What's Your Cleaning Routine?

Updated on November 20, 2012
M.E. asks from Tampa, FL
14 answers

I despise cleaning but find myself cleaning something every day. I guess my problem is that I don't finish what I start. I may put a few clothes away but don't complete the task out of distractions or complete boredom.

Can you tell me what your cleaning routine is and does it work for you? My kids are off this week for Thanksgiving break and I'm wondering when the best time to clean is. Do you clean different rooms each day or do you take one day and just clean?

1 mom found this helpful

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L.M.

answers from Peoria on

My routine is whatever is bothering me the most gets done. If it's not bothering me, it can wait until it does. My house is pretty clean, but hardley tidy. I also can't stand to fold and put away laundry - my worst chore - but I like when it's done and out of the way. If I can get it all washed and put away in one day - success!

1 mom found this helpful

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J.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

cleaning pshhhhh i avoid that=)

i dont have a routine. if the kitchen is dirty we clean it.

clothes ussually we get behind on and then catch up in one day when emmy is playing with toys

vacuuming and scrubbing floors is a every day thing now that we have a puppy

3 moms found this helpful
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F.B.

answers from New York on

Mary -

I am fortunate that both hubs and I are tidy. We are teaching our little one to be the same.

Rules of thumb to ease house cleaning tasks.
1. declutter. less you have less there is to clean/ put away.
2. clean as you go along.
3. multi task clean. No reason why you can't dust the shelves with a swiffer while you are waiting on hold with the electric company, or chatting with your mom. No reason why you can't clean the toilet while supervising the little ones in the bath.
4. use a timer. promise yourself you'll do one "extra" cleaning job a day, for 15 minutes, or until the job is done. You'd be amazed at how much you can get done in 15 minutes.

hubs does laundry once a week.
we wipe our kitchen and dinning room table and sweep/ mop floors after every meal.
we use robotic vacuums about 3+ times a week.

I do other big jobs on my extra job a day rotation- i.e. clean out the fridge, clean out the medicine cabinet, empty and clean the cutlery drawer, wash windows, dust electronics, purge the home of clutter.

Unless you have cleaning elves, or have effectively delgated the job to the kids, clothes won't put themselves away. Finish your jobs. You'll feel all the better for it.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

2 moms found this helpful
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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

I don't have a routine. I work two jobs and have an active social life. I clean catch as catch can. Whatever I see that needs it worst, gets it first. What doesn't get done today will be waiting for me tomorrow.
As long as the house isn't so dirty that it prompts a visit from the health department, I'm ok with it not being spotless.
If the kids are off from school, put their butts to work!

1 mom found this helpful
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B.B.

answers from New York on

If it looks dirty, then clean it.

1 mom found this helpful

T.N.

answers from Albany on

No routine, if a thing needs done, I do it. I mean everyday stuff, laundry dishes, straightening, etc.

When company is expected I do an all over Get Down Get Dirty kinda thing. When there's no company, I don't. Luckily we have people over once a month or so.

I'm not good with scheduling my own time. If I TRY to schedule, I always let myself down.

I also don't clean nearly as much as I did when the kids were little. I used to fret about the way the place looks, or how I never get a minute to CLEAN anything, or how immediately AFTER I cleaned a thing it was dirty again. Turns out, I just don't care all that much! (And neither does anyone else)

:)

1 mom found this helpful
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D.B.

answers from Minneapolis on

Wait until the realtor calls with a prospective buyer and then spend 6 hours in a cleaning frenzy.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.G.

answers from Houston on

Monday - all laundry (wash, fold, put away, including linens)
Tuesday - Bathrooms 1.5 hours (I keep a bucket of supplies under each sink)
Wednesday - Dust upstairs 30 mins (I Swiffer everything)
Thursday - Dust downstairs 30 mins
Friday - Floors - sweep, vaccum, baseboards 1-2 hrs

Kitchen is cleaned/tidied each day. Patio is swept on weekends when we are out in the backyard - 15 mins. Deep cleaning is done once a month (vaccum under furniture, clean baseboards, wipe down fridge/freezer shelves, clean vents).

1 mom found this helpful
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J.K.

answers from Dallas on

I usually take one day to fully clean the house and then just maintain throughout the week. I always keep my house "Company-Ready". It's just nice to sit down at the end of the day and look at a nice clean house instead of clutter and messes.

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

I clean everyday, whether or not my kids are home.
If they are home, they have "duties" too... homework and chores and just being kids.
Everyday there is daily cleaning to do: washing dishes, tidying up, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, laundry/folding/putting it away, errands, planning dinner for the night, watering the lawn/garden, feeding the pets, cleaning the bathrooms, etc.
I clean a little in each room, daily.
It is just what I do, and I complete each task. I don't not finish it, because once its done, its done, and why leave it for later?
I power through things every morning to get it done, so that in the afternoon, I don't have to do it and can do other things. That is my incentive.

This morning already, I: washed dishes, made breakfast and coffee, fed the kids, fed and cleaned the pet things, watered the garden, ate myself, did laundry, bundled and took out the trash, threw away stuff, picked up stuff from the floors, put things away, planned dinner for tonight and made sure I have the ingredients, vacuumed, made a list of what I need for the week, cleaned our grill.
And am in the process now of making a list for Christmas things to do/get.

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J.G.

answers from Chicago on

Sundays I wash the floors with a steam mop and scrub the tub, and I also make sure all my "hot spots" are clean and tidy. Monday is usually dust bedrooms day and vacuum basement. Tuesday is hot spot and special project focus, Wed is dust main living areas/ deep clean bathroom. Thursday I finish tiding everything and I wash floors again. I also clean the toilets. Friday is wash bed linens, throw rugs, etc. Saturday I usually deep clean the kitchen.

Things I do daily: a load of wash, wipe down bathroom and kitchen.
I also vacuum the main living area at least every other day.

I tend to do 15-30 minute blocks three times a day, first thing, at lunch, and then after dinner.

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M.H.

answers from Chicago on

I try to sweep and staiten daily. Every other weekend, I wash the floor. Every other weekend the cleaning lady does it.

Deep cleaning comes once every other week by the cleaning lady.

Laundry is Sundays.

I hate cleaning, and with working full time it is very hard to keep up.

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E.D.

answers from Houston on

One room at a time, if there is something in that room that needs to go to the master bedroom or the kitchen or the laundry room you just set it at the edge of the room till your done cleaning then on your way out pick it up and deliver... this avoids distractions or cleaning little bits here and there plus less overwhelming :)

R.H.

answers from Houston on

I clean only when I am bored or when I expect visitors...

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