Free House Cleaning Checklist

Daily, Weekly, and Yearly - What to Clean and When

It seems to me that to a lot of women the hardest part about cleaning their house is finding the time to do it. We all have busy lives, but that is no excuse for having a dirty house. By establishing household guidelines and sticking to a daily routine, you can control the upkeep of your home. The key is to keep on top of things on a daily basis so that your job of cleaning the house does not have to be one of those things that takes on a life of its own. Some household chores need to be done every day, others once a week, some once a year. By knowing what needs to be done and when, you’ve won half the battle.

Make lists for yourself of the chores that need to be done in your home on a daily, weekly and yearly basis. Check off chores as they are done. Write the date each yearly chore is completed so you know how long you have until it needs to be done again. Make each member of your household accountable to the upkeep of the house - no matter how big and cranky or how little and sweet they are. No one in your house is too young or too old to pitch in! Make keeping your house clean on a daily basis a priority in your home and make housekeeping easier on yourself!

Daily Household Chores

There are things that really should be cleaned every day in your home if you want to maintain a clean house. You probably already do many of them.

1. My Grandmother used to say, “There is a place for everything and everything should be in its place.” Picking up in every room in your home and putting things away is the number one key to keeping a clean house. Establish a new rule in your home that if you take something into a room with you, it must leave the room when you do and be put back where it belongs. Have trouble getting your kids to take the new rule seriously? If your son leaves his hand-held game system on the couch and goes outside to play, he loses it for twenty four hours. Once this happens to a few of his beloved toys a few times, he’ll think twice about not putting things away when he’s done with them.

2. Make the beds. A neatly made bed makes even the most unorganized bedroom look somewhat together. I can’t leave my house unless the beds are made. I have a friend who never, ever makes her bed. “Why should I go through all that trouble? I’m only going to get right back in it in a few hours.” It’s something that I will never be able to comprehend.

3. Do the dishes. You’ve heard the saying, “Never go to bed angry.” You can go to bed angry five nights in a row if you like, but never go to bed with a sink full of dirty dishes. If you have a dishwasher, fabulous! All you have to do is stick the dirty dishes in it. Even if you’re tired, wash the dishes. I’d rather have 10 or 15 minutes less sleep than wake up to a kitchen with dirty dishes.

4. Sort your mail. Throw away junk and file bills. Don’t let it pile up, do it daily.

5. Take out the trash. No doubt about it, this needs to be done as soon as the trash reaches the top - which in our house is usually every day.

6. Spray kitchen counters with an all purpose cleaner and wipe down with a damp rag. This should be done before and after you cook, and as you go along.

7. Wipe down your bathroom. The sink and shower should be rinsed out after each use. The toilet seat and lid should be wiped once a day. The new disposable cleaning wipes, like Clorox makes, are perfect for this.

8. Sweep and vacuum floors. Technically you should sweep and vacuum every day. I do it as needed in my home, usually every other day. You may be able to get away with only vacuuming the bedrooms in your house once a week, but high traffic areas like hallways and the living room should be done more often. Personally, I love my Swiffer !

9. If laundry is an issue in your home (as in there’s always a ton of it), make a promise to yourself to do at least one load a day.

Weekly Household Chores

Most cleaning jobs need to be done at least once a week. You can’t go two weeks or a month without doing certain jobs or you will lose control over your house.

1. Every carpeted room in your home should be vacuumed at least once a week if not more often. Regular vacuuming enhances the live of your carpet. Without weekly vacuuming, dirt and grit will build up in your carpets and act like scissors, wearing down and cutting the carpet fibers. Use door mats and throw rugs at every entrance to your home to trap dirt and keep it from getting tracked around your house.

2. Sweep and mop kitchen and bathroom floors. Dry mop, then damp mop hardwood floors.

3. Dust all furniture. Use a damp rag and wipe down everything. I’m not a big fan of furniture polish, I find that it just leaves a lemon-scented greasy film on my furniture and isn’t worth the time or money.

4. Clean glass doors and mirrors, especially bathroom mirrors which are used the most.

5. Empty waste paper baskets in bedrooms and family rooms. Empty bathroom trash can. It makes the most sense to empty all of these into the kitchen trash can before it gets completely full and then take the whole bag outside.

6. Change bedclothes. Beds should be completely stripped down once a week and bed linens should be washed. If you don’t have the time to wash all the comforters and blankets in one shot, rotate who’s bedclothes get washed when, wash two one week and then the other two the following week. At the very least, pillow cases and sheets should be changed and washed once a week.

7. I like to do all my ironing at one shot once a week. Don’t make it such a chore, watch a movie or talk on the phone while you iron.

8. While you’re going around cleaning your home, don’t forget to water those plants!

Annual Household Chores

Certain household chores only really need to be done once a year. And it’s a good thing too because they are huge jobs that no one looks forward to. At least once they’re done and over with, you know you shouldn’t have to worry about it for another year.

1. All the windows in your home should be washed inside and out once a year. I usually have it done in early spring. Notice I said “have it done”, because I pay someone to do it. It’s one of those things that I find is definitely worth the money.

2. Once the windows are clean, take down all the curtains and drapes and wash, dry, iron and re-hang them. It’s easier if you do it room by room over a period of a week.

3. Blinds and shades also need to be washed once a year. If they are dusted regularly it makes it a lot easier in the end. Dust shades with a paint brush, using hard, quick strokes. Then rub out any marks with a pencil eraser. I bought a hand- tool that was supposed to be for cleaning blinds. It was not worth the $25.00 I paid for it. Take your blinds down and lay them in your tub. Fill the tub just enough to cover the blinds, add a half cup of ammonia to the water and let it get sudsy. Soak them for half an hour, rinse in shower and hang over tub to dry. It’s hard work, but it’s the most effective way to get the job done.

4. Go through your drawers and closets and donate or throw away clothes that you don’t wear. This includes the sun dress you haven’t been able to fit into in three summers, but you don’t want to give up hope. When you lose that 20 pounds, reward yourself with a new dress!

5. Vacuum radiators, vents, heat ducts and air conditioners. Make sure your air filters have been changed recently.

6. Shampoo carpets. You can rent a machine fairly cheaply if you don’t want to buy one or borrow a friend’s. This is another job I like to pay to have done in my home.

7. Clean out your garage, workshop, basement, and attic - get rid of the junk and clean the funk!

8. You may want to consider hiring a cleaning service once a year to clean your home. Yes, it can get pricey - but you and your home both deserve it. It’s nice to hire professionals to come in and do your big, thorough spring cleaning - including vacuuming under beds and cleaning out cabinets. How about hiring a service before the holidays to clean?

Nicole Dean is the owner of www.freequickrecipes.com and www.romanceyourhusband.com