A Simple Cleaning Schedule For Busy Families

You’re in a never-ending battle with mess! You’ve tried everything, but you’re spinning your wheels and getting nowhere. You yearn for one day when everything is tidy and clean—just one day! I know the feeling. I’ve been there. Good news: I found a simple cleaning schedule to keep your home clean and tidy even when you are too busy to clean.

In A Hurry?

Use the table of contents to jump straight to the section that interests you. Use the arrow at the bottom of the page to jump back here.

• Setting Up Daily Tasks
• Setting Up Weekly Tasks
• Creating Your Cleaning Schedule
• Setting Up Monthly Tasks
• 5 Habits For Keeping A Clean House
• Charts For Kids

Finding balance as a busy working mom can be overwhelming, especially when the stress of a messy house adds to the daily grind. I understand the struggle firsthand—I used to find it nearly impossible to maintain a clean home for more than two days.

It wasn’t just the physical mess; the disorganization affected every aspect of my life, from missing important bills to losing valuable items.

That’s when it hit me. The pressure of juggling work, family, and maintaining a clean home affected my well-being.

But you know what else? Despite the challenges, I’ve learned that keeping a clean and organized home is possible even for the busiest families. You just need a realistic cleaning schedule that works.

Sounds impressive, right? But after years of trial and error, I discovered that maintaining a clean home as a busy working mom doesn’t have to be overwhelming. I’ll walk you through the whole process.

Check out my helpful fillable cleaning planner – which will help you go through the process. You’ll create a personalized schedule and find room-by-room checklists to ensure everything gets DONE. 👇 👇 👇 

My ink friendly planner will help you get organized. It contains 14 pages that you can fill in using adobe. Pick up your copy here.

Cleaning and decluttering go together. Pick up a copy of my free decluttering checklist.

This Cleaning Schedule Is Not About Perfection

To begin with, it’s not about striving for perfection but establishing a manageable routine that brings peace to your home and mind.

With the right cleaning schedule, managing work and a tidy house is possible without adding more stress to your life.

And here’s the best part—you won’t need to make your bed every day (I don’t) unless you want to. This cleaning schedule is about flexibility and empowering you to decide what’s important for your home.

So, let’s take a closer look.

Brain Dump: Listing Everything

First off, you’ll want to start writing down every cleaning task that needs to be done, sorting these by room. You’ll also want to list and note which must be done daily, weekly, or less often.

Daily Tasks: Small Actions, Big Impact

For the daily tasks, I focused on quick actions that would help maintain a sense of order throughout the week. These tasks take 5-10 minutes daily, preventing messes from piling up and becoming overwhelming.

My daily tasks included:

• Wiping down kitchen counters after dinner
• Wiping down the toilet seat and bathroom counter (while my kids were having their bath)
• Doing a quick tidying of the main living areas
• Make sure the dishes are done before bed
• Sweeping/vacuuming floors as needed
• Dealing with the incoming mail

Obviously, my life has changed considerably since my children left home. Now, I don’t need to wipe down the bathroom daily, I no longer plan a week’s worth of meals, and I work full-time. So, I now have these daily tasks

• Wiping down kitchen counters after dinner
• Deciding what we will eat for supper the next day and taking ingredients out to defrost
• Doing a quick tidying of the main living areas
• Make sure the dishes are done before bed
• Sweeping/vacuuming floors as needed
• Dealing with the incoming mail

Notice that I don’t list making the bed. I don’t make my bed most days! It doesn’t bother me an inch. That’s the beauty of this cleaning schedule. YOU get to decide what is important. If you feel better with the bed made, then go ahead and add it to your daily list.

Keep the list short. You should list no more than 5-6 items per day. My cleaning planner has a page for you to list your daily tasks.

Weekly Tasks: Tackling the Bigger Jobs

The weekly tasks are a bit more time-intensive but don’t need to be done daily. You’ll do one of these each day. By assigning these larger tasks to specific days, I ensured that everything got done without feeling like I was constantly cleaning.

Weekly tasks included:

• Vacuuming the entire house
• Thoroughly cleaning the bathrooms
• Dust flat surfaces
• Washing all the bed linens
• Washing Clothes
• Putting out the garbage and recycling
• Planning the week’s meals
• Weekly grocery shop

I no longer plan the week’s meals; otherwise, I still have the same routine.

Schedule One Weekly Task Each Day

When you see everything that needs to get done in a week, it can feel like a lot, and trying to do it all in one day is not much fun.

You could do it if you wish, but who wants to spend their entire weekend cleaning? No thanks!

So what’s the secret? Schedule one of these tasks each day. Then, create a plan to tackle them regularly. Your list of must-do tasks might look different from mine, but finding the right ones for your home will keep things under control.

Combine Everything To Create Your Cleaning Schedule

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? Trust me, it is a game-changer!

Are you wondering how you will keep track of all this? Use the pages in my simple cleaning planner to organize everything.

There is a page for you to list your weekly tasks, and then there is a page where you can combine both lists and create your own cleaning schedule.

Monthly Tasks: Deep Cleaning Room By Room

Monthly tasks involve deep cleaning and giving each room the attention it deserves. These tasks help reset your space, ensuring that even those hard-to-reach or often overlooked areas get cleaned. By scheduling these deep cleaning sessions, you can maintain a clean and organized home without the stress of trying everything at once.

Monthly tasks included:

• Deep cleaning each room, one at a time
• Cleaning out closets and organizing storage spaces
• Washing windows and wiping down baseboards
• Cleaning out the fridge and pantry

I go through one room a month and spread out the tasks. I try to schedule one monthly task a day. Some rooms, like my kitchen, might take two months, and others, like the entranceway, are finished quickly.

My cleaning planner might save you a lot of time here. It contains checklists for each room already made. If you prefer, you can create your own with editable pages.

For example, my main bedroom checklist includes “Organize drawers.” You may prefer a checklist that lists each individual bureau drawer. It is completely up to you. There are no hard and fast rules.

Breaking down my cleaning tasks into daily, weekly, and monthly categories made it much easier to maintain a clean home, even with a busy lifestyle.

This approach also made me realize that some tasks could be done less frequently without sacrificing cleanliness, keeping the home environment manageable and comfortable.

5 Habits For Keeping A Clean House

A word of caution. While daily and weekly cleaning tasks are essential for keeping dirt and dust at bay, a truly clean-looking home requires more than cleaning—it’s about maintaining order and tidiness, too.

Over the years, I’ve discovered a few key habits that can make a huge difference in how your home looks and feels. If you incorporate these into your routine, they’ll pay off big time in the long run.

Habits are the powerhouses of an organization. They allow us to establish routines and actions that become automatic.

For example, I immediately reach for the seat belt whenever I enter a car. I do not have to exert any willpower to do this, and I don’t even have to think about it. My hand goes for the seat belt. It is a habit.

Helpful habits can be our best friends. Learning to establish them is both a challenge and an opportunity, but they can make a huge difference in our lives.

It might seem challenging initially, especially if you are naturally untidy. Yes, that would be me!

But it’s absolutely possible to turn things around.

Want to know more about simplifying your life? Try our e-book “Finding Simplicity.”

Decluttering

Think about it this way. Decluttering is the foundation of a cleaner home. When you reduce the number of items in your space, it instantly feels more organized and manageable. Start by letting go of things you no longer need or love. The less you have, the less you have to clean and organize, making your home easier to maintain in the long run.

Not sure where to start? My simple 15-minute declutter challenge printable will help make decluttering your home easier. Use my prefilled decluttering checklist, or create your own.

But that’s not all

Make Sure Everything in Your House Has a Home

Most importantly, one key to a tidy home is ensuring every item has a designated spot. Putting things away is much easier when everything has a home and your space stays organized. Take the time to find a place for every item, and you’ll find that tidying up becomes a quick and easy task.

Mom Tip: If you must constantly carry something into another room to put it back, consider moving its storage spot.

Reduce Your Mail

Reducing the amount of physical mail you receive can make a big difference in keeping your home tidy. Opt out of flyers and switch to digital billing whenever possible. This simple change cuts down on paper clutter. It helps you stay organized by managing your bills and important documents online. Deal with the mail as it comes in.

Delegate

Want to know the best part? Cleaning doesn’t have to be a one-person job. Delegating tasks to other household members can lighten the load and keep your home running smoothly.

It all comes down to this. Having other family members share the responsibilities ensures that everyone contributes to maintaining a clean and tidy space.

Charts For Kids

You might find these printables helpful to help kids stay organized.

My bedroom cleaning checklist is perfect for younger children. It takes them step by step through cleaning their room. It has colorful graphics and easy-to-read fonts. I used pictures to help children who are still developing their reading skills.

My fillable chore charts are great for older kids. It introduces them to daily and weekly tasks. The kit includes reward coupons, which are perfect for busy parents who want to keep their kids on track with their chores. You can edit the chore charts and reward bucks.

Do a Daily Reset

Lastly, a daily reset is a quick and effective way to keep your home looking its best. Spend a few minutes daily tidying up, dealing with dirty dishes, and putting away toys.

Get the whole family involved! This simple habit prevents messes from piling up. It keeps your home in order, making it more relaxing and enjoyable.

To sum up, creating and sticking to a simple cleaning schedule can make a world of difference for busy families.

Breaking tasks into manageable daily, weekly, and monthly routines will help you maintain a clean and organized home.

Incorporating helpful habits will help keep your home looking and feeling its best, even with the demands of a busy schedule.

The key is to find a routine that works for your family and stick with it. Remember, it’s not about perfection; it’s about consistency. By implementing these habits and following a simple schedule, you can enjoy a cleaner, more organized home with less stress.

So what are you waiting for? Grab our cleaning planner to help you stay on track and make your routine more effective. And don’t forget to pin this post so you can easily reference it later!