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Do you often feel like there's just not enough time in the day to get it all done? Well, I'm here to tell you........there isn't! Our society expects SO MUCH from mothers. Throw the perfect Pinterest party, be a rock star PTA mom, cook everything from scratch or else you're poisoning your children, hustle hustle hustle, be a boss babe and excel at your career, keep your kids engaged with age appropriate sensory experiences, make holidays over the top magical...oh, and tidy up the house too. :) It's no wonder today's mom often feels burnt out and overwhelmed.
So what if I gave you permission to spend just 30 minutes a day on your home? Something has got to give, and for me it's not going to be quality time with the ones I love.
Here's how I keep my home clean while typically only spending 30 minutes on chores each day: MAINTENENCE CLEANING. I am not spending an excessive amount of time scrubbing my floors Cinderella style. There are sticky toddler handprints all over my windows right now. If you run your finger along my baseboards, they will probably be dusty.
If that makes you cringe or you're thinking about heading to the comments to tell me how I'm living in filth, maybe this system isn't for you. And that's okay! I'm a big proponent for finding what works for your individual family in whatever season of life you're currently in.
Having a spotless, sterile home is just not a priority for me. But what I do want is a tidy home that feels inviting when my family and I walk in the door. I want it to be a welcoming and healthy environment (from both a physical and mental perspective). I need to care for my house from a maintenance/investment standpoint because I want it to last and remain in good condition. And perhaps most importantly, I want my routine to be manageable in this busy season of having littles. If that sounds like something you're looking for, read on!
A Clean Home In 30 Minutes A Day:
I've tried many "lazy girl" cleaning schedules. Zone cleaning is my favorite and it's the schedule I've stuck to the most consistently. Breaking cleaning up into smaller chunks reduces overwhelm and makes tasks more manageable.
It's important to note, though you may have already gathered, that with this method my house is never completely clean. Each zone is cleaned once each week, so by the time I'm cleaning the basement on Wednesday, the bathroom that I cleaned Monday is no longer spotless. Again, I'm fine with that because of my current priorities. My family is fine with that because nothing ever gets very dirty and they have a mama and a wife that's not a giant stress ball.
Step #1: Finding Your Zones
Ready to get started? First thing’s first - let’s break your house up into zones. Decide how many days you want to spend cleaning. I usually complete my zone chores Monday through Friday and then tackle one or two monthly chores on the weekend. This means my house needs to have five zones. My zones are:
Monday: Kitchen/Dining Area
Tuesday: Bathrooms - I have 2
Wednesday: Living Spaces - My house has a living room upstairs, and a finished family room area downstairs.
Thursday: Bedrooms - I have 3 so this zone often takes me the longest.
Friday: Misc. spaces - I lumped any other areas in my home in this zone. In my house this includes the sunroom and laundry room.
We don’t have an office, playroom, rec room, or anything like that. If you have more rooms in your home, you may have to play with your routine a little until you figure out which spaces are the quickest and easiest vs which spaces take longer. You’ll want to make sure you account for any space that needs cleaned on a regular basis. Then you can re-structure your zones accordingly.
Here are some questions to ask yourself when developing your schedule:
What days do these areas get the most use/end up the dirtiest? (My kitchen is often a disaster zone after the weekend!)
Which areas take the longest to clean?
Which rooms take very little time to clean?
What days do I typically have a little bit more free time?
Are there any rooms that are used less frequently that could be cleaned bi-weekly?
Will another family member be in charge of a certain zone? (Example: Older kids cleaning their own bedrooms)
Step #2: What Needs Cleaned?
For me "clean" means we've tidied up and put everything in its proper place at the very minimum. I've likely dusted surfaces and either vacuumed or swept the floors. In the bathrooms, I've cleaned the toilet, tub, and sink.
Once you've got your schedule figured out, you can print and fill out this template.
Or, if you think my schedule sounds just about right and just want someone to tell you what to do - here's a ready-to-go weekly cleaning schedule!
Step #3: Be consistent!
The biggest key to being successful in this schedule is consistency. Things are easier to clean when you clean them more often. Tackle messes as soon as they occur. Don't let things get all grimy and stuck on if you can avoid it! Teach your boys to wipe the pee off the toilet every time after they go. Clean up the grease splatters as soon as you're done cooking. Put things in their proper place instead of laying them on a table or counter. If you want to be able to clean in half an hour, you've got to be proactive.
Life happens. Can you miss a day? Sure, here and there you probably will! But remember, the longer you go between cleans, the dirtier things get. The dirtier things get, the longer they take to clean! Most of the time, all that's needed on my surfaces is a very quick wipe-down. I'm definitely not doing any intensive scrubbing in my daily cleaning tasks!
But what if I work?
Trust me, I get this. I may be a part-time work from home mom now, but I've been a full-time working mom. This goes back to priorities. If a clean home is a priority to you, you'll find a way to make time for it.
Here are some ideas if you don't have a 30 minute stretch of extra time in your day:
Wake up just 15 minutes earlier. Get ready, then clean for 15 minutes. Before you go to bed, spend 15 more minutes cleaning.
Wake up just 10 minutes earlier. If 15 isn't manageable try 10 minutes in the morning, 10 on your lunch break (or right when you get home), and 10 before bed.
If you and your husband both work full time, get him on board. (Heck, get him on board no matter what - he lives here too!)
Maybe you each only spend 15 minutes each day cleaning.
Maybe you each have assigned zones so you're only having to find that extra 30 minutes every other day.
Give yourself grace. If you don't get the entire kitchen checklist done on Monday, it will be fine. If you can't play catch-up later in the week, simply start with the areas you didn't finish on the next Monday. This way, nothing ever goes more than a couple weeks without being cleaned.
Step #4: Remain Adaptable
If you've followed me for awhile, you may remember that I used to post bathroom reminders on Monday. Sometimes, things change! Maybe doing bedrooms on Wednesday after work used to be great, but your daughter just started dance and now you barely even have time to breathe. Don't be so stuck on your schedule that you're unable to adapt or recognize when switching your days around might make life a little easier. Switch it up so that the zone that takes the least amount of time is on Wednesday.
I hope this system of cleaning helps you feel a little more organized and on top of things.
Until next time!
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