A Plan for the Housekeeping-Challenged

The last couple days, I’ve shared about my homekeeping book, filled with menu plans, recipes, grocery lists, and cleaning schedules. 

 

I said I would share my cleaning plan, and I will.  First, though, I should say that there are lots of great systems out there, I am only sharing mine because maybe somewhere there is another mom who has the same kind of brain as me and will find this useful.

 

Also, a confession:  I am great at coming up with systems, not so great at keeping up with them. Some weeks, my cleaning plan sits collecting dust while I attend to other things.  However, when I do buckle down, this is the easiest way I’ve found of doing things.  I’ve taken suggestions from several books and websites and made a plan that works for me. 

 

It is slightly embarrassing to admit that I need this list!  I am just not a natural housekeeper, which seems so unladylike!  Yet, it is better to just face it already and do what I have to do to keep up.  This is what I have to do to keep up.

 

My cleaning schedule has three sections, Daily (things I need to do each morning and evening), Weekly, and Declutter.

 

Here’s a week’s sample. 

 

Daily:

Morning:

Laundry

Make bed (Yes, I need a reminder still)

Empty dishwasher

Go over priorities for day

Any evening chores not done

 

Evening:

Wipe down counters/toilets in bathrooms

Dishes/Counters/Kitchen table/Stove

Vacuum kitchen

Put away toys, mail, etc.

Dining room table cleared and cleaned

Go over lesson plans for next day

 

Weekly: 

Monday: Living room

Tuesday:  Kitchen

Wednesday:  Bathroom/Bedroom/Closet

Thursday:  Errands

Fridays:  School area/Clean out purse and car/Plan school week

Saturday:  Catch up on any chores not done

 

I try to spend an hour or so every day on weekly chores.  It hardly ever happens, so oftentimes I am doing all my catching up on Saturdays.  For each weekly area, I actually have a checklist with details for each room.  (Such as, vacuum, dust, scrub shower, etc.) You would think after ten years in the same house I wouldn’t need it, but I actually still use this list. 

 

Declutter:

Monday:  Video cabinet

Tuesday:    Pantry

Wednesday:  Bathroom cabinet

Friday:  Binders

 

When making my schedules, I added all the little areas that need regular de-cluttering.  They repeat about every two months.  I have 18 cleaning weeks, to coincide with my menu plans.  This way, whatever week I am on, it is all there in my little binder:  Menus, grocery lists, and cleaning schedules. 

 

Tomorrow or Monday, I’ll share about making a homekeeping book for your daughters.