Being a homeschooling family, it’s no surprise that we are home the majority of the time…. homeschooler, homemaker, homesteader…. lots of “home”. This takes a toll on the workload of keeping a clean and organized home. I have always received compliments on the “cleanliness” of our home, this largely stems from the fact that I have OCD but also because if I am surrounded by chaos, I feel overstimulated and my anxiety spirals.
I have learned over the years – thanks to those lovely children – that a home is not meant to look picture perfect or that no one occupies the dwelling – but that doesn’t mean it can’t be clean and organized! The key to an organized home is simple – everything has a place! Everyone in the family knows where that special place is, so when they are done, they put it back. Sometimes my husband likes to pretend he doesn’t know that “special place” – I use these as teaching moments! Trust me, it really helps us mamas out!
I created a Home Cleaning Schedule that I follow each week. I have learned that I just don’t have the time to deep clean the entire house multiple times a week – yes, that was me at one point – but, we have lessons to be learned and fun to be had! My advice is to surround yourself with a calm, clean, and organized environment and stop spending all your time (and energy) maintaining your home! I will note, I only use natural cleaners in our home and the majority of my homemade cleaners are simply vinegar, water, and essential oils. I will need to make a post on that in the future! Stay tuned!
There are daily tasks I do each day; these are second nature at this point. When we wake up, the first thing I do is make my rounds and make all the beds, the kids make theirs and I follow up with a quick tidy. This is a simple task to start the day fresh and being done at the very beginning of your day you have already accomplished a task off your to-do list! Nice! Next, I head to the kitchen – the hub of the home – prepare breakfast for the kids and enjoy my coffee. I then start a load of laundry; I typically do one load of laundry a day (unless its bathroom or bedroom days – see below!) although, I still haven’t figured out where this never-ending pile of laundry comes from. I then head back to the kitchen and tidy it up, making sure the dishes are done, the trash is taken out, and the counters and table is wiped clean. We have a mini zoo (literally), so I also clean the floors daily, do a quick sweep in the kitchen and vacuum the living room at minimum. These tasks take me less than an hour and it is simply a quick tidy to the new day. At the end of the day, I do another quick pick-up and tidy, the kids put their toys away and tidy their rooms, now we are set for a new day!
On Monday’s I like to do a deep clean of the kitchen. We spend a ton of time in this space, I often feel like I am a short-order cook and definitely qualify as the official snack maker. This is another one of those never-ending scenarios… homeschool kids eat – a lot. For the kitchen deep clean I make sure and move everything off the counters and give them a good wipe down as well as the backsplash. I also wipe down the table, cabinets, and appliances (don’t forget inside the microwave)! I do meal prepping on Sunday’s so that is when I clean out the refrigerator- more on that to come below! Next, I sort the pantry and make sure there aren’t any expired foods that need tossed. Lastly, I mop the floor.
Tuesdays are a busier day for us, so I keep this day’s cleaning minimal and focus on the bathrooms. Cleaning the toilets, vanities, sink, shower, and bathtubs – again with natural homemade cleaners! I clean those toothpaste splashes off the mirrors, wipe down the cabinets, empty the trash, restock the toiletries, and clean the floors. This is the day I do an extra load of laundry and wash the bathmats and shower curtains.
On Wednesday I focus on the main living areas. I dust all the furniture and wipe down the TVs, do a bit of decluttering if I notice something that needs to go and some quick organizing if it needs to be done. I don’t dust the ceiling fans every week – it never fails I think of this task AFTER cleaning the floors!
Thursday is dedicated to the bedrooms. The kids work on their rooms while I am cleaning the master then when I am done, we clean their rooms together until they are acceptable. I make sure to dust all the furniture, again do a declutter and organizing session, clean the mirrors, straighten the closets (although it’s easier to just keep them organized! Remember, everything has a place!) and dust those ceiling fans BEFORE vacuuming! This is another day I will do extra load(s) of laundry because I like to wash the bedding once a week.
Fridays are our busiest day of the week, so this is a very light day in the cleaning department. I do a quick cleaning of the laundry and mudroom by wiping down the counters, furniture, cabinets, washer and dryer, and put the washer through a cleaning or sanitizing cycle. This is also when I will do a quick decluttering or organizing if it needs to be done. Clean the floors and done!
We dedicate Saturdays as our family day, so I usually just do my normal quick morning tidy and make sure the hallway is clean. I dust the furniture and clean the floors and the rest of the day is for family time.
Sundays are when I do our weekly planning in all areas of our lives it seems! Lesson plans, meal plans, blog plans, you name it, it probably has a plan! This is the day we do the grocery shopping and prep the meals and snacks for the week. This is also a day where I will catch up on any tasks I didn’t complete throughout the week.
For those deep-deep cleaning tasks I do them as time allows or as I notice them. These would include cleaning the windows, wiping down the walls and baseboards (remember the zoo- I do this more often than I would prefer to admit), dusting those ceiling fans that are missed before vacuuming, dusting light fixtures, and shampooing carpets as they need them. I left a note section on the Home Cleaning Schedule for any other tasks that are needed throughout the week.
There are two pages to the Home Cleaning Schedule freebie download, one is already filled out for you, this is my personal schedule and what works best for us. I left out a few daily and weekly tasks that again, because we have a mini zoo I have other responsibilities – they add another hour if not more to my daily routine – but we love them! The second page is a blank template that you could fill in for what works best for you!
I hope this Home Cleaning Schedule helps you gain back your freedom in your home, and you are able to spend more time enjoying your family!
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