Decide on your cleaning schedule
Determine your time constraints and the level of cleanliness you desire for your home. You can use this to select how to organize your cleaning schedule. Be sincere with yourself about your abilities, available time, and level of motivation.
To prevent work from piling up, it is preferable for the "average" busy individual to accomplish a little bit every day and to schedule deep cleaning days a few times per month. It's up to you which fashion you prefer.
You can split all the chores into daily cleaning tasks, weekly cleaning schedule, and a monthly cleaning schedule to not overload yourself with a bunch of tasks in one day. Smaller activities, like dusting, putting away the clutter, and washing dirty dishes, can be done everyday. Bigger tasks, like quick vacuum and mop floors, can be put in the weekly house cleaning schedule. And the biggest deep clean tasks like cleaning upholstered furniture and disinfect bathroom sinks are good to leave for a monthly cleaning routine.
Daily house cleaning schedule
Daily cleaning tasks should not take more than 10 minutes each. These are small chores that do not require a lot of effort or time. You will notice how consistently clean your house will look if you implement these jobs in your cleaning schedule.
1. Declutter
Most likely, your house is not even that dirty. The clutter and unnecessary things lying around the furniture and floors might be the reason for making your home look like a mess.
The first thing you should to is collect all the things around your house that do not belong. It could be things like mugs on the tables, clothes on the floor, books and magazines on the coffee table, and more. Collect those thing and put them in the dedicated spaces. Implementing a habit of putting things away daily will greatly simplify your cleaning routine.
While you are throwing out all the unnecessary stuff, get rid of the expired food and other expired items, like makeup and creams.
2. Wash the dishes
When you fully load your dishwasher and start it immediately after using your dishes, it operates at its best. Since they don't fit well in the dishwasher, large objects like pots and pans are typically best hand washed.
Due to the abrasive nature of dishwasher soap, dishes are worn out more quickly when washed by a machine than when washed by hand. Therefore, ancestral china, delicate wine glasses, and other extremely delicate items should be carefully hand washed.
3. Dusting
If you or you family members have any allergies on dust or dust mites, it is crucial to dust furniture and other surfaces everyday. You can get a microfiber cloth or a regular duster to remove dust particles from surfaces like tables, shelves, coffee maker, and ceiling fans.
4. Wipe kitchen sink and bathroom counters
These areas tend to get very dirty since you use them everyday so it makes them very high traffic areas. You can grab a damp microfiber towel with a disinfectant and quick clean these areas.
You can also use an erase-type sponge to remove food marks around the kitchen sink. You should then sanitize the sink by plugging the drain and filling it with warm water. Then, add some baking soda and let it sit for five minutes. Once sufficient time has passed, just rinse the sink.
Weekly cleaning schedule
Weekly cleaning tasks can be a little more time consuming. They require a little more of a deep clean but can still be done in an hour or two. You should set a timer in order to not linger in one spot for too long and burn out before you complete other tasks.
You can also split the weekly tasks by rooms. This will allow you to not do everything at once. You should focus on the rooms that get the messiest, but this is unique to each person. Most likely it could be places like the bathroom and the kitchen.
1. Kitchen
If you love to cook, you know how dirty the kitchen gets when you are preparing a delicious dish. But it is totally worth the mess!
You should first start off weekly cleaning of the kitchen by wiping the stickiness that food leaves on the counters. Use a microfiber towel with a disinfectant in order to prevent any bacteria from collecting on the counters.
Proceed to wipe the stove top from any food that may be stuck to it. You can use a stainless steel scrubber in order to help you with this job.
Kitchen floor tends to get very messy when cooking since a lot of the food gets dropped. This is why mopping is crucial in order to prevent the stickiness that maybe left on the surface of the floor.
You can also tackle the dining room by just wiping the table with a disinfecting spray and a microfiber.
2. Bathroom
Bathrooms tend to collect the most bacteria due to the dead skin cells that get left behind and the constant moisture that gets produced from showering. This is why it is important to make bathroom cleaning a frequent task.
To clean toilets, use a disinfecting spray with a microfiber or paper towels. For the bowl of the toilet, use a toilet bowl cleaner and let it sit for a couple of minuter. Use the toilet brush to scrub the bowl.
You should also clean mirrors with a proper cloth and the right glass cleaner. You should use a glass cleaner that doesn't have ammonia in order to get a streak free and squeaky clean mirror.
While you are in the bathroom, you can collect all the dirty clothes and put them in the laundry hamper in preparation to clean laundry.
3. Bedroom
Bedroom can be a little more time consuming to clean since we spend most of the time there. Start by picking any clothes that is lying around and either taking it to the laundry room in preparation for washing, or fold it and hang it up.
Proceed by taking off the sheets and washing them. It is very important to do in order to prevent any bed bugs and other pests from appearing.
Continue by wiping things like the nightstand and wardrobes you might have in the room. Once you got rid of the dust, vacuum the whole area. It is especially crucial to vacuum every week if you have carpeted floors.
4. Living room
This room tends to get pretty messy if you frequently have guests in your home. Luckily, it does not take a lot to clean up the mess! It is essential to keep this high traffic area tidy at all times to have a clean house.
Start by wiping any furniture you have in the living room with a disinfectant and microfiber. Then, wipe any decorative pieces you might keep in this area. It could be things like vases, books, magazines, and other things that tend to collect a lot of dust.
Move on by using a vacuum to pick up any dust, crumbs, and pet hair off the floor. If you have pets, vacuuming the sofa should be in your cleaning checklist as well. You should also mop the area from any feet or shoe marks you may have.
Monthly deep cleaning schedule
Tasks for cleaning once a month are more of a deep cleaning jobs. They include cleaning tasks that are usually missed or not as important when you do a daily clean or during a weekly cleaning schedule.
1. Clean the dishwasher
A clean dishwasher is important because it prevents bacteria, food, and dirt from sticking to you dishes which makes it sanitary for your kids and family to use. By placing a large glass measuring cup on the top rack with 2 cups of vinegar inside it, you can descale your appliance. Then run the washing machine without any detergent or heat drying.
2. Clean the washing machine
Use the specific washer cleaner cycle found on newer machines, or combine a regular cycle with hot water and a specialized cleanser like Affresh.
3. Clean the vacuum
To maintain a strong suction, change your bag when it is three-quarters full, and replace the filter if it is severely clogged or torn. Use scissors or a seam ripper to cut threads that are tangled up in the brush.
4. Clean windows
To clean your windows, you should use an ammonia free glass cleaner. Grab a microfiber with your chosen glass cleaner and spray some on the window. Make sure to not oversaturate in order to prevent streaks. Go to side to side and up and down motion for best results.
Best cleaning supplies and tools
Investing in the right cleaning supplies will simplify the cleaning routine drastically. We have compiled a list with the best supplies that should be on your cleaning list to make sure you have a clean home effortlessly and at all times.
1. Fortador Volt Mini home steam cleaner
Operators can quickly slide this very portable steam cleaner from one room to another thanks to its small weight of only 16.5 lbs. The Volt MINI's boiler heats up quickly and generates steam in under five minutes, similar to other Fortador steamers. The Volt MINI works at high pressure and temperatures, unlike other tiny professional portable steamers for cleaning, and can produce 101.5 psi of steam at a maximum temperature of 338 degrees Fahrenheit. High-strength AISI 304 stainless steel, which attests to its durability, is used in the construction.
The Volt MINI comes with a fantastic assortment of accessories and attachments, like a steam mop, that enables it to do any cleaning task quickly, just like other Fortador steam cleaners. First off, the line is five feet longer at 15 feet than the hoses provided by the majority of other commercial-grade steam cleaning systems. You may use this cleaner to access areas that larger steamers cannot because of its long power cord.
2. Shark NV352 Navigator Lift Away Upright Vacuum
The finest economical bagless uprights are capable of cleaning virtually any form of vacuumable dirt, including pet hair (including most carpets, wood, tiles, or anything else). The filters are washable, and these vacuums don't require bags, so they should last at least five years with little upkeep (no new belts are needed) and expense.
Great bagless uprights do almost as well as the toughest overall vacuums (like Miele canisters, among others) on the most typical types of flooring (including low- or mid-pile nylon carpets and the majority of bare floors), frequently for much less than half the price. They should last longer than all but the most durable high-end machines and are simpler to maintain than less expensive uprights and the majority of canister vacuums.
3. Clorox Disinfecting Mist, Lemon and Orange Blossom, Sanitizing Spray
Including the COVID-19 virus, Clorox Disinfecting Mist kills 99.9% of germs and viruses. Simply spray and leave to disinfect hard and soft surfaces like worktops, doorknobs, light switches, couches, automobile interiors, plastic toys, and bedding.
This spray's composition is safe to use throughout the house and is tough on germs while being aerosol and bleach free.
Check our selection of best ozone machines for odor removal.
4. Invisible Glass 92194 32-Ounce Cleaner and Window Spray
This glass cleaner lives up to its name by effectively cleaning glass surfaces to the point where they essentially disappear. It is effective at removing fingerprints, toothpaste splatter, smoke haze, and streaks in addition to dirt, grime, and streaks. Although it has a synthetic chemical-based recipe, it doesn't contain ammonia and doesn't contain any excessive aromas or colours. It is also safe for windows, glass cooktops, mirrors, and chrome.
This cleaner checks all the boxes that many people look for in a glass cleaner, as it doesn't leave behind residue or streaks—two of the most frequent concerns with other products we've tested over the years—and is both reasonable and simple to find online and at many places, like construction supplies shops.