Friday and my planner says "bedroom" with "bedsheets" listed. Since I've been following this schedule for a month now, I know that I like to wash my sheets every two weeks, and it's been two weeks since I did it last. So, I jot down "bedsheets" next to "bedroom" for two weeks from now. You can do this at the beginning of the month and fill everything in, or just add things as you go. Either way, it helps to have a plan!

Alright, let me sum everything up for you so you can get started with your cleaning schedule. Each day is designated for a specific room, so you only tackle tasks for that room on that day. Laundry should be done as often as you and your home need it. It's helpful to list everything down, preferably in a planner, so you can keep track of things that need to be done weekly, every other week, once a month, etc. Don't forget about things like curtains, which only need to be washed about once a year. Other things can be jotted down to such as cleaning out laundry vents etc. By jotting down all of your tasks ahead of time, you won't have to worry about forgetting anything. So, grab your planner, start scheduling, and let's get cleaning!

If you're excited to try out this schedule and found it helpful, show some love by liking and commenting below. Don't forget to stay tuned because next we'll dive into each room and explore ways to keep them organized and tidy.

Lets Connect!

Instagram

Kdp Books

Redbubble Shop