What do you suggest for a housecleaning schedule? - Jenna Z.

 

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When time runs out in daily life, cleaning is the one of the first things many let slide. However, as a lot of us recognize, cleaning is very important to make time for!

This article by Marcia Ramsland has a good sample schedule for housecleaning and general household chores:

• Chore Planning Saves the Weekend

In her article, you'll notice a few keys to a successful schedule:

1. Write it down. This seems like a no-brainer but without a written schedule and to-do list, it's easy to forget what you're supposed to be doing.

2. Post your schedule in a visible spot. This will keep you on track for the whole day. Supplement your schedule with a to-do list that includes details on what needs to be done.

3. Put priorities first on the list. If you allow lyour energy earlier in the day, you won't have any left for what's important. Many organizers suggest that we be "proactive" rather than "reactive." In other words, we need to take control of life, rather than letting life control us. Resist the urge to do something if it's not in the schedule unless it's a legitimate emergency.

4. Allow for contingencies. As mentioned, unexpected things will sometimes come up. If possible, leave 10-20 minutes between tasks to allow yourself breath time. You'll notice on Marcia's sample routine that Wednesday is set as "shop for other needed items or free night." Leaving a free night is great for unplanned or unexpected activities or to catch up on tasks that are taking longer than planned.

5. Schedule time for fun activities. This is incentive to get the important things, such as housecleaning and chores, out of the way.

6. Split the load. A to-do list can be really daunting if your day's schedule is just one big task. A better way is to break a large task into smaller tasks you can get done in only a few minutes, perhaps each day. This principle can also enable you delegate small tasks to family members.

If you're looking for helpful schedule templates, you can find some here:

http://getbuttonedup.com/tools/

We hope these tips can help you make and keep a successful housekeeping schedule!

 

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(Note: The views expressed in this blog post are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of The Housekeeping Channel, LLC.)

 

About Allison Rathey Kirby

Allison Rathey Kirby is Housekeeping Channel's (HC’s) Associate Editor and Director of Social Media. Formerly HC's Tool Listing Editor, Allison has been with HC for four years - managing, editing, and contributing “clean” content to the site. Allison is also the Associate Editor for HC's sister site, the Healthy House Institute (HHI).