Discover practical tips to help you create your own daily cleaning schedule to maintain a clean and organized home.
Today we are getting to work and creating a daily cleaning schedule that works for you! My biggest advice when it comes to starting a new cleaning routine: START SMALL!
That’s right! Often, when we set new goals for ourselves, we tend to have an all or nothing mentality. Go big or go home, right? I was that way for a long time. I inevitably crashed and burned every. single. time. Especially after becoming a mom.
Starting small doesn’t require much time or that we give something else up in our schedule to make it work. Another bonus, success is inevitable. Those small wins day in and day out create momentum to keep going and make it a habit. Eventually, you’ll be doing it without even thinking!
So I always suggest starting with one or two daily cleaning habits and adding on slowly from there. When I was first starting my own routine, I started with two tasks: making my bed and unloading the dishwasher every morning. If I accomplished those two tasks, the day was a win! Once I had those down, I added putting a load of laundry in the wash.
You may feel like you are making no progress with such a small start. I get it. We want results and we want them now. But I have found that there’s no instant change. Change takes time–doing the same thing day in and day out, often without any real sense that anything is happening. Don’t get discouraged! I promise you that when you look back on where you started 6 months from now or even a year from now, you will be amazed at how far you have come. Your physical and mental peace are worth it.
So grab a pen and journal and take some time to plan out your daily and weekly gotta-do’s when it comes to maintaining your home.
Steps to Help You Create Your Daily Cleaning Schedule
- What are the household cleaning tasks that need to get done every day? Ideas include but are not limited to:
- dishes
- counters
- vacuuming
- making the bed
- putting the toys away
- the bathroom
- paper clutter
- taking the garbage out
- laundry
2. Pick one or two tasks from the list you brainstormed that need to get done in your house daily.
3. Now think about when would be a good time to complete those tasks in your daily routine. What habits do you already do daily that would pair nicely with the cleaning habit you want to create? For example, making the bed may fit nicely after brushing your teeth in the morning. Before you head downstairs, make the bed. Emptying the dishwasher may fit in your schedule after breakfast or lunch. Putting toys away is a great end of the day routine. This is called habit stacking. When you pair new habits with habits you already do daily, you are much more likely to be successful. Find what will work best for you and your family. You may just want to carve out a chunk of time in the morning to complete morning chores.
4. Write down your new goal. Studies show that when you write down your goals, you are 42% more likely to achieve them. Using the examples above, your statements might look something like this: After I brush my teeth, I will make my bed. After clearing the breakfast table, I will unload and load the dishwasher. After clearing the dinner table, I will vacuum the kitchen floor. Before bringing the kids upstairs to start their bedtime routine, I will put the toys away.
5. Commit to your new goal for 30 days and track your progress. You can use a good ol’ fashioned paper and pen or download a habit tracker app. There are many options to choose from. Your brain loves checking things off a list, so use that to your advantage!
Final Thoughts on Making a Daily Cleaning Schedule
Honestly, the most time consuming part of this process is going to be sitting down and determining what is truly important and needed for you and your family when it comes to a clean and orderly home. But I encourage you not to skip taking some time, even just 5 or 10 minutes, to reflect and get crystal clear on what you need. It will save you time in the long run because you will be working on the areas that are truly important to you and your well-being.
Like this post? Check out The Importance of a Clean and Orderly Home