Blog Categories +
A question or comment I get all the time is that is that my homekeeping routine seems to be for people that are home all day. If you just glance at the calendar, I can see how you might think that but I am here to tell you that my routine is for anyone and any schedule.
If you haven’t tried my cleaning routine – I always say that anyone can do it with any schedule. But if you are in the, ‘I need convincing’ camp, keep reading. I created my homekeeping routine years ago but perfected it in the busiest season of our lives – I was working full-time, pregnant with our 3rd baby, and running Clean Mama. I promise you – with a little commitment and a little time every day, weekends do not have to be devoted to cleaning.
I created my cleaning routine years ago out of necessity. I was sick of cleaning all weekend long and living with the crazy during the week. Once I started using a simple routine I realized that just a little bit every day was helping me keep things clean most of the time. Then came three kids, different work schedules, traveling for my job, running a business…..and guess what? It still worked.
find this and all my free printables here
Put aside any misconceptions you have with cleaning. My routine is different.
Every home and every family has its own set of challenges and hurdles to work through. Let’s be honest, if you can choose between sitting down and reading a book or folding a basket of laundry, you’re going to read the book, right?
I will also say that every situation is difficult – if you are home with your kids all day or at work until 6pm, this post isn’t about what is or isn’t difficult, it’s about figuring out strategies to make it work for you and your family. The goal is a clean home most of the time in the least amount of time.
WORKING OUTSIDE THE HOME
If you work outside the home and get home late or leave early (or both!) and are exhausted and have no energy to put a cleaning routine into place, my best suggestion is to start with 5-10 minutes before you leave for work and 5-10 minutes when you get home. Start with the daily tasks and work on completing them every day. If the daily tasks are overwhelming, just start with one – one load of laundry from start to put away, pick up clutter, check floors, or wipe counters. Add one every week and before you know it you’ll have built a little routine into your schedule. Once you feel like you’ve got a good handle on daily tasks, start adding the weekly cleaning tasks – Monday is bathrooms day, Tuesday is Dusting Day, etc. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and do what you can in that amount of time and forget the rest. Keep going and before long you’ll have added this step to your routine as well. If you feel like you can add more time, and get more accomplished, increase your time to 15-20 minutes.
Here’s the secret: If you keep up with the routine (even if it’s half-way done every week), by keeping up with it consistently you’ll be making progress and after a couple months (or less) you’ll not only have a routine but you’ll have a clean home most of the time.
IRREGULAR WORK HOURS/SCHEDULE
An irregular schedule is difficult for so many reasons. Some irregular schedules are overnight shifts, 3 days on and 3 days off or it might even be that you work 12 hour shifts. My best advice? A cleaning routine can be accomplished, but give yourself grace while you’re trying to figure out what works best for you. You might need to double up tasks and tackle two or three on your days off so you don’t have to do much on the days that you are at work. For instance, if you work on Thursdays but have Wednesday off, do Wednesday’s task (vacuum) and Thursday’s task (wash floors) on the same day. Some weeks might be weeks where all you do are the basic daily cleaning tasks (make beds, one load of laundry, wipe counters, clutter, and check floors). Some weeks you’ll be able to conquer the world and get everything done. Take it all in stride and remember that something is always better than nothing.
This post has tips for any schedule – stay-at-home, work-at-home, limited mobility/illness, and getting family involved. And this post has tips for when you’re overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Want to see some videos? Here’s my weekly cleaning routine and my daily cleaning routine, and my rotating cleaning routine for those deep cleaning tasks.
Michelle Says...
I am married. Work outside the home. Have 2 very busy children.. I’m here to testify my house has never ever looked so nice.
b r Says...
Post authorYay! Thank you for sharing Michelle!
Jess Says...
I work 2 part time jobs, one of which one is 2-12 hour overnight shits a week, am in graduate school, and am married and pregnant with our third child in a little under 5 years. I’ve been thinking all along that your schedule is just for SAHM and won’t work for me. After this post, you’ve got me thinking…
b r Says...
Post authoryay! That was my goal 🙂
Adriana DiGioia Says...
Just had an operation and am comvalescing. Right now l cannot vacuum so l am putting that on hold for now. My husband is handling laundry. So mostly l keep surfaces clear and wiped c lean or dusted any other ideas l can use for the interim.????
Did purchase and read the book you write and will follow the October challenge
b r Says...
Post authorTake it easy and just do what you can – I think that the surfaces is key! If you have any paperwork or sorting that can be done, this might be a good time to do that from your bed or a sofa. Rest up and get better!
Sue Weber Says...
You can do this and to make it easier get your children and spouse involved. If everyone pitches in then it takes a really short time to get it all done! Remember the home belongs to everyone and everyone should help! Not just one person!!
b r Says...
Post authorAbsolutely!
GreenDoor Says...
My home time is also limited. Two things work for us. One, I love the concept of coralling. I have a basket of stuff to go into the basement. One place I dump all unread paperwork, one place we are allowed to dump backpacks/bags, and two designated spots for dumping dirty laundry. I may have dust and crust everywhere, but the Stuff is at least corralled until I have a bigger chunk of time to run downstairs, do laundry, etc.
Second, I told my husband that he needed to pick one or two household chores that he enjoys and do them. He actually likes taking out the trash/recycling and has a daily and a weekend routine for trash management. He also (praise God) likes keeping the bathrooms clean. I think we women have been conditioned to think we must be the only keeper of the home and this is just not right if both partners work outside the home.
Mara Says...
I’m so glad you put the line in that says “make it work for you.” When I think of cleaning I think of it as a daunting task, thankfully you have helped me see that a lot can get done in about 30 minutes. I try to follow your cleaning routine but to make it work for me I had to combine a couple of days since Monday’s and Tuesday’s are extremely hectic and I’d rather come home and do nothing. I just moved dusting to Wednesday right before sweeping and bathrooms on Friday! Thanks for helping me keep a clean home !
Sherron Says...
I am 78 years old and am having trouble focusing.. your five cleaning items have been very helpful to me and I wanted to say thank you!!