The Realistic Cleaning Schedule That Keeps Our Home (Somewhat) Together

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Let’s be honest: with 5 people, 3 pets, school carpools, tutoring, sports, and weekends full of activities... we’re not deep cleaning the whole house every week. It’s just not happening.

And that’s okay.

I used to stress myself out thinking I had to do it all constantly. But then I broke things down—daily, weekly and monthly—and everything changed. It’s manageable. It’s trackable. And this cleaning schedule helps me feel like I’m not drowning in dog hair and clutter.

🧩 Why Break It Down?

When you live in a house with this many moving parts (and muddy paws), messes multiply fast. But trying to clean it all every week is a one-way ticket to burnout. Dividing it up means you’re still hitting every room—just not all at once.

You’re organizing your cleaning like a rotation, not a sprint.

🗓 How I Break It Down

✅ Daily Tasks (15–30 mins total)

These keep the house from becoming a disaster:

• Dishes

• Make beds

• Wipe down kitchen counters

• Quick bathroom checks (wipe sink, clean mirrors)

• Laundry (a load a day to prevent pile up!)

• Tidy main living areas

• Vacuum/Sweep kitchen/dining areas (or any other visible mess)

💡 Tip: Assign these as after school chores!

🧹 Weekly Tasks (Rotate by Room)

Instead of a marathon cleaning day, I focus on one area per weekday:

• Monday: Kitchen - mop floors, fridge wipe, wipe cabinet doors

• Tuesday: Bathrooms - clean toilets, sinks, tubs/showers

• Wednesday: Living room - vacuum/hardwoods, dust surfaces

• Thursday: Bedrooms, Dining Room - dust surfaces, clean floors

• Friday: Laundry room, Office + floors in high-traffic areas (stairs/mudroom)

• Saturday: Rest

• Sunday: Reset - Fresh sheets for the week

  
  

📆 Monthly Deep Tasks

I pick 1–2 of these per week as time allows:

• Baseboards

• Windows & blinds

• Clean out fridge/freezer

• Wash pet bedding & give pup a bath

• Wipe down doors, switch plates

• Wipe down closet shelves, pantry and inside drawers

• Dust light fixtures

• Deep clean appliances- oven, coffee pot

• Wash bath rugs

• Clean kitchen stools, dining chairs

🎯 If I hit everything monthly, I don’t feel guilty for skipping a week

🧽 Pro Tip: Track It Visually

I keep a reusable checklist on my fridge or inside my cleaning cabinet—so I know what’s been done and what’s still waiting. It keeps me out of the cycle of “when did I last clean this?” and helps to write my chore lists so the whole family can pitch in.

💬 Final Thought

Your house doesn’t have to be spotless every week to be clean. It just has to be on a realistic rotation that fits your real life.Don’t aim for perfect. Aim for covered. Because in this house, the mess is constant—but now, so is the system.