it’s easy to find a routine of cleaning and then slowly stop the new routine and fall right back into those bad habits. once you’re out of routine, it’s hard to get back on it. i am not perfect in this area, but i am passionate about it and have seen all the benefits of a clean living space (less stress, more joy, can actually live without all the clutter… to name a few). so, i want to share what’s currently working for our home. there are things i do daily, weekly, monthly, & occasionally.
daily
- dishes- i like to have all dishes either washed & air drying or in the dishwasher running before i go to bed. then in the morning, the dishwasher can be emptied or air dried dishes put away first thing.
- quick pick up- every night before bed (or multiple times throughout the day) i like to do a quick pick up. this includes straightening the pillows, putting dog toys away, putting more dishes away, picking up things off the floor, etc.
- laundry- i do laundry pretty much everyday to stay on top of it, especially with having a baby. i’d way rather do laundry most days than do huge loads that take up hours to fold and put away once a week.
- clean the stove top- usually this gets done on an “as needed” basis, but typically it’s daily. cleaning grease and crumbs off the stove takes 2 minutes and makes the entire kitchen feel cleaner. then, the stove is ready for a new meal.
weekly
- water plants- now, not everyone has plants, but this is one thing i do to keep my place tidy is to stay on top of watering them! they will totally take away from the aesthetic of your place if they die haha.
- wash bed sheets- our dog sleeps in our bed, so i’ve found a nice, weekly washing keeps them feeling and smelling nice & fresh.
- clean master bathroom- every week, the toilets, sinks, and mirror in our master bathroom get cleaned. since this is the main bathroom used, it gets dirty and smudgy pretty quickly. i like to diffuse some essential oils after it is cleaned to add a fresh scent.
- vacuum- this is all dependent on how much my dog is shedding at that given time. some weeks vacuuming is definitely done more than 1x but it just depends on the week. when it is done, everything is done- baby’s room, both bathrooms, master bedroom, kitchen, rugs, etc.
- pick up the counter tops- we all know that the counter top is the place to put all the things: mail, pens, cards, etc. my tip would be to go through that stuff as soon as you can. give those things a place so that the counter top isn’t the go to “put everything” place anymore. for example, have a spot that mail should go so the counter top isn’t the pile up spot for it. target sells these cute little mail holders or a thrifted basket!
- clean the sink- whenever the sink gets dirty, i love to let some baking soda and essential oils in the sink for 10-20 minutes. then i scrub it and it smells and looks all shiny and clean!
monthly
- dust- we do not have a lot of places that get dusty so this one usually gets done whenever the spaces look as though they need it. ** tip: look at your ceiling fans. i dusted ours last week. it’s crazy how much dust can build up up there! and to think, we’re breathing that in when it’s running!
- go through Hudson’s drawers- our son is currently 3 months old, but he is growing so quickly! he was over 16 pounds at 2 months old. so, he is going through clothes really fast. so every once in a while (about every month), i like to reorganize and go through all his dresser drawers to set aside those things that are now too small.
- clean the showers- our showers don’t get too dirty but they do get dusty.
- clean guest bathroom- one to two times a month i clean the sink, mirror, and toilet in our guest bathroom. this isn’t used as much and so, again, it mainly gets dusty but it’s never super dirty. i like to make sure it’s clean before guests come over so it’s nice and fresh.
- wash the blanket in our dog’s kennel- our dog sheds quite a bit, so the blanket in her kennel gets pretty hairy. i wash it monthly so it’s all clean for her. **tip: i don’t use dryer sheets because i don’t want the dryer sheets to stick to the blanket and then there be a chance she would get a hold of one and eat it.
occasionally
- go through our closets- i love to do this to declutter, reorganize, and minimize. i make a sell pile and a get rid of pile. having a clean closet is very important; otherwise, it’s easy to forget what clothes you even have. plato’s closet is a great place to sell clothes. if they’re not worth selling, i typically bring them to goodwill.
- clean the oven- we are not very good at this one… but ideally we would deep clean this every couple months.
- mop the floors- since we’re in an apartment, we don’t have a ton of wood floors and since our child is not old enough to be eating solids, our floors don’t need mopping that often as of now. this will soon be changing once hud is eating solids though.
- move around furniture- every once in a while, my husband and i love moving around furniture for a new look. the more inspired you are with a new space, the more you’ll want to keep it tidy. this also gives you an opportunity to vacuum under those spaces that were hidden for so long.
now, i understand that this might seem completely unnatural and stressful for some people. but just try it a week at a time. i’ve found that writing down the weekly to-do’s for the household is helpful. then, you and your family can divide the tasks, making it less daunting to accomplish.
tia marie
tia marie 