Without getting too sentimental and corny, your home should be your happy place. It should be where you feel comfortable relaxing, getting work done, and inviting friends and family.
But taking care of a home has its challenges – the biggest one being that it’s time-consuming.
And let’s face it – life is busy and you don’t want to prioritize cleaning before living it.
So, I want to share the method I use to get my cleaning done in hopes that you don’t have to feel overwhelmed.
Related: “How to Have a Good Day, Every Day (7 Steps)“
The checklist
I made my own checklist that organizes the cleaning I’d like to get done every day.
I’m a big fan of visuals. I like seeing a list that I can easily pick and choose from depending on how much time I have available, and there’s nothing more satisfying than checking things off.
Even if I don’t check everything off my list for the day, I simply move it to the next day. The beauty of this is that it’s a guideline just for you. You shouldn’t feel like you have to mark every checkbox every day. If you don’t get to mopping the kitchen floor on Tuesday, it really doesn’t matter if you get to it on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The point of the checklist is that it serves as a reminder that it should get done, but it shouldn’t stop you from living life or taking time for yourself.
Here’s the best part of my system: it doesn’t include weekends. That’s right. I try not to clean on weekends.
I say try because there are weeks when I don’t get to clean the bathroom, for example, and I decide to do it on a Saturday or Sunday. BUT, I only do it if it’s absolutely necessary and when it can’t wait until the following week.
The checklist also helps you see if you’ve skipped a specific chore several days in a row and helps you prioritize what to get done.
When I clean
I clean when I can. I know what I ideally want to get to every day, but this checklist is a guideline.
If it’s a beautiful, sunny day and I decide to take my kids to the pool for the whole day, then I don’t get everything done on my cleaning list – and that’s okay.
I squeeze in cleaning whenever I can. If my husband is giving the girls a bath after dinner, I power clean during that time (somehow I find that I have the most energy during this time of day, too). If I have to get the girls up from their nap in 10 minutes, I’ll look at the checklist and pick one thing that I know will take me less than 10 minutes.
That being said, I also make time for myself. However, I find cleaning therapeutic. Sometimes, even if I’m tired, it’s exactly what I need.
Taking it one step further
I also keep track of monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual tasks.
I know seeing these as daily reminders can get overwhelming, so I keep them put away until the first of each month. I primarily focus on my daily and weekly checklist and keep it on my phone for quick access. The truth is that as long as you keep up with the tasks on this list, the better shape your home will be once you get to those less frequent chores.
Teamwork
These checklists also make it easier to clean as a team.
I clean with my kids often, and although they are young, I believe it teaches them valuable life skills. If you have older kids, you could assign certain tasks to them, or let them pick and choose from the list so that they, too, can contribute to the housework.
Related: “How to Do Housework With a Baby and a Toddler (Tried and True Ways)“
My husband takes part in the cleaning, too, and having the checklist helps keep track of what still needs to get done. No one wants to do extra cleaning when it’s not necessary, so it’s helpful seeing what hasn’t been checked off.
To sum it up
I want my kids to grow up in a clean and taken care-of home. I want them to like their home and feel comfortable in their space.
But life doesn’t have to revolve around cleaning. If you want to get out of the house and go on an adventure with your kids one day, having to clean should not get in the way of that.
This checklist simply acts as a guideline. You can see what hasn’t gotten cleaned in a while and you can prioritize what needs to get done, while also challenging you to get it done. Sometimes we just need a little motivation and the satisfaction of seeing what we can accomplish is wonderful in the end.
The reality is that there may be some weeks that your checklist is mostly blank. And that’s okay. There’s always next week. But this list will at least help you see that you can get things done and that it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Here’s to enjoying your clean happy place!
