A Cleaning Routine for the Laid-Back Homemaker
The Problem with Most Cleaning Routines
The problem with most cleaning routines on the internet is they are made by those who have an incredible knack for cleaning, the types who take great pleasure in keeping their house neat and clean and who are very good at it. How is that a problem? Well, the problem is that many of the people looking for cleaning routines on the internet are the ones who do not have a knack for cleaning. The extensive and all-encompassing cleaning routines on the internet are destined to leave these types discouraged, overwhelmed, and without motivation to begin. When they try the extensive approach, it leads to inevitable burn out.
When I was looking up home cleaning routines on Pinterest, I found a few with a suggestion to clean the microwave EVERYDAY. Listen y'all, that ain’t me. While it is true we are not a big microwave family in my house, I am also not a person to be that clean. That is not where I am spending energy. If that is you, I admire you, your natural ability to add things like this into your to-do list without causing overwhelm to the point of mental breakdown is a gift which I do not have.
Three Types of Cleaning Personalities
As I see it, there are generally three types of cleaning personalities.
“The Naturally Gifted Cleaner” These are the types who are legitimately good at cleaning, love doing it, and who even derive pleasure from it, they do it for fun, leisure, and just because.
“The Bare Minimum Cleaner” These are the exact opposite of the first. They have never had good cleaning habits, hate doing it, find it to be a chore, and they do whatever is the bare minimum.
“The Somewhere in the Middle Cleaner” These types fall somewhere in the middle of the two extremes mentioned above. Their cleaning habits ebb and flow depending on the day and their mood, sometimes they care and sometimes they don’t.
Currently, I am “The Somewhere in the Middle” cleaning type, but I spent most of my life as the one who did “The Bare Minimum”. I am happy to say over time, I have been able to grow and develop cleaning habits, though there is still much more room to grow.
As a person who does not naturally have a knack for cleaning but has developed better habits over time, I have written this blog post to share with you some of the things that have been MOST helpful in my journey learning cleaning habits.
An Approach for the Laid-Back Homemaker
For me, if there is any chance at having a clean house it is by following the easiest, least overwhelming method possible —Not over the top approach, not obsessive, and not hypersensitive to germs and dust. If you are a hard-core sanitizing cleaner, my approach probably isn’t for you.
If you are a “Naturally Gifted Cleaner” who is in a season where you can’t keep up with your usual rhythms, you may find my approach helpful. Maybe you work full time, maybe you have any number of kids, or maybe you are in a challenging season of your life, wherever you are—you need a cleaning routine that is doable and not overwhelming!
If you are a “Bare Minimum Cleaner” or a “Somewhere in the Middle Cleaner”— this blog post is definitely for you! This blog post is for “The Laid-Back Homemaker”. This is homemaker who wants to have a reasonably clean house but does not have the time, energy, or habit formation (as of yet) to accomplish the most rigorous cleaning routine. It is a term that I happily accept as the kind of homemaker that I am and in accepting it, it has taken a lot of the pressure off to be some other kind of homemaker.
Five Tips for the Laid-Back Homemaker
If you are a laid-back homemaker when it comes to cleaning, here are five tips that have helped me grow in my cleaning habits:
Make a doable routine (keep reading, I have done this part for you!) as an ideal not a perfectionistic ideal, not overwhelming, Just a reasonable set of goals to work towards.
Consider minimalism. Minimalism has been the most impactful way I have improved my cleaning habits. More stuff means more to clean, and more to keep in order which is a great hinderance to those trying to learn cleaning habits.
Don’t compare. You are where you are. Accept it and welcome the process of growth! Some have had skills and habits of cleanliness and order since they were toddlers (I see this developing in my own toddler and I watch in amazement). Cleanliness is a natural trait for some, while others have to work hard to develop these habits.
Take the slow and steady approach to growth. Habits develop and grow slowly. Use my cleaning routine in this post to help guide you! After a few years, you will see you have developed habits you didn’t have at the start!
For a few weeks, take some time to write down and notice the natural rhythms and patterns you find yourself in when it comes to cleaning. When in the week and day do you have the most energy? What pockets of time do you consistently have in the week to fit in a chore here and there? You may not be aware of it but there may already be patterns to when you accomplish cleaning tasks. For example: I discovered on Thursday when I pick up our groceries, I usually have more motivation and energy to clean the kitchen so that is when I have set it in my routine to clean the sink, stovetop, fridge, and pantry.
A Doable Cleaning Routine
I have created a doable Cleaning Routine for the Laid-back Homemaker. My cleaning routine is for the homemaker who wants to take small steps in improving her cleaning habits but needs to start small so she can see success! My routine is an ideal to strive for in time. This cleaning routine is a compass not a measuring stick. It will help guide you and give you a vision for where you are headed but it is by no means a checklist of how you measure up to a standard. There may be many weeks you don’t clean everything like you've planned, ya know what? That is ok! Life is filled with unexpected interruptions and rarely keeps to a perfect schedule. I am still working on following many of the rhythms in this routine. It takes time to develop these habits, but as you develop them one by one, following a routine will be easier and easier. Eventually, you will find yourself easily doing tasks you never had time or energy for previously. Though I think it is important at the start that the routine not be too impossible or overwhelming.
Having a reasonable cleaning routine has helped me to take manageable steps forward as I grow and improve my cleaning habits. It gives me a place to start on days where I feel overwhelmed with where to begin.
Not having a routine can cause the laid-back homemaker to over-exaggerate what needs to be done. It may make her feel like she is drowning and there is no way to do anything. Sometimes what needs to be done is just one small thing. My Cleaning Routine for the Laid Back Homemaker provides a home cleaning list to help in those overwhelming times.
What is included in My Home Cleaning Routine?
In my Cleaning Routine, you will find a few cleaning items to be done each morning and evening. In my family, we do the evening items together during what we call “Family Tidy Time”. We put on music and everyone helps accomplish those tasks together. You will also find weekly cleaning times for each day of the week. I have narrowed my weekly cleaning list to mostly one thing each day. Thursdays as I mentioned in my grocery and meal prepping day which is why you see kitchen tasks on that day. On Saturdays, I have assigned the task of accomplishing “Monthly, Seasonal, and Yearly” cleaning items. On Sundays, there are no weekly tasks because it is our day of rest. Monthly tasks are items to do once a month. Seasonal tasks are actually different than you might think. Seasonal makes us think 4x a year, but most of these seasonal cleaning tasks only need to be accomplished two times a year. The only exception is changing the air vent filters. This must be done every three months. All other seasonal tasks can be done 2-3x a year. On my cleaning routine you will see some seasonal boxes grayed out, this is because it is not mandatory, but do it if you would like! My suggestion is to do seasonal items in the fall and spring. You can use the summer and winter for some of the bigger yearly tasks. Or you can spread the seasonal and yearly tasks out over the course of the year. Or if you enjoy a big deep cleaning day, do as many as you can on one set day of the year! Some like doing a big deep cleaning day in January at the start of the new year or in the Spring as it begins to warm up outside. These are great options for yearly cleaning tasks!
A Note about Laundry and the Bathroom
In my research, I found the two greatest variables in cleaning routines are often laundry and cleaning the bathroom. These are going to depend on a variety of factors.
For laundry, this will differ based on how many people live in the home and how many clothes they have. For some, doing laundry every day is the only way to keep up with the massive amounts of laundry. In my family, doing laundry on the weekend works well with the occasional week day laundry as needed.
For the bathroom. Let me start by saying, many people feel very strongly about bathroom cleaning. I was amazed at the intensity of some comments on Pinterest about how the bathroom must be cleaned everyday. That is not a method I adhere to (at least not at this stage in my journey- hey maybe one day Ill be an everyday bathroom cleaner too!). This routine is going to differ by each house and that is ok! If you have a house with kids who “miss the toilet” when going to the bathroom, obviously that will need more attention. However, cleaning your bathroom once a week is sufficient to keep the germs, mold, and any other concern away. If this grosses you out, then consider yourself a person that needs to clean the bathroom more often and go for it!
Find what works for you!
None of these methods are going to be perfect for all people, all schedules, and all homes. But, I hope my cleaning routine helps to inspire, motivate and encourage you right were you are!
I hope my cleaning routine helps you grow in your cleaning habits without overwhelm or comparison. I believe the fact you are reading this post with a desire to grow your cleaning habits means you are a good and beautiful homemaker— just as you are!!
A Home Cleaning Routine for the Laid-Back Homemaker
OK!! Go ahead and Download My Cleaning Routine for the Laid-Back Homemaker!!!
If you plan on printing it out at home, use this version to save your printer ink!
If you LOVE the layout but have cleaning list items which are not listed on my routine, you can download the Blank Template Cleaning Routine and fill it out yourself!
Before you go…
Tell me in the comments of this blog post: What kind of cleaning personality are you?!
And if you find this blog post helpful, save it on Pinterest or share it on Instagram and tag @marriedandahouse