Keeping a house clean is just one of the many tasks that we take on as a mom. It looks different for everyone. Working moms. Stay at home moms. Or those who balance the two. When it comes down to it, homemakers that we are, we want a clean place to live. The trick to keeping a house clean? Have a plan.
Why a Checklist Helps So Much
Breaking down the task “keep the house clean” into smaller checklist items helps keep perspective. Mop the floors once a week? I can do that. Tidy the kitchen after the kids are in bed? Simple.
The other things a checklist helps with is delegating. In our house we don’t necessarily say “it’s dad’s job to take out the trash and clean the bathrooms”. Rather we delegate him the task of making sure those things get done. Distributing the mental load of remembering the last time we took out the trash, but giving the flexibility for him to ask a kid to help do the actual taking out.
This helps us feel like a team, but also be realistic about what one person needs to have the mental bandwidth to keep on top of.
Our checklist helps us to make assignments and determine a loose plan for how often something should be happening.
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House Cleaning Tasks On My List
I set my list up in time-based groups. What needs to happen daily, weekly, monthly etc.. Now keep in mind our home is pretty small and we are not a large family. Further breaking down tasks like “clean the bathroom” might be needed if you have more than two bathrooms to clean. I share my list as a general suggestion for the types of things that can be included. You can download my free printable house cleaning checklist here for your convenience.
Daily Tasks
- Sweep Kitchen
- Dishes
- Take out Trash
- Tidy Living Room
- Tidy Bedrooms
- Make Beds
- Start Dishwasher
Weekly Tasks
- Laundry – Clothes
- Laundry – Linens
- Vacuum Carpets
- Mop Kitchen Floor
- Mop Bathroom Floor
- Wipe out Microwave
- Wipe Down Stovetop
- Tidy up Cars
- Dust Surfaces
Monthly Tasks
- Wash out Fridge
- Wipe out Freezer
- Wash out Dishwasher
- Clean Cabinet Fronts
- Wash Baseboards
- Vacuum Cars
- Wash Garbage Cans
Other
- Tidy inside Cabinets
- Organize Closets
- Wash Curtains
- Wash Rugs
- Wipe Down Walls
Making Assignments
My Number one suggestion: Have a conversations and let family members choose a few they would like to be responsible for. Buy-in is key. Just like in business, if you want people to do things you have to give them the room to choose to do them.
We each chose a few, again just that we take responsibility to make sure they happen. That to say even if Dad is taking “laundry” mom can still throw in a load. She just doesn’t have to keep in her mind the last time the towels were washed.
If there are tasks remaining, make assignments based on time at home and abilities. I do suggest for monthly tasks that perhaps you allow them to be flexible. My parents would have a lot of those be jobs the kids could opt to do and earn a few dollars. Funny how cleaning the fridge for $5 was totally worth it as a 14 year old.
Your Own List
My list certainly isn’t comprehensive. It is what we do at our home, but homes have different needs. If you have a garage, maybe that is on there. Or windows that need washing. So adapt the idea of the list to fit the cleaning needs of your home and family. Happy cleaning!