Create a Year-Round Cleaning Schedule that Works

Everyone is talking about spring cleaning but I like to keep my house clean with a year-round cleaning schedule.

I don’t know if you’re like me, but having a clean home is essential to my mental well-being.

Don’t get me wrong there are things about spring that just lend themselves to an official “spring cleaning”. I’ve already been opening my windows on nicer days and just letting the fresh air into my house. I also can’t wait for clean windows. As soon as it’s nice enough I will be not only be washing the outside of my windows but also cleaning all of the screens. 

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Cleaning Realities

Sometimes keeping your house clean can be a real challenge. It’s easy to let things pile up, and before you know it, you’re facing a mountain of laundry, dishes, and clutter. That’s why I’ve found it helpful to create a year-round cleaning schedule that helps me stay on top of things.

Having a daily routine is key to keeping your home clean and organized. I start each day by making my bed and doing a quick tidy up of my bedroom. 

Throughout the day, I try to stay on top of things by doing small tasks like wiping down the bathroom sink and counters after I brush my teeth or picking up any clutter that has accumulated around the house.

I end the day in the kitchen. I load the dishwasher and start it. I wipe down all the counters. Finally, I run the stick vac over the floors. To me, there is nothing worse than coming downstairs to a messy kitchen.  

Of course, some tasks need to be done less frequently but are still important to keep your home looking its best. That’s where a cleaning routine comes in. By breaking down larger tasks into manageable chunks, you can tackle them without feeling overwhelmed. For example, I set aside one day a week to do a deep clean of the bathrooms, and another day to do a more thorough clean of the kitchen. By spreading out these tasks throughout the year, I can keep my home looking great without spending all of my time cleaning.

Keep reading to find my weekly, monthly, seasonally, and blank cleaning checklists.

Establishing Daily Cleaning Habits

As someone who values a tidy home, I’ve found that establishing a daily cleaning schedule is essential to maintaining a clean and organized living space. Here are a few simple tasks that I incorporate into my daily routine:

Morning Kick-Start

After I have my coffee and before starting my day, I like to take a few minutes to tidy up my home. I find that starting the day with a clean and organized space helps me feel more productive and focused. Some of my daily tasks include:

• Making my bed! Making my bed is a signal to me that “The Day has Begun”
• Wipe down the bathroom sink and counter 
• Unload the dishwasher
• Start one load of laundry

By completing these tasks in the morning, I’m able to start my day with a sense of accomplishment and a tidy home.

Evening Routine

In the evening, I like to wind down by doing a few more cleaning tasks. This helps me relax and feel prepared for the next day. Some of my evening tasks include:

• Load the Dishwasher and start it.
• Wipe down the sink and counters
• Putting away any items that were left out during the day
• Doing a final sweep or vacuum of the kitchen floor
• Take out the garbage if necessary.

By incorporating these tasks into my daily routine, I’m able to maintain a clean and organized home without feeling overwhelmed. It’s amazing how much of a difference a few simple daily cleaning tasks can make!

Weekly Cleaning Strategies

As I mentioned earlier, creating a year-round cleaning schedule is all about breaking down tasks into manageable chunks. On a weekly basis, I like to focus on a room-by-room approach and task-specific days. The high-traffic areas need to be part of your weekly cleaning tasks. 

Room-by-Room Approach

I find it helpful to dedicate one day a week to thoroughly cleaning one room in my home. This way, I can give each room the attention it deserves without feeling overwhelmed. For example, on Mondays, I focus on the kitchen. I clean the countertops, sweep and mop the floors, wipe down appliances, and take out the trash. On Tuesdays, I move on to the bathroom, cleaning the toilet, sink, shower, and floors. Clean bathrooms are so important to me.  Wednesdays are for the living room, where I dust, vacuum, and tidy up any clutter. Thursdays are for the bedrooms, where I change the sheets, dust, and vacuum. On Fridays, I tackle any remaining tasks, such as remaining laundry and/or organizing. Be sure to declutter by putting away strays shoes etc, and handling any weekly mail and miscellaneous piles.

Weekly you should disinfect the high traffic spots like door knobs, light switches, and TV remote.

Task-Specific Cleaning Day

In addition to the room-by-room approach, I also like to assign certain tasks to specific days. For example, Mondays are for cleaning the kitchen, but they’re also for wiping down all the surfaces in the house. Tuesdays are for cleaning the bathroom, but they’re also for mopping all the floors. Wednesdays are for the living room, but they’re also for dusting all the surfaces in the house. Thursdays are for the bedrooms, but they’re also for vacuuming all the floors. And Fridays are for any remaining tasks.

If I’ve had a busy week, these additional chores might wait until Saturday morning and then “Handy” and I tackle them together. I do all the dusting and surface cleaning. He vacuums and mops all of the tile and hardwood floors. Together we finish washing and folding any clothes. 

By breaking down my weekly tasks into a room-by-room approach and task-specific days, I’m able to stay on top of my weekly cleaning schedule without feeling overwhelmed. And by using a weekly cleaning checklist, I can make sure I’m not forgetting anything important. There is nothing more satisfying, to me than having the entire house clean so we can enjoy the rest of the weekend. 

Our garbage day is every Wednesday so Tuesday night we go around the house and empty all the trash and take it out to the bins. 

Monthly Deep Clean Essentials

As part of my year-round cleaning schedule, I make sure to set aside time each month for a deep clean.

For us, this happens on a Saturday or Sunday once a month. We typically chose a day based on the weather. If it’s a nice day, we try to do outdoor tasks. A rainy day is a great time to tackle the inside.

This helps me maintain a clean and organized home all year long. Here are some deep cleaning essentials that need to be done every month.

Kitchen Focus

The kitchen is the heart of the home, and it’s important to keep it clean and organized. Here are some tasks that I include in my monthly deep clean:

• Clean the kitchen sink and faucet thoroughly.
• Wipe down all countertops and cabinets.
• Deep clean the stove, microwave, and refrigerator.
• Dust and organize pantry shelves.
• Clean the baseboards, windows, and window sills.
• Clean out the refrigerator
• Don’t forget the top of the refrigerator and stove hood
• Wash any throw rugs
• Clean the insides of windows and sills
• Clean the backsplash

Bedroom and Living Areas

The bedroom and living areas are where we spend most of our time, so it’s important to keep them clean and comfortable. Here are some tasks that I include in my monthly deep clean:

• Vacuum and dust all furniture, including under and behind.
• Clean under the bed
• Organize closets and drawers.
• Dust and clean light fixtures and ceiling fans.
• Wash the baseboards, windows, and window sills
• Don’t forget to check on the guest room 🙂 It’s easy to forget that even when not in use it gets dust bunnies and needs a refresh.
• Vacuum furniture; including under cushions
• Dust all non-high traffic areas; bookshelves, picture frames, and tops of door frames.
• Don’t forget the entryway

Bathrooms and Laundry

The bathroom and laundry areas are often overlooked, but they require regular cleaning to prevent the buildup of bacteria and mold. Here are some tasks that I include in my monthly deep clean:

• Scrub the bathtub, shower, and toilet.
• Clean the sink and faucet.
• Wipe down all countertops and cabinets.
• Straighten drawers and cabinets
• Wipe down all baseboards, windows, and window sills
• Sanitize the washing machine
• Vacuum out lint traps well with a vacuum attachment
• Dust and clean light fixtures and vents.
• Wash shower curtains & rugs
• If necessary descale the faucet and shower heads by soaking in a vinegar and water solution. 

By including these monthly deep clean essentials in my year-round cleaning schedule, I’m able to maintain a clean and organized home without feeling overwhelmed. With a little bit of effort each month, I’m able to enjoy a comfortable and inviting living space all year long.

Seasonal and Annual Chores

As part of my year-round cleaning schedule, I make sure to set aside time for both seasonal and annual tasks. These tasks help keep my home clean and organized throughout the year. Here are some of the tasks I include in my seasonal and annual cleaning checklists:

Spring and Fall Cleaning

Spring and fall cleaning are great times to tackle deep cleaning tasks that may not be part of your regular cleaning routine. Here are some tasks I include in my spring and fall cleaning checklists:

• Declutter and donate from, closets, dressers, and kitchen cabinets
• Deep clean oven
• Wash outside of windows and screens
• Deep clean carpet and rugs
• Yard Clean-Up
• Clean ceiling fans
• Wash or Dry Clean Quilts
• Change filters in furnaces, humidifiers, water filters, and vacuum filters
• Have HVAC checked (Fall)
• Have fireplace cleaned and inspected (Fall)
• Store or cover outdoor furniture and cushions (Fall)

Summer and Winter Cleaning

Summer is when I tackle the much-needed outdoor chores and Winter is when things inside get taken care of. Again these are deep cleaning tasks that may not be part of your regular cleaning routine. Here are some tasks I include in my summer and winter cleaning checklists:

• Vacuum your mattress
• Wash or dry clean window treatment and throw pillow covers
• Clean grill (Summer)
• Clean outdoor furniture (Summer)
• Power wash patio, deck, and/or porch
• Change the batteries in the fire alarm and carbon monoxide detector (annually – we do ours on New Year’s Day.

Twice a Year Deep Decluttering.

In both February and September, I do deep decluttering and deep cleaning with many of my readers.

We spend four weeks working through our homes and aggressively purging and getting rid of things we don’t need. By decluttering we not only have a more organized home but it also helps with our mental health by not feeling overwhelmed by our surroundings.

If you want to be included in our next 30-Day Organizing and Cleaning, put your name on my waiting list.

Cleaning Checklist

I have created a comprehensive house cleaning schedule that outlines these tasks in more detail and if you like me, like to check things off a list, I’ve got you covered.

I have a weekly checklist, a monthly checklist, and a seasonal checklist. I also have a bonus blank checklist for you to create your own.

All of my printables are available in my Resource Library and FREE to all the Friends of Living Large in a Small House. 

Cleaning Products

Last week I shared with all of you the cleaning products that I make with simple ingredients. I also shared some of my favorite cleaning items. You can find that post HERE.

You can also find the recipes for my homemade cleaning products along with the checklist in my Resource Library.

Involving Family and Delegating Chores

As much as I would love to take on all the household chores myself, I know it’s not practical. That’s why involving my family and delegating tasks is such a good idea. Not only does it take some of the workload off my shoulders, but it also teaches responsibility and teamwork to my family members. Yes, after 30 years of marriage, “Handy” is still in training. 

To get started, I print out my to-do list of all the household chores that need to be done regularly. Then, I sit down with “Handy” and discuss which chores we each will take on. If there are more than just two of you in the family then you can assign tasks based on each person’s strengths and preferences. For example, your daughter might love to vacuum, so she can have that task. Your son, on the other hand, might be great at taking out the trash, so that’s his job.

You can make sure everyone stays on track, by using a chore chart that is hung up in a visible place. This chart should each person’s name and the chores they are responsible for. Using different colors can make it easier to read and understand.

Of course, delegating chores isn’t always easy. Sometimes, family members forget or don’t want to do their assigned tasks. When this happens, try to be patient and remind them of their responsibilities. Also, make sure to praise them when they do a good job.

Overall, involving family and delegating chores is been a great way to keep our home clean and organized year-round. It also helps you work together as a team and teaches kids valuable life skills.

Conclusion

I’ve found that starting with making my bed each morning and then setting aside time each day to tackle a few tasks around the house, really works to maintain a clean and decluttered home.

Does it get away from me? Of course and that’s when I spend a weekend getting myself back on track.

I hope that this is helpful to you so you can enjoy your home every day of the year.

Peace and Love,

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