Weekly house cleaning schedule (+ checklist)

Daily cleaning checklist

Tackling small tidying tasks helps maintain a sparkling home while also alleviating work later on. Here are some daily chores you can do to keep your house in order:

• Make your bed
• Wipe down counters
• Load dishes into the dishwasher
• Rinse the coffee pot
• Empty the garbage
• Run a load of laundry and fold

Weekly cleaning schedule

Keeping your house clean doesn't have to be a full-time job. Tackling a room each day helps simplify the process and allows you to spend just 20 to 30 minutes a day cleaning. Here are our room-by-room cleaning task recommendations:

Monday: Living room

Over the weekend, you and your family probably spent a lot of time in your living room. Spend Monday tidying up this heavily trafficked area of your home.

• Toss any trash
• Put away toys
• Dust furniture and lamps
• Sweep/mop floors
• Shake out/vacuum rug
• Wipe down the coffee table
• Clean the windows

Tuesday: Bathroom

Come Tuesday, it's toilet scrubbing time. Get your home's bathrooms back to sparkling clean by wiping down appliances and disinfecting areas where germs accumulate. Check in on your toiletries to make sure there's enough soap, shampoo and conditioner to get your family through the week.

• Wipe down sinks and mirrors
• Clean the shower/bathtub
• Disinfect the toilet
• Mop the floor
• Shake out/vacuum rugs
• Wash towels and washcloths

Wednesday: Dining room

This area of the home is a place for gathering with loved ones, but sometimes it also gathers piles of homework and junk mail too. Quality time is better spent in a clutter-free setting, so here's how to keep the dining room neat with an easy-to-follow cleaning checklist:

• Dust furniture
• Polish the table
• Wipe down the light fixtures

Thursday: Kitchen

After a week full of cooking, prepare for the weekend by giving your kitchen a deep clean. This will prevent crusty counter residue from surprising weekend visitors and make weekend breakfast prep more enjoyable. Plus, an orderly fridge and pantry will help reveal what items need replacing on your weekend grocery run.

• Run the dishwasher
• Clean the stovetop and oven
• Toss out expired items in the fridge
• Organize the pantry

Friday: Bedroom

When you take time during the week to organize your bedroom, it's a lot more relaxing to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday. Spend a few minutes Friday picking up clothes and items that have accumulated over the week. You can also take this time to plan out weekend outfits. Here are some Friday cleaning tasks for bedrooms:

• Sweep/vacuum
• Organize the closet
• Dust the furniture
• Empty the trash
• Wash and turn the sheets
• Clean under the bed

Weekend: Outdoor

Saturday and Sunday are great days to tackle outdoor cleaning tasks that require some sun and sweat. Get out and enjoy the fresh air with these weekly cleaning tasks. The best part? You can finish by noon and spend the rest of your weekend relaxing:

• Mow the lawn
• Weed garden beds
• Wipe down windows
• Rinse patio furniture
• Sweep decks
• Wash car (complete every other week to conserve water)

Monthly cleaning schedule

Some tidying tasks only need to be tackled once a month. Set a recurring deep cleaning day - such as the first Sunday of every month - so you never forget to check these items off your house cleaning schedule:

• Wash bed skirts
• Refill kitchen and bathroom soap
• Replace toiletries
• Wipe baseboards
• Recycle receipts and nonessential documents

Creating cleaning schedule - tips and tricks

The more you clean, the better you'll be at it - and you'll likely discover some time-saving hacks along the way. Some cleaning pros that came before you recommend this list of house cleaning secrets that let you work smarter, not harder:

1. Stay on top of seasonal maintenance tasks: Every three months, you should tackle maintenance tasks in addition to regular cleaning. Our interactive home maintenance checklist has all your tasks laid out by season.
2. Soak stemware in vinegar: When your glasses begin to look cloudy, soak them for five minutes in vinegar to make them sparkle like new.
3. Upcycle candles: Sick of spending money on expensive candles? You can reuse candle jars and wax when the wick is gone - here's how .
4. Use socks to remove marks from hardwood flooring: Get rid of small marks in hardwood flooring with socks or tennis balls. For bigger scuffs, add in a little baking soda and rub.
5. Get patio furniture weekend-ready: Prevent grime buildup by hosing down your outdoor furniture once a week. You can also cover up furniture during colder months when you know you won't be using it.
6. Disinfect kitchen sponges in the microwave: Reduce the bacteria in your kitchen sponges by up to 99% with this easy trick. Just dampen your sponge and microwave it on high for 90 seconds.
7. Dishwash your light fixtures: Some light fixtures, such as small glass-covered ones, can be washed hands-free using the dishwasher. Make sure to check the manufacturer's recommendations first to ensure the fixture is dishwasher safe.
8. Establish a "no shoes" policy: Want to keep your floors cleaner for longer? Set a "no shoes" house rule that requires family members to leave their shoes at the front door.

Cleaning activities for kids

Another trick to a clean house is to have your kids help out with age-appropriate chores. The activities below are a great way to teach valuable cleaning lessons while having some fun along the way.