The weekend… a time to relax, enjoy some free time and/or time with the family. Unfortunately, too many moms (like me) spend at least one day of the weekend catching up on much needed housecleaning and a long list of chores.
Have you considered changing your approach to cleaning in order to free up that much deserved relaxation time on the weekends? I used to spend my Saturday catching up on all of the household chores; vacuuming, laundry, toilets, etc. I would get so frustrated that before I knew it, my weekend was over and all I had to account for was a tidied home. I recently took a deliberate stance on cleaning and I have thoroughly reveled in the results. Here’s how I changed my approach to keeping my home looking clean.
1- I divided the house into five zones. I then placed each zone into a day of the week. For example, both bathrooms are cleaned on Monday. All the other rooms of the house are clean on their designated days.
2- I decided which tasks were most crucial when cleaning a particular zone. For instance, returning to the example of the bathrooms; cleaning the toilets, sinks, mirrors, tub/shower, counter tops and laundering towels are critical to the how clean the bathroom looks. Then once a month, I would perform a couple extra tasks such as cleaning baseboards, walls, and light fixtures.
3- Incorporate laundry into each of the cleaning zones. As mentioned previously, on the bathroom zone day, all the towels would be laundered and fresh towels would be put out.
4- Dedicate a time to cleaning. I clean every morning, Monday to Friday, for just one hour. The time limit helps me stay focused on the tasks at hand. Obviously the laundry for the zones takes a little longer but if the laundry tasks are started before the actual cleaning tasks, it should only take a little longer than the time it takes for you to actually clean your zone.
When selecting a time to clean, choose a time that works best for you. Uninterrupted time is the best (hence why I clean first thing in the morning while my little girl is still sleeping).
5- Organize your supplies based upon your cleaning zones. I have two cleaning buckets (one in the upstairs linen closet and one in the closet on the main floor). Each bucket has all of the cleaning supplies I could possibly want such as; rubber gloves, rags, vinegar, baking soda, and mirror cleaner. I save much time and energy since I don’t have to run around looking for supplies.
6- If lists are your thing, itemize all the areas you wish to clean in each of the respective zones, this way you won’t miss anything.
7- Loved ones can still be utilized to accomplish tasks. Children can pick up their toys and help put their laundry into the washing machine. Spouses can be enlisted to tackle the toilets or to clean the appliances. Plus by having a cleaning schedule, family members are more aware of when cleaning is to be done. They may even surprise you and do it for you!
What I love most about this cleaning strategy is that none of the rooms in my house accumulate more than seven days of dust or grime. Even with cleaning the house once a week, sometimes I would defer cleaning a room for another week or two because it looked okay. By the time I would get around to cleaning that room, it would take twice the amount of time because I put it off for so long.
Lastly, by taking this daily approach to cleaning your house, you will free up time on your weekends to do the things that you love most.
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