How to Create Manageable, Realistic Cleaning Routines for Your Busy Schedule

Learn simple step by step instructions on how to create a manageable, realistic cleaning routines tailored for your busy schedule. We will walk through step by step how to create a minimal weekly cleaning routine, with manageable daily routines. Choosing cleaning chores you think you need to do to create a peaceful home, not what someone else thinks you should do.

Once we have your personalized simple weekly cleaning routine. Next we’ll go deeper and create a master monthly, quarterly and annual cleaning tasks routine that’s easy to keep track of and fits your home and life. The best part is once you set up your manageable and realistic cleaning routines your home can even feel clean all the time! I didn’t think it was possible, until I started using these manageable cleaning routines!

Benefits of Simple Cleaning Routines

I used to clean everything on 1 day, felt exausted by the end only to find my home a mess a few days later. Now that I use a weekly cleaning routine schedule my home feels clean almost all the time, even with littles! Amazing right?! And the best part is I only have to put in minimal effort each day, no longer leaving me feeling overwhelmed at the thought of cleaning my entire home.

I am even able to give myself a whole rest day from cleaning and laundry! Plus I never forget about and even can plan for those less frequent tasks, like washing windows or cleaning the garage.

Implementing manageable cleaning routines are essential for busy moms (or anyone), here are several benefits.

• Less Stress: By breaking down cleaning tasks into smaller, manageable chunks, more often, you can avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• More Time for Family: With a well-planned routine, you can free up more time to spend with your family and engage in activities you value. Or just help you stay on top of your home during busy seasons of life. You can even give yourself a whole cleaning day off!
• Clean and Organized Home: A weekly cleaning routine ensures takes little bits of cleaning time more frequently, making your home feel like it’s basically clean all the time.
• Teaching Responsibility: Involving your children in the cleaning routines teaches them responsibility and develop other important life skills.

With a well-planned weekly cleaning routine, a daily checklist and those long-term cleaning checklist guide, you don’t have to fall far behind anymore or spend hours on end cleaning. Instead, you too can easily keep your home clean and organized, just the way you like it.

Remember, creating the best weekly cleaning routine for busy mamas is all about finding a balance that works for you and your family. Be consistent, be flexible, and most importantly, be kind to yourself. Your home doesn’t have to be perfect, but with a little planning and effort, it can be clean, peaceful and welcoming.

What to expect from this step by step guide to Create Cleaning Routines

1. First, we’ll walk through step by step what you will need to get started.
2. Second, we will create a Weekly Cleaning Schedule which includes an on repeat Daily Checklist, which I like to call “dailies”.
3. Thirdly, we will create a Rotational Cleaning Organizer Schedule for those monthly, quarterly and annual tasks.

My goal is for you to end up with something that works for you and your home and what YOU feel needs to be cleaned, not anyone else. Not your mom, sister, friend, only you. It’s setting you up for a peaceful and a clean home, your way.

I will share some examples of what a weekly manageable cleaning routines as well as “dailies”, monthly, quarterly, and yearly list looks like to get you started.

Finally, I have created something to make this process simpler for you to create your own tailored cleaning routines.

My FREE Ebook: How to Create Your Simple Manageable Cleaning Routines.

This Ebook includes all the printables that you need to fill out and create your own weekly, dailies checklist, monthly, quarterly and annual cleaning routines. I’ve even included a bonus guide for laundry and a bonus checklist for cleaning your kitchen.

Take a moment to download and print out your free Ebook so you’re all ready to start. (Or if you’d rather see what this post is all about first, I’ll link this Ebook at the bottom for you too.)

Of course you can always use paper and a pencil, they work just fine too!

How to create a manageable weekly cleaning routine schedule that keeps your home feeling clean all week long!

To get started grab my printable from my Ebook titled “All Cleaning Tasks” page from my manageable cleaning routines Ebook and a pencil. Or you can just grab a notepad or sheet of paper.

Here are some simple steps to help you create the best simple and manageable cleaning routine that will work for you:

Step 1. Assess Your Cleaning Needs for your home.

Make a list of all the cleaning tasks you have to clean in your home on the “All Cleaning Tasks” page. Write down everything, don’t worry if it’s a weekly, daily, monthly, quarterly or yearly task, that will come later. Just brain dump it all!

Be specific too.

For example, don’t just write down bathrooms. List out each one, kids bathroom, master bathroom, half bath. Whatever is is, write down each cleaning chore item individually so you know later if you need to split it up. This is key!

As in our example “cleaning bathrooms” may be a big chore if you have more than one, or quicker if you have only one bathroom to clean. Depending on the bathroom’s size and your time, you can even split up bathroom chores for example, clean mirrors, clean sink, clean toilet, wash shower curtains, etc..

Write down anything else that feels like work to you. For example, if grocery shopping feels like a chore write that down. Maybe it’s baking bread, making lunches, decluttering the coat closet or something else. Write it down, and be specific.

Step 2. Divide and conquer your original cleaning chore list into Daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, Yearly Tasks.

Grab the next printable titles “Categorize Your Home’s Cleaning Tasks” from my free downloadable Ebook. Or on a new sheet of paper and make 4 columns. Title them Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly/Annual.

Now, divid up your specific cleaning tasks list among those 4 columns. As you’re dividing your list up, here’s a pice of advice…

• Keep your weekly cleaning routine minimal and simple so you will be able to stick to it!

Don’t worry about the “Daily Chores,” leave this blank for now, that will come in Step 5. For now focus on dividing up the weekly, monthly quarterly and yearly tasks.

Do the minimum (and I mean minimum) each week you think you need to do! It’s much more important to create these new habits and have the benefits of more time with your family, than to feel like you have to spend so much precious time cleaning. The other cleaning chores can always go into one of the other columns (monthly, quarterly, yearly).

Also remember its only what YOU think you need to clean in your home every week. Not what someone else thinks you should clean every week.

For example, dusting doesn’t have to happen every week for me, that’s a monthly task for me. However, for someone else it’s apart of their weekly routine. The goal is to only do what you think you should clean every week, month, etc..

This is really important, because keeping your house as clean as someone else thinks won’t keep you motivated. Only keeping your house as clean as you think it needs to be will keep you focused and make you feel at peace in your home.

Step 3. Determine your available time for cleaning by Creating a weekly block schedule noting busier and slower days.

Here’s how to determine your weekly rhythm or schedule.

To make it simple for you, you can use the “Weekly Block Schedule” printable from my free Ebook that looks like the picture above.

Or on a new sheet of paper make 7 columns, one for each day of the week. Note on the far left hand morning, afternoon, evening, etc. making it a block system. (If you want to get fancy you could be more specific in the blocks, but it’s not necessary.)

Start filling in your block schedule thinking of a typical week.

On the far left side (in the green bubbles in the printable), note your time blocks. Everyone’s typical day’s blocks are different so write whatever yours are. Here are some ideas to get you started, my morning routine, morning, lunch, nap time/work, afternoon, dinner, evening, my evening routine.

Write specifically what you usually do in those blocks on a typical Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc. Remember it’s based on your typical week.

To be able to determine how much time you can realistically allocate to cleaning each week use your block schedule to first write your typical work schedule, family commitments, and other responsibilities.

You are now able to determine what days are busier (town errands, grocery runs, music lessons, play dates, work) or more slow in your home throughout the week. Write a note for each day as slow or busy on the top of the day (in the green bubbles of the printable).

Now you can base your cleaning schedule around a typical week at your house.

Step 4. Choose your cleaning days based off of your weekly block schedule.

Now that you have your weekly block schedule, noting your busier and slower days. Decide what days, (and times of day) you will clean. Make a note of this in your weekly block schedule. Be honest with yourself, this will help you make an achievable and realistic cleaning routine.

I highly encourage you to do a little every day, except one rest day. (Because every mama needs at least one day off where you aren’t doing any cleaning and no laundry.)

The more days you do a little cleaning, the less cleaning you have to do on any given day and the more consistent you can be. A little every day keeps cleaning from feeling so overwhelming and exhausting. In my experience, it keeps our home almost perpetually clean!

However, if this doesn’t work for your schedule, then I’d encourage you to do your cleaning at least 2 days a week. One day is exhausting. I know, I used to do it or attempt to every Friday and by Monday the house was a disaster again. Splitting the cleaning up so it’s not back to back is more manageable and can help you home feel clean longer too.

Step 5. Looking at your weekly column, make a list of things that are daily chores on repeat.

Now it’s time to figure out your daily chores. These are the things that repeatedly happen daily (or should be). Such as a load of dishes or a load of laundry.

Take the “Categorize Your Home’s Cleaning Tasks” printable where you divided and conquered all your cleaning tasks into 4 bigger categories. You’ll see the “Daily Chores” section we left blank. (Or on a corner of the page where you sorted your cleaning tasks into the 4 columns, make a note titled “Daily Chores”).

Look at your weekly chores list, put a star beside all the tasks that are on a daily chores. The daily chores are what you feel need to happen every day for your home to feel picked up and peaceful at the end of the day. Those things that repeat everyday, like a load of dishes or a load of laundry (Take a peek at my laundry bonus guide in the Ebook).

Keep your daily chores the absolute minimal tasks that repeat daily for success!

At the end of the day, if I have only done these “Daily Chores”, my home still feels tidy, even if I missed cleaning the main bathroom from my weekly cleaning schedule, that’s ok. I can do it tomorrow, or even next week. really, it’s ok!

For example, “My Minimal Dailies” rinse and repeat list:

• laundry (yes, it’s a daily, except my rest day)
• sweep kitchen floor
• wipe counters
• general quick pickup in main area (my littles usually help with this)
• one load of dishes (note it’s not all the dishes, just enough to keep it from piling high to overwhelm me)

Your minimal dailies list can be longer or even shorter, maybe it’s just a load of laundry and one load of dishes. Whatever it is, this is what YOU feel you need done everyday on repeat as a minimum. Not what anyone else thinks or does.

Step 6. Now, set up a manageable weekly cleaning routines schedule.

It’s finally time to make your Weekly Cleaning Routine Schedule! (Should look like the above image.)

You’ll be referencing your “Weekly Block Schedule” where you noted what days are busy and slower and your weekly and daily list from “Categorize Your Home’s Cleaning Tasks” list from step 2 and 5.

You’re ready to plug in the weekly chores on the days you will be doing them. Keep the quick stuff for the busy days, or none at all. Plugging in the more time consuming tasks, or doing a couple on our slower days. Spread the tasks evenly so that you don’t feel overwhelmed on any particular day.

Remember do the minimum each week you think you need to do to have your home as clean as you reasonably want it to be.

As you plug cleaning chores in and it’s feeling like to much, you can always move some of those tasks into the monthly chores. Or even create a bi-weekly cleaning schedule. Because cleaning that bathroom every other week is totally ok, and much better than not at all. A home cleaning schedule requires a trial and adjustment mindset.

Finally, copy over your “Dailies” checklist, remember the checklist of the things that you want to happen every day as an absolute minimum. The tasks that repeat, like a load of dishes or sweeping the floor.

My Daily Laundry Tip: I aim to start a load of laundry first thing every morning, I no longer have piles everywhere.

In your Weekly Cleaning Routines Schedule, you will see a section each day labeled: wash, dry, fold. Write what time of day and what kind of load you will be washing, etc. in each space.

You can also note this in your weekly block schedule if you want. Whatever blocks you decide to do it, pair it with another task to help you remember.

I encourage you to also be specific with your laundry schedule on the weekly chore list. List out what kind of load you will do what days of the week.

Personally, I like to wash towels on Friday, as they can sit in the dryer over our rest day if needed, but if we need something they are super easy to pull out. Towels are so quick to put away the following day. Try it and let me know in the comments how it works for you.

Check out my “Bonus Guide: Simply Do Laundry” in my free ebook for more simple tips.

Step 7. How to Create a Rotational Cleaning Organizer Master Checklist.

Now it’s time to go a step further it’s time to organize your Monthly, Quarterly and Yearly cleaning Chores. Grab “The Rotational Cleaning Task Organizer” printable to make it simple for you.

Take a look at your old list where you divided your cleaning tasks into weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly and daily. Go ahead and fill in “The Rotational Cleaning Task Organizer” based on that list.

Or on a new sheet of paper make 3 columns, making it look similar to the image above. Under the first column titled “Monthly Chores” there is 12 check boxes (one for each month). Under the second column “Quarterly Chores” there’s 4 check boxes (one for each quarter). In the third column “Yearly Chores” there is one check box next to each chore line.

That’s it! Now you have your dailies, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly manageable cleaning routines schedule.

Even though it took a bit to set up, you’re ready to put your cleaning on autopilot. Congratulations and happy cleaning!

Feeling stuck, Here are some examples of manageable and realistic cleaning routines.

Remember this is only an example to get you started if your feeling stuck, not what you should be doing.

Each person’s cleaning routine is so different, it depends on so many factors. The size of your house, how many bathrooms you have, how many are in your household, how clean you like your home to feel, how often your in or out of the home, and on. If you were to ask your mom to make a schedule from when she had children at home, her’s would look much different, and that’s totally ok. It’s what YOU need to feel clean and peaceful in your home.

Keep it as simple as you can for your home to feel clean and tidy for you and your family in your season of life.

Example of a 1200 square foot home:

Weekly Cleaning Schedule (6 day chores):

• Sunday: water plants & tidy house
• Monday: sweep and vacuum downstairs
• Tuesday: grocery shopping (bi-weekly), declutter a corner (the other bi-weekly)
• Wednesday: vacuum upstairs
• Thursday: clean main bathroom (we only have one)
• Friday: sweep & vacuum main area
• Saturday: Rest day (I like to even leave off the dailies list to get a full rest)

Written on my weekly schedule is “My Daily’s,” the rinse and repeat list:

• laundry
• sweep kitchen floor
• general quick pickup in main area
• wipe counters & high traffic cupboards
• one load of dishes

Monthly Cleaning Schedule: (I prefer doing some of these chores the first Tuesday of the month that I’m not doing my bi-weekly grocery shopping run.)

• dust
• scrub floors
• declutter one area of your home (cupboard, drawers, or a closet)
• clean microwave

Quarterly Cleaning Schedule: (I like to do it the first Sunday of the new quarter)

• wash vehicles
• declutter one room of the house
• take an inventory of kitchen pantry, make any bulk orders

Yearly/Annual Cleaning Schedule:

• wash windows, in and out (October)
• vacuum high kitchen cabinets and open shelves (November)
• clean baseboards (January)
• vacuum couches (March)
• clean oven (February)
• clean and declutter the garage (April)

With the monthly, quarterly and annually, I’d encourage you to choose a specific time in your calendar each month to do each. Write it down on your calendar! It’s like a cleaning appointment. That way it doesn’t pile up and you have a giant yearly cleaning list hanging over your head the end of the year.

Be adaptable: Test it out for a couple weeks and adjust your cleaning routines, keep them manageable.

It’s ok to make some changes. Life is unpredictable at times, and there will be seasons when your cleaning routine may need to be adjusted. Be flexible and willing to adapt as needed. If you miss a task or a day, don’t stress about it. Simply move it to the next available slot in your schedule, which could be next week. No sweat!

You can even do a bi-weekly cleaning schedule if your finding you don’t have time for doing all your weekly cleaning chores. That’s totally ok! It’s much better to clean your bathroom(s) every other week than not at all. Perhaps some of your cleaning tasks need to be moved to monthly. Or you don’t feel you need to vacuum the main area twice. It’s all your call, what you want it so keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed and your home clean – your way!

The goal is to make your cleaning schedule work for you and not the other way around!

Get others involved, many hands make light work

I’d encourage you to delegate tasks to other family members. It takes a bit of training, but be patient and you’ll be amazed at how much even a 4 year old can and how much they want to help you. Even a 2 year old can “sweep” or “wash” the floor with you. Keep it fun, play some music, and it can be a time your children look forward to.

Assigning age-appropriate cleaning tasks to your children, and involve your partner in the cleaning routine as well. By sharing the home cleaning responsibilities, you can lighten your load and teach your children valuable life skills.

Have you tried this approach to creating realistic and manageable cleaning routines?

Go ahead and pin this to your Cleaning & Organizing board for later!

Did you create a weekly cleaning routine schedule? How about a master monthly, quarterly and annual cleaning tasks routine checklist? What worked for you and what didn’t? If you used my cleaning Ebook printables let me know what you thought, is there anything that would make it more helpful for you?

Snag your FREE cleaning Ebook here:

Want to create your weekly cleaning routine and keep track of your long-term cleaning tasks using the printables I made for you, go ahead and snag my FREE Ebook below.

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