Cleaning isn’t everyone’s preference even though they want to have a tidy home. For some, decluttering would occupy a chunk of their busy schedules. While for others, it’s just not their favorite activity. Cleaning may be a difficult chore if you’re not used to doing it, but this process can be made easier.
Cleaning involves many aspects besides laundry and dishes. This may include remodeling old furniture, buying new decorations, fire damage restoration, and even doing renovations. Since it cannot be done in a day, scheduling it in advance would greatly help.
Benefits Of Living In A Clean House
There are many benefits tied to living in a sanitary environment. It could even be therapeutic and relieving. Here are some of the benefits:
- It could promote good health within the household by preventing germs from spreading around the house.
- It could reduce fatigue and stress
- It may help in increasing productivity
- It may keep insects and pests from occupying
- It could promote better sleep
- It may improve safety and reduce accident risks
Cleaning Schedules
For easier cleaning, set different times for several kinds of cleaning. You can have daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal cleaning schedules for various parts of the house. It has even been more convenient since there are available templates for to-do lists and schedules online that are printable.
At the same time, there are cleaning companies who could do all this work for you. But if you’re looking to save some money, here are cleaning schedules that will leave your home spotless all the time:
Daily Schedule
This mainly involves the small tasks around the house. They help create order in the home.
Some of these are:
- Making your bed and ensuring other beds in the household are neat
- Opening windows for fresh air
- Mopping spillages and sweeping away dirt
- Clearing tables after meals
- Removing shoes at the door before getting into the house
- Clearing your sink after every meal
Designating the keys, backpacks, and other apparels at their respective places immediately after getting inside the house
Weekly Schedule
These are tasks that doesn’t need regular maintenance. The tasks involved are:
- Deep cleaning house floors
- Changing beddings
- Cleaning kitchen appliances
- Cleaning mirrors around the house
- Cleaning kitchen cloths
- Taking out the trash
- Doing your laundry
- Dusting the couches
- Changing throw pillows
- Cleaning and rearranging the fridge
- Scrubbing the toilet
Monthly Schedule
These tasks require more effort compared to the weekly and daily tasks. Here are some tasks you can take care of on a monthly basis:
- Dusting the house fans
- Cleaning furniture
- Adding decorations
- Thorough cleaning of shelves
- Rearranging closets
- Looking through medicine cabinets for expired ones
- Buying new cleaning supplies
- Cleaning windows and blinds
Seasonal Schedule
Tasks in this schedule are only done once in a year, and most of them involve hiring professionals to do it for you. However, if you have the skillset, you’re at an advantage. Some of these include:
- Renovations or remodels around the house
- Deep cleaning or changing carpets
- Checking the filters in air conditioners and furnaces
- Removing clogs in gutters
- Scraping fireplace and chimney
- Cleaning or changing upholstery
- Repairing or buying new appliances
- Cleaning walls and repainting
- Cleaning the attic and basement
Although this isn’t a comprehensive list of all the tasks one should cover, the common ones are mentioned. Additionally, companies are coming up with different cleaning products every day. These are focused on making the process easier for you.
Researching and buying appliances that can help you clean would be a boost. Most of these essential machines are designed to make house chores easier for you.
How To Maintain A Spotless Home
Achieving a spotless home is a daily effort. When you commit in making this choice daily, it would become a habit to live neatly.
Here are tips on how to maintain a clean house:
Early Morning Tidying Up
When the family wakes up, see to it that they tidy up what they can. This involves simple tasks that could grow into a routine for the kids. If you make it a daily morning requirement, then it would cultivate discipline in them. Soon enough, they would do it for their own sake.
Start with ensuring that they have their beds properly made. At this time, they should also tie the curtains and open windows to let fresh air in. You could also check if dirty clothes have been put away in laundry baskets properly. Ensure as well that clean clothes aren’t mixed up with dirty ones. Another thing that can be done in the morning is to make sure mail and newspaper are picked up.
2. Cleaning In The Middle Of The Day
Even with a tidy house in the morning, activities during the day may bring about dirt and disorganization. Some chores may include mopping up spillages and sweeping the floor. If there are kids around, have them pick up toys once they are finished with them. It would be a bonus if you’re alone in your home, so you can clean in peace and at your own pace.
After lunch or preparing a snack, ensure that you clean surfaces. Also, wash the dishes in the sink immediately to avoid piling up. Lightly clean up the sink after this to avoid food sticking on it and to prevent ants from spreading.
3. Ensure That Items Are Not Dumped Anywhere Around The House
An easy way to avoid clutter is to make sure nothing is piled up anywhere. You will have to keep a keen eye to make sure clothes aren’t left piled up on the bed or wrappers dropped in any area. While coming in, see to it that jackets, backpacks and keys are immediately placed wherever necessary. Toys should also be returned to their storage containers once the kids are done with them.
4. Place A Mat At The Door
A clean mat at the door signify to incoming visitors that they should take off their footwear outside. Shoes could easily spread soil and dirt all over the house, and these are also good hosts for germs. Have your family members and visitors take off their shoes at the door to avoid this. That being so, make sure that they are well organized at the door.
5. Do A Bit Of Cleaning Before Bed
It’ll only take a minute to do last-minute organizing before sleeping, and it’ll not be a bother once you get used to it. A creative way to go about this is washing your dishes while you cook dinner. This would reduce the amount you will wash after. Before going to bed, put away toys and have them placed at their respective positions. Tidy up the couches as well in the process.
Not only will this be a good routine, but it’ll also reduce the responsibilities you need to do for the next day.
6. Make It A Rule To Be Tidy
Cleaning would be a lot harder if other family members would not cooperate. For instance, they can pick up anything that’s not supposed to be on the floor or they can replace items to the respective positions after using. It would go a long way if they also see the importance of what you’re exemplifying, even in the smallest things.
Go through the mail once it comes in to prevent piling up and mention this to them. Have your children clean the dishes after every meal. Encourage others to be proactive in maintaining the house organized.
This prevents chores from piling up, making cleaning less tedious. It’ll not be easy to maintain a daily routine. However, daily practice and delegating certain tasks would become a habit in such a way that everyone would be neat in their own ways.
7. Close Doors And Windows When Necessary
There are some windows and doors around the house that are always open, and this varies on different households. If you really need them open, ensure you close them in time.
Leaving doors and windows open late into the evening would encourage animals and insects to settle, so these should be taken care of. If you want some cool air during night time, turn on your fan or air conditioner instead to allow good air circulation.
8. Clean Up Groceries Before Storing Them
Not all groceries will come in clean. Make it a habit to clean them before storing them into the fridge or cabinets. Wipe your grocery items like bottles and cans to disinfect it, considering that other people might have touched them. Throw out packaging that are disposable in nature.
From time to time, wash the grocery bags that you’re using to avoid germs. Disinfect anything that came from outside your home, so you can be at peace that nothing is contaminated.
9. Keep Surfaces Dry
Ensure that you maintain a dry home. Damp areas promote growth of molds around the house which may lead to damages. When the sun is up, open up windows to let in some heat. Also, be on the lookout for leaks and ensure they are repaired on time.
All clothes coming into the house should also be dry to prevent nasty smells. Ironing clothes as well ensures stored clothes are dry. It may also help in killing the unseen germs in them.
10. Disinfecting
Disinfection is the best way to keep off germs, viruses and bacteria. Proper sanitizing and sterilizing start with having credible cleaning products and materials. It’s also important to note that all areas of the house require disinfecting, not just casual sweeping or dusting.
If you have children at home, disinfecting their toys regularly is a must since they are always on the floor and sometimes being put close in their eyes and mouth.
11. Regularly Keep The Hidden Areas Around The House Clean
The pantry, fridge, shelves, closets, garages, and cabinets may not be a top priority to clean since they are just used for storing materials. Even so, avoid just throwing things in without a proper arrangement. Have these places cleaned once in a while and have items inside properly stored.
A good way to go about this is getting storage cans and boxes. You can label what goes where and this’ll make storage much easier for you.
12. Have Trash Cans Tightly Covered
To prevent spillage from pets and children stumbling over trash cans, install tight lids on them. This’ll also help minimize the likelihood of insects and animals into the house. Proper covering also prevents bad smells from leaking.
13. Clean Your Pets And Their Items
If you have pets, ensure that they are frequently cleaned because this’ll promote a clean coat or skin. This’ll also help reduce the likeliness of fleas and pests around the house. Additionally, empty, clean, and disinfect their litter boxes on a daily basis. This is to avoid bad smells around the house.
Regularly groom your pets as well since this could also help in minimizing the possibility of pet and human infections within the home.
14. Buy Sofa And Furniture Covers To Prevent Damages
Pets will chew on furniture or scratch sofas, causing damages around the house. Get covers to ensure that your furniture stays intact. In addition, you can spray products that have scents that are unpleasing to them. You could also buy waterproof covers in order to stains from any spillage.
15. Have A Specific Place For Items Around The House
If you’re finding it hard to position items around the house, get storage cabinets fitted in bedrooms or other areas around the house. Some other key items that bring order are shoe rack with storage compartment, brush holder for your toothbrushes, coat hanger, and many others. It isn’t automatic to be organized, so buying certain items would remind you to be neat.
Final Words
A clean home is likely to promote a spacious and encouraging ambiance. If made a habit, cleaning ceases to become work. Break down all your cleaning duties into small doable tasks, so you won’t get overwhelmed. It becomes even easier when everyone around the house cooperates in the routines you have structured.
