The Cleaning Schedule in Your Planner That Will Actually Work | Giftie Etcetera: The Cleaning Schedule in Your Planner That Will Actually Work

Monday, August 1, 2016

The Cleaning Schedule in Your Planner That Will Actually Work

When I was younger, I was a history teacher. I was obsessed with the colonization of America. I thought maybe, someday, we'll colonize the moon.

Well, I have now achieved greatness by doing something I've only ever dreamed of doing.

I've colonized my home...



cleaning, cleaning schedule, housework routine, housekeeping schedule, planner pages



...um, with ants. Boo! A great big colony of ants has moved in and taken up residence.

I kill them. They come back. They find crumbs where I would never see them. They are tenacious, vile, and bitey. (Is "bitey" a thing? My ankles and that one that crawled up my pants say "yes, indeed, bitey is a thing.")

I have to get a handle on this. I've been doing clean as I go, with my kids having the daily chore of sweeping the floor. I also clean (shamelessly and quickly) before company visits.


I need a cleaning routine. 


But I've tried cleaning routines. I've printed them, written them in my planner, and thought about them. 

None of them worked.

When I examine the why I don't clean more routinely, a few things occur to me.

First, I am very lazy. 


Let's just get that out there! The truth will set us free! You might be lazy, too. There's a simple test, really. When the day is done, is your house neat and sparkly? No. You are probably lazy. Watched more than three episodes of something on Netflix? No probably about it. You are lazy!

It's okay. You are not alone.


This is important to know. If you aren't lazy, you don't need this. Go read one of my other posts about your planner layout or something!

PLAN 15 MINUTES ON WEEKDAYS

If you are lazy, keep the duration of cleaning up short each day. I plan to do just 15 minutes.


You can always do more. But aim for 15 minutes so your goal is manageable.

Second, I hate Mondays.

There is so much to do and so much mess lingering from the weekend.

PUT AWAY AND STRAIGHTEN FIRST

I've decided to do no actual cleaning on Mondays. Instead, I spend 15 minutes putting things away that got left out over the weekend.


This accomplishes two things. First, it makes cleaning on subsequent days so much easier. Second, if I put things away as I go, it might take LESS TIME than 15 minutes. How cool is that for a Monday?!?

MAKE YOUR SCHEDULE INSTEAD OF USING SOMEONE ELSE'S

Third, when I use a cleaning schedule, it requires me to clean things too often. They just don't get THAT dirty, so I feel like I am cleaning for nothing.


So I divided my Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday schedules up, so I vacuum or wipe down counters (beyond the normal wipe during or after cooking) about twice per month.


You can check out the image above for the schedule. (When I do mirrors, I also do tubs/showers. When I do closets, I do toilets.)

Other schedules made by strangers just don't fit my home (smallish), my filthiness (not that bad for a lazy person as I mostly clean as I go), or my lifestyle (too busy to be constantly cleaning).

Make your own cleaning schedule. List your needs and frequency and depend on that. Mine is an example, based on my needs. Yours are different, so no one else's schedule will work perfectly for you.


ORGANIZE ABOUT WEEKLY

Fourth, I need relaxed Fridays.

Organizing relaxes me. 


So I keep a running list of things to organize and pick one (or a 15 minute part of one) on most Fridays.


If you are already organized, purge a little.

DO OCCASIONAL BUT IMPORTANT TASKS SOMETIMES

Fifth, I have things that I need to keep up with on a semi-regular basis, but not even as often as once a month. Filing, cleaning appliances, that sort of thing.


The 5th week of the month (except Mondays so you keep things put away) is perfect for those sometimes tasks since not every month has a 5th Thursday or Friday or whatever. 


I consider it bonus time. (Yes, if you are wondering, I got the idea because my husband gets paychecks every two weeks, which means an occasional third paycheck in certain months.) Use it to clean your car or your windows or your garage. But only 15 minutes. Big tasks need to be scheduled outside of the routine.

Join my Giftie Etcetera Facebook group and come be accountable for meeting those daily goals by posting your achievements!


Etcetera.


If you enjoy what you read at Giftie Etcetera, please share on social media. Click here to join the Giftie Etcetera Facebook group.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

SO true about focusing on our own individual cleaning needs rather than someone elses cleaning chart. If I were a SAHW I could probably get more done, but after 4pm and weekends are it and - let's get it out there - when I get home from work the last thing I want to do is clean. Ditto the weekends when we want to have quality time together or work out in the yard.

I did make an Excel chart encompassing everything in the entire house that has to be cleaned with the 'week of' date for each week of the month for 3 months (I have a template of it offered on my blog) With the exception of the kitchen sink, counter and floor (which I clean every night after supper) our house doesn't get that dirty with only two people so things like washing down the paneling/cabinets with Murphy Soap, polishing the furniture, vacuuming, mirrors, area rugs, bedding, etc. can survive getting done every other week.

I put a copy of the chart on the fridge and check off what I've done so and in what what so I know I don't have to do it the following week. Even if it's just scouring the tub, wiping down the washer/dryer or polishing one piece of furniture, if I get something done every night during the week, it's five less things to do on the weekend.

BTW, have greatly missed you as when I first discovered you, you were posting daily. I know you've been busier now that you're homeschooling, but just want to put it out there that your daily posts were the first things I went for. Also hope to see more videos from you when time allows :)

Giftie Etcetera said...

I usually post daily during certain times of the year and slack off in the summer. So you'll see posting increase as we near December!

Elaine Canha said...

I also adapted the routines of FlyLady for my needs. Much better! I prefer a big cleaning (two hours) in one day of the weekend. During the week, only quick missions.

Jaime Barfield said...

Even the cleanest home can get ants depending on the area. Love your cleaning ideas. We use ant stakes outside our home. They are the kind you can buy that you place so far apart around your home, they act as a barrier and the ants wont come in. We get them and then replace them every spring. Love them!

Unknown said...

I recommend these personalized mugs and cups, regards from Spain and nice blog :)

http://estilosdemoda.es/tazas-personalizadas

Anna said...

I agree that "bitey" is a word. Living in Africa, I've had too many up close and personal encounters with ants, some that included running into the house and stripping to remove all the bitey ants.

Having a husband and kids, my house is never going to be as clean as it could be if I were single, but my life is full and rich. I don't think you should say you are lazy, just that you are busy, and it's hard to balance everything. I've been reading a lot about habits, and it really has me thinking about things like that. I have learned over time that I do better with small amounts of things, than if I let them build up. If I have a schedule, then I'm likely to keep up with the things while they are still small. For example, I will try to declutter/ put away things after every meal and before bed. That would drive some people crazy, but I tend to get up to move around at those points anyway, then I can put a few things away.

Right now, I have the cleaning part somewhat easier, since I have someone who cleans the bathrooms & mops the floor 2xs/week- my least favorite part. Plus I have a cook that makes bread & does a main meal 5xs/week, washes dishes and cleans the kitchen. It makes 3rd world life more manageable. I just have to try to stay on top of weekends, clutter and messes that develop when you have kids- and a puppy!

Handsome Boy said...

Positive site, where did u come up with the information on this posting?I have read a few of the articles on your website now, and I really like your style. Thanks a million and please keep up the effective work. dry cleaners washington dc

Robert said...


I’ve been surfing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It’s pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be a lot more useful than ever before.
carpet cleaning culver city

Richard C. Lambert said...

Very nice article, I enjoyed reading your post, very nice share, I want to twit this to my followers. Thanks!. Thetopcleaner.com

Rahul Singh said...

Wow! You have great lists! I love them all actually. And I really want new shows that bring me so addicted! laboratory equipments

Rahul Sharma said...

Wow! You have great lists! I love them all actually. And I really want new shows that bring me so addicted! glass fiber filters

SRC said...

I found this is an informative and interesting post so i think so it is very useful and knowledgeable. java training in noida

Sai Sudha Hospital said...

Good post. Thank you so much for sharing this post. I really like your blog and thanks for sharing the information with us.
Best Fertility Centre In Hyderabad

The Luxury Trains said...

Great post for those who are interested in this sphere all necessary information is well-explained. luxury trains in india

Dolpphin said...

This very nice and wonderful article thank you for share this information. I really impressed this article. Pest Control Services in Delhi

Melbourne Vacate Cleaning said...

Very well written post. You have shared a wonderful article which is very helpful. Thanks for sharing, have a good day. End of Lease Cleaning Melbourne

Unknown said...

It is very nice article this is important in my work. Keep it up in that same way Thanks a lot. Best Hospital in Hyderabad

Prathima Hospitals said...

I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it. I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff on your post.
Best Bluetooth speakers under 2000

cleantoshine said...

Hello Blogger, Thank you for this great post. this is important post to who are schedule cleaning. I am really happy to read this post. once again Thank you very much for sharing. end of lease cleaning

Kian Wilson said...

Informative post thanks for sharing. For Carpet Cleaning Services in Melbourne visit : Carpet Cleaning Services in Melbourne

Danny said...

These are looking very good schedule plan for cleaning. You can hire foreign domestic worker workers for you to do the job. This will save you time. You can hire them at a lower cost. They are experienced and will do your work professionally.

Ravi Sharma said...

Thanks for sharing this amazing website content that a number of people are having the great skills of writing and share their life experience with others. I appreciate you keep going with your interesting content thanks. nitrocellulose membrane

Best Astrologer in India said...

You can study astrology online right now in a fun, engaging, and interactive course that will allow you to learn at your own pace, and in the comfort of your home. This course is 100% online and you can start from scratch with absolutely no previous experience, or brush up on your previous knowledge. In just three short weeks you'll be conversing about the stars like an expert.

vcare1234567890 said...

Why Should You Get Microsoft Power BI Certification Training?
Power BI is a tool that data analysts use to help businesses maximize the value of their data assets. These individuals are in charge of developing scalable data models, cleansing and transforming data, and providing advanced analytical capabilities that result in significant commercial value through clear data visualizations. Candidates can understand the Power BI tool completely with the help of the Power BI Certification training. This technique is used by organizations to transform data gathered from many sources into intuitive and understandable perspectives that support decision-making.
Benefits of Microsoft Power BI Certification Training
As enterprises and organizations have started utilizing the Power BI application, they have started to employ specialists or individuals with the Power BI credential. The Power BI certification training can be very beneficial for working professionals whose key result areas (KRAs) are data management and analysis.
Some of the main benefits of obtaining a Microsoft Power BI certification training include the following:
1. It’s Microsoft
2. Data Visualization and Modeling
3. Power BI Desktop's Data Transformation
4. Dashboards, Configure Reports, and Apps in the Power Service
5. Power BI Has a Large User Community
6. Power BI is easy to use and reasonably priced to learn.

123456789 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.