The Best Cleaning Schedule for Busy Moms

I look around my house a lot and think, “When is the cleaning lady coming? And then I remember, oh yeah, I am the cleaning lady.

 

 

It doesn’t matter if you’re a working mom or a stay at home mom, the reality is you’re a busy mom.

 

 

There is always something to do or someone to keep up with, and the chances are, cleaning your house probably isn’t at the top of your list.

 

 

I have shared my thoughts on the differences between keeping a clean house and a tidy house. A house can be clean and untidy- this is typically how my house is. I am working on the tidy part, but without a doubt, I am a work in progress.

 

 

My desire to have a clean AND tidy house has recently sent me on a search for the best cleaning schedule for busy moms. You too?

 

If I could just find a cleaning schedule that I could stick to, my house would be clean.

 

 

 

ALL. THE. TIME.

 

 

 

I am still a skeptic that this concept is even possible with kids because well, kids.

 

 

 

BUT, I desire to honor God by taking care of the gift of a home He has given us, and I want to share some of the best cleaning schedules for busy moms I have found.

 

 

 

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. I only recommend products I love or would personally use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Realistic Cleaning Schedule

I’m not sure if you have any kind of cleaning schedule right now, but I kind of do.

 

 

We have people over to our house at least one night a week, so I know that on Sunday afternoons, our house HAS to be cleaned.

 

 

It’s kind of a blessing really because it forces me to do the things, I don’t want to do like clean off the countertops and tabletops, and of course, clean the bathroom.

 

 

If you don’t have people in your home often, you likely lack any motivation to clean.

 

 

I TOTALLY get that!

 

 

The first cleaning tip I would recommend is to choose 2 days out of the week that you’re MOST likely to have time to clean. I say two because if I say 1, and that day comes and goes, you’re going to wait until that day comes next week, and that kind of defeats the purpose.

 

 

So, once you’ve picked those two days, WRITE THEM DOWN!

 

 

Having a planner as a busy mom is seriously the only way, I get things done. Not to mention, I like to make TO-DO lists, so that I get to check things off and at least feel like I did something.

 

 

Write your cleaning day down on your calendar, or in a commonplace that everyone in your house is going to see. If you’re married, tell your spouse, and dare I say it, ask them to help!

 

 

I know, how dare we as moms ask our husbands to help, but the reality is that even as a busy stay at home mom who seems to never stop, I can’t get all of the cleaning done by myself.

 

 

I can’t. And, I’m glad I can’t because my husband and I are a team, and I need his help.

 

 

Check this out… it really is this simple! 

 

 

Don’t overcomplicate things and create a situation that keeps you from achieving your clean house goals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Favorite Time-Saving Cleaning Tools

I try to choose cleaning tools that are environmentally friendly and also save me time. So, when I can buy the starter kit for things, and then buy reusable cloths, I do that. Here are some of my favorite cleaning tools for the house.

 

 

In an effort to maximize my cleaning time, I like to use the Swiffer Dusters because I like to not throw dust around my house. The Swiffer Dusters do a great job collecting the dust onto the cloth and not displacing it. Once you have the wand, you can try these fleece replacement heads as a greener option.

 

 

 

Another GREAT way to maximize your cleaning time as a busy mom is to use something that cleans and mops your floors at the same time. The SUPER POPULAR Bissell Crosswave sweeper and mop combo will take care of all the floor work for you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Important Household Cleaning Tasks

Alright, so now that you’ve picked two days, and you’ve written them down, you need to decide what things are most important to be cleaned on a weekly basis.

 

 

Maybe it’s the floors or the bathroom, or vacuuming the house. I would choose about 5 things that need to be cleaned weekly. You can always go more, but less kind of defeats the purpose.

 

 

Chances are, each cleaning job is only going to take you about 10-20 minutes. So, if you choose 5 things, you’re probably looking at about an hour to an hour and a half of cleaning once a week.

 

 

If that feels like a lot, split it up into a couple of things in the morning, and then some in the evening.

 

 

Or, if you choose a weekend to get your cleaning done, you can split it up into several times throughout the day.

 

 

Once you know what your cleaning jobs are, WRITE THEM DOWN!

 

 

For real though, writing them down and seeing them is likely the only way you’re going to change your habits. It’s one thing to know you need to do it, it’s another thing when it’s staring at you in your planner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pick Up Things as You Walk Through the House

One thing I have started doing to help keep my house picked up is to grab things when I walk through the house.

 

 

If there is laundry on the floor, I grab it and toss it into the hamper. Or if I see a pair of shoes on the floor, I take them to the shoe cabinet.

 

 

I encourage my kids to do this as well. If I can teach them this behavior, the goal is that they’ll eventually start to do it without me telling them to do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Declutter When You Put Away Laundry

I am TERRIBLE about putting away laundry. I get it folded and hung up, and then it stays there until the next time I do laundry. It’s kind of embarrassing.

 

 

One thing I’ve been doing lately that has helped me to get the laundry put away AND get the house decluttered is to do them at the same time. 

 

 

Although I don’t have ADD, I clean as if I do. If I am not focused on something, I end up working on 5 different projects in different rooms of the house.

 

 

I have found that if I specifically put laundry away in one room, I can pick up the floor and declutter the flat spaces much more quickly.

TRY IT!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maximize Your Cleaning Schedule

After you’ve gotten into the habit of doing these things for a month or two, then you can expand your cleaning schedule.

 

 

You may look to add things like clean the refrigerator shelves, shampoo the carpets, wipe down the walls, wash the windows, etc.

 

 

Many of those are likely going to take a longer amount of time then you’ve allotted in your cleaning schedule, but you can schedule these cleaning tasks in your planner or your common space and commit to doing them

 

 

We as moms tend to overcommit ourselves.

 

 

We commit to our husbands, our kids, our kids’ schedules, our work schedules, and somehow we forget the things that are important to us, like having a clean house.

 

 

I get discouraged when I look around my house at all the things I need to get done, yet I look at my schedule and struggle to find the time.

 

 

By setting your cleaning schedule at the beginning of each month, you have better odds at actually getting your cleaning completed.

 

 

And nothing feels better than checking off a TO-DO list!

 

 

 

 

Moms need a cleaning schedule that is simple, manageable, and isn’t going to take a lot of time.

 

By breaking the “cleaning” task down into smaller tasks, 10 minutes here or there seems much more doable than an hour or two of straight cleaning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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