Balancing a full-time job around running a home and raising kids can be challenging for even the best multi-tasking mom. If you’re like most moms, you might try to get all your house cleaning chores done all on the same day.
Fortunately there is an easier way to ensure your house always looks fresh and clean without spending hours of your precious weekend time getting them done. Here are some tips for creating a cleaning schedule that keeps your home clean in just 20 minutes a day and gives you back your weekend time:
Create a Cleaning Schedule
If you’re working full-time it can be tempting to leave household chores until the weekend. However, if you put together a cleaning schedule it becomes much easier to stay on top of everything.
Your cleaning schedule should allocate one chore to get through each day. For example, you might choose to clean the living room and kitchen on Monday, scrub the bathroom on Tuesday, tackle the bedrooms on Wednesday, get the laundry done on Thursday, and leave Friday for ironing and folding laundry.
Weekend chores might include outdoor chores, such as sweeping the porch, washing the car, or pulling a few weeds.
If you have a quiet vacuum cleaner you might get through some tasks at night while the children are sleeping. If not, set aside 20 to 30 minutes each day to get chores done.
Work out any other tasks that might only need doing once a week or even once a month and add those to your schedule too. For example, you might do your laundry at the end of the week, but you might clean windows only once a month.
Create New Habits
Every home has some tasks that need to be done every day, such as washing dishes or making the beds. Nobody really wants to do the dishes after a meal, which can lead to a pile of dirty dishes mounting up on the sink and countertops.
Make it a rule in your home that dishes must be done after each meal so you avoid things piling up in the kitchen. If you have a dishwasher, be sure it gets stacked after everyone has eaten.
The same principle is true with making the bed every morning. After you’ve gotten up, take a few minutes to make the bed behind you. It won’t take you long, but it’s one less chore you’ll have to worry about later.
Get the Kids Involved
It’s common for most kids to avoid household chores. However, they’re part of the family so they should be included in all the chores too.
Encourage your children to accept responsibility for some of the chores. Research shows that involving children in household chores from a young age can have positive impacts on them later in life.
Tasks such as feeding the pets, making the bed, picking up in their bedrooms, or stacking the dishwasher are simple enough to do and they’re things that should be done every day. After a few days of complaining, you should notice that little tasks quickly become daily habits.
As your children get older, allocate more responsibility with chores. For example, they might help you with washing larger dishes that don’t fit in the dishwasher or helping to load the washer or dryer to get the laundry done.
Break down your household chores into smaller, more manageable tasks each day. You’ll find it much easier to keep up with everything without spending hours of your precious weekend time trying to get it all done.
Mollie Freeman uses her experiences in day-to-day life to write articles and help other women around the world keep their work lives and home lives ticking like clockwork! A firm believer in to do lists and multitasking, when done right, Mollie shares some top tips in her articles.
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I have been struggling with this big time! I really need to make a schedule and stick to my rules with the kids helping.
Great ideas! I actually hired a housekeeper last year and it has been such a wonderful decision. She comes once a month, but we make cleaning a family affair in between visits.
I tackle one room a day and keep it circulating throughout the week. Of course, the kids get chores as well to help out.