Simple Cleaning Routines & Free Printables

Late last year, we debuted the Busy Girl’s Guide to Fall Decorating series and it was so well received (you guys are the best, thank you!) we’ve decided to make it part of the blog year-round in 2017.

I know a lot of us will be headed back to school and work this week so we thought it would be a perfect time to share The Busy Girl’s Guide to Simple Cleaning Routines. I used to be able to set one full day aside to clean the house from top to bottom. Most of the time it would take the entire day to get all of the tasks completed from laundry to baseboards. At the end of the day I was so excited to have it all done but man, I was totally exhausted.

Once I became a vendor, I no longer had time to take one full day to clean anymore. I thought things were under control until I slowly started seeing small piles of clutter creep up in almost every room. I knew I needed to make a change in our cleaning routine and fast!

After looking at my schedule I decided I only had time to fully concentrate on cleaning one specific area each day in addition to the daily tasks I was already doing like making the bed. Changing this one seemingly small routine made a huge difference in the time it takes to clean the house.

The truth of the matter is, if you want a consistently clean house you need to consistently clean and pick up after yourself. It’s why a daily cleaning routine is so important. Most of these tasks you probably already do without even thinking about, while other items, you may want to avoid like the plague. Here’s a checklist of cleaning activities to complete each day… (Right click to download or print any of these printables)

• Make Your Bed (yes, as soon as you get out of the bed every morning)
• Sweep/Vacuum if Needed (kitchen, breakfast table/dining room and living room floors)
• Wipe Counters (bathroom and kitchen)
• Load/Unload Dishwasher (make unloading the dishwasher part of your morning routine and loading the dishwasher part of your nightly routine for maximum efficiency)
• Wipe Kitchen Sink (post meals)
• Take out Trash/Recycling (when needed)
• Check/Sort Mail
• 10 Minute Clutter Catcher (set a timer for 10 minutes every night and as a family pick up and put away any clutter that may have accumulated in the common areas during the day)
• Laundry (you may be able to do all of your laundry in one day but if you have a family bigger than say 2 or 3 you may need to do at least one load of laundry – specifically clothes – every single day so it doesn’t pile up)

Once you get in the groove with these daily cleaning tasks, add one more chore to your routine each day based on whatever fits your schedule best. Here’s a look at our weekly check list:

• Monday – Dust (all surfaces)
• Tuesday –Vacuum (this includes all carpeted spaces and rugs)
• Wednesday –Kitchen (wipe down appliances, clean out refrigerator, sink scrub, clean – microwave, oven and coffee pot if needed)
• Thursday – Bathrooms (mirrors, counters, sinks, tubs, showers and toilets)
• Friday – Sweep/Mop Floors (this includes all wood and tiled floor surfaces)
• Saturday – Laundry (sheets, towels, clothes and pet bedding)
• Sunday – Weekly Meal Prep

So basically, the house is still being cleaned but you’re breaking it down into more manageable steps. You may not have an entire Saturday to give to cleaning but you probably have at least 30 minutes to do complete the items on this checklist every day. Here’s a checklist that has both the daily and the weekly schedule:

If you are more room oriented than task oriented, try this weekly cleaning checklist:

If you want to save computer ink, print this checklist out & place it in a pretty frame with glass.

Then use a dry erase marker to cross off the items on the checklist as you complete them. At the end of the week, wipe clean with a bit of glass cleaner and you’ll be ready to start crossing things off again on Monday!

As the weeks and months progress, you’ll be able to tailor a cleaning schedule specifically to the needs of your family so please don’t let these checklists stress you out.

I truly believe that making small changes in your schedule by creating and maintaining a cleaning routine can have a big impact on your home life.

It’s not about having a perfectly cleaned house. It’s about streamlining daily tasks into simple, manageable steps so you can live your life to the fullest while generating a happy and healthy home for the ones you love.

See you guys back here tomorrow. It’s been a great first week of the year so far and I’ll share my scenes from the week and favorite things from around the web. Until then, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo