Creating a Personal Cleaning Schedule

Being a homemaker is a big job. Between caring for a family, keeping a house, and finding time to for ourselves, face it ladies and gents, we are busy people. Fortunately, being a mother and keeping a house is something that I've always dreamed about. It's something that I love talking about, because I know there are a million and one ways to run a household. I am always open to new ideas about how to be efficient in my job. While talking with a good friend about a year ago, she recommended that I come up with a cleaning schedule. 

I had honestly never heard of a cleaning schedule before. I mean, wasn't it obvious what needed to be done around the house? I had never thought about scheduling my duties. Well, I thought I'd give it a try and let me tell you, it has been some of the best advice I've ever gotten! Since I started using a cleaning schedule, I've noticed some SERIOUS benefits. But first:

What exactly is a cleaning schedule?

A cleaning schedule consists of you, sitting down and deciding what things need to be done on a weekly basis in your home. Here is an example of what mine looks like.

First, I made a few daily rules. These make sure that the house is always guest ready. 
Next, I decided what chores I actually need done on a weekly basis. Of course there are going to be extra things, like vacuuming the crumbs out of the couch, but I can take those things as they come. With this chart, I know that these things that need to be done once a week.

Okay, now to the fun part: the benefits!

#1. It keeps me from cleaning all the time.
I don't know about you, but if there is something that needs to be done in my house, I have a hard time sitting still. Having a schedule gives me permission to let those extra things go. If my scheduled jobs are done, then I can relax. So instead of putting in that single load of laundry sitting in the white's hamper, I can wait till laundry day, and go outside with my boys instead.

#2. It keeps me from doing the same things over and over again.
My first apartment in Texas was big, it was beautiful, it was WHITE! It was nearly impossible to keep clean! The kitchen counters were my worst nightmare. They soaked in every color that they came in contact with, and I found myself bleaching them daily to keep them looking nice. Once I started following a schedule, I realized that I was spending so much time bleaching the crazy counters that I wasn't doing other much more important chores (like making sure my husband had clean socks for school the next day...) It helped me recognize what chores I obsessed over, and helped me find a healthy balance between my obsessions and what actually needed to be done.

#3. It keeps me from getting caught up in obscure projects when the basics haven't been done.
I love to organize--- drawers, closets, bins, every possible nook and cranny. I love when things are folded nicely, lined up and coordinated. Sometimes I'll get an urge to pull everything out of a drawer, place it to perfection, and forget that the dishes aren't done, the laundry hasn't been folded and the carpet REALLY needs to be vacuumed. But hey, that pen drawer sure is pretty dang near perfect. The unfortunate thing about this is that when the husband walks home, he doesn't immediately notice the perfect pen drawer, but he does see the dishes...  I've noticed that my husband compliments me more often on the housework when I stick to my schedule. (I guess that could be considered Benefit #4 in it's own way.)

#4. Nothing ever gets too dirty. 
I suppose one of the main theories behind a cleaning schedule is that, nothing ever goes too long before it gets cleaned again. I find that each week, it takes me less time to complete my scheduled jobs, because things are still put together from the previous week. No more scrubbing off three weeks of hard water buildup. It really does give my home an overall feeling of order and cleanliness. Try it, you'll see what I mean!

#5. It helps my family develop habits of cleanliness.
My little boy, even though he's only 3, knows the ropes. Eat dinner, brush teeth, put on pajamas, pick up his room, read a bedtime story, say prayers, then go to sleep. Quite simply, cleaning has become as important to his bedtime routine as any of the other steps. If we miss out on it, he insists on making it happen. I love to think that he's developing habits of cleanliness that will stick with him his whole life. 
 
I hope you enjoyed this post, and I'd love to hear about any extra benefits you find from keeping to a schedule!