My Cleaning Schedule

Over the years I've had quite a few people ask me how I keep my home tidy and do all the other things I do.  For starters I don't work full time so this gives me time to keep on top of things.  Secondly,  I'm not addicted to my mobile phone or computer.  If you saw my mobile you'd understand why.  It's not a smart phone but it's great for making calls and  texting ( not that I do either that much ).  I also don't have an enormous house with unused rooms.  All these things help me keep my home in order.

My home is kept tidy for a few reasons.  My mind is at ease when my home is clean and tidy.  If there's mess lying around I feel a little stressed and cannot rest until it's in order again.  I like to have a tidy home in case someone visits unexpectedly.  Cath and I have joked over the years how we like to keep our homes ' tv ready " or visitor ready.  Yes,  there can be things out of place but it doesn't take long to put them away.

I had a cleaning schedule when my girls were very little that kept the housework reasonably up to date.   Here's what it looked like -

MON -   3 loads of washing - white / lights,  towels and darks
              Vacuum
              Mop
              Strip one bed

TUES -  Baking
              Ironing

WED -   3 loads of washing ( as per Monday )
               Vacuum
               Mop
               Strip one bed

THUR -  Dust
               Clean bathrooms and toilets
               Food shopping

FRI -   3 loads of washing ( as per Monday )
            Vacuum
            Mop
            Strip one bed

SAT -   Tidy
             Baking

SUN -   Day of rest - not that I got much rest.

I know it seems ridiculous that I vacuumed three times a week  but with little children it was necessary.    If there was a dead fly on the floor,  Megan would find it and put it in her mouth.

Gone are the days of little children.  Now that I work,  my cleaning schedule has changed a few times to fit in with when I'm home.  Here's my current cleaning schedule -

MON -  No cleaning but I do write for the Cheapskates Club and my blog on this day

TUES -   Dark load of washing
               Ironing
               Baking ( if needed )
               Tidy
               Craft

WED -   Wash towels and light clothes together
               Vacuum
               Mop
               Food shopping and errands

THUR -  Dust the whole house
               Clean bathrooms and toilets
               Wipe down kitchen

FRI -      Dark or light load of washing ( whatever is needed )
              Strip a bed ( girls alternate )

SAT -     Vacuum
               Mop
               Dark load of washing ( work uniforms )
               Bread baking and any other baking needed
               Finish any outstanding housework

SUN -    Strip my bed
               Wash sheets and anything light

Of course there are many other things I fit into my week. There's gardening,  processing of garden produce,  mending,  general tidying,  card making ( on a rare occasion ),  crafting,  de cluttering,  op shopping,  present making,  soap making,  MOOing ( Make Our Own ) kitchen ingredients and cleaning products,  blog work and research,  replying to messages from readers etc etc.  The list could go on and on.

My girls help out when I get behind but they do need to be persuaded.  Darren works very hard at his jobs so I only ask him for help if I'm running out of time and we need to go out.

I will say ( with a little pride ) that Darren and the girls know how to do just about all the housework.  Darren lived out of home for 5 years before we were married so he was pretty good at cleaning ( just not often ).  Over the years I've shown him quicker and easier ways to clean the bathrooms.  Jessica and Megan have always been encouraged to clean up after themselves.  When they became teens,  they learnt how to put the washing machine and dishwasher on.   When their bathroom gets too messy,  they are responsible for the clean up.

There are times when I just can't get all the housework done.  As long as the house is reasonably tidy,  it can wait for another week.