The Best Cleaning Schedule for Working Moms

Easy cleaning schedule for moms working full time.

The last thing you want to do after a long day at work and taking care of the kids is to clean your house. You tell yourself you will get to it tomorrow but that tomorrow turns into next week and now you have a real mess on your hands. Housekeeping for working moms is tough!

Some people might not mind the mess and prefer the “bulk” cleaning but if you are anything like me it drives me nuts to have a messy home. Once you have kids everything becomes more of a challenge but the good news is you can make keeping your house clean easier.

The following tips will help you stick to a cleaning schedule whether you are a working mom, stay at home mom or looking for a better way to clean as a couple.

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Here is what you can do to keep your house clean and work full time.

1. Make a cleaning schedule

Working moms keep their house clean by following a realistic cleaning schedule. It is easy to make a list that ends up being way too much so you want to be as reasonable as possible.

Furthermore, a stay at home mom cleaning schedule would look exactly the same the only difference would be the time the tasks were completed. Also note that it is possible to get more done when you are at home with the kids, however, being at home means making more messes so the stay at home mom likely cleans twice as much if not constantly.

There are different levels to keeping your home clean. Some things you will do daily like picking up toys and others you will do monthly like scrubbing the bathtub. Therefore, it only makes sense to have a daily, weekly, monthly and an annual cleaning schedule.

Do not think this means more things to do in fact it spaces out your to do list to actually make it obtainable. Everyone’s homes are different so you can tweak the following schedule to fit your needs.

Daily Cleaning Checklist

It is important to stick to a daily cleaning schedule because this is what will determine whether or not you are stuck with hours worth of cleaning to do. You really only need to spend a good 30 minutes per day on it. Here is what to include on your checklist:

Make bed
Put away clutter
Clean & Put Away Dishes
Wipe down counter tops
Put toys away
Empty Garbage
Throw away expired food
Straighten pillows and blankets
Sweep or Quick Vacuum
Put clothes in hamper
Rinse out sink
Put away shoes, back packs, coats, etc.

Want these checklists in a PDF version? You can find the entire house cleaning checklist in this free printable here!

Weekly Cleaning Checklist

These tasks should be completed weekly in order to keep up with a good cleaning schedule.

Laundry (Clothes)
Vacuum
Dust
Replace dirty towels
Clean sink
Stove
Microwave

Monthly Cleaning Checklist

Depending on your home these items should typically be completed once or twice a month. It does not matter when you do them during the month. You can choose to space out each task or pick a week where you really focus on getting these checked off your to do list.

Clean Toilets
Scrub Shower & Bathtub
Clean out refrigerator
Windows and Mirrors
Straighten & Declutter Closets
Wipe baseboards
Vacuum Furniture
Disinfect
Laundry (linens)

Annual Cleaning Checklist

I like to think of the annual cleaning checklist as the “Spring Cleaning” this is where you clean out your storage, purge unnecessary items and begin working on the yard. This list will probably differ the most between households but it is a great starting point or “reminder” of what needs to get done.

Clean out storage in Garage, Attic, Shed or outbuilding
Organize and sweep Basement
Purge
Clean Outside of Windows
Clean vents
Power wash exterior/patio

2. Have a place for everything

Seriously this will cut your time in half. You do not need to have every inch of your home beautifully organized but you should give everything a distinct place. That way when it is time to clean up and put things back you will know exactly where to put it.

Having a designated space for your things will keep your house in order and save time from trying to “find a spot” to put things. Don’t worry though it’s totally okay to have a junk drawer.

If you like to keep things nice and tidy the following storage items have worked wonders in my home:

Drawer separators for cabinets or dressers
Toy chest
Large Baskets
Small Baskets
Clear Bins for Pantry and Bathroom Products
Two Tier Organizer
Cube shelf

3. Get the right products

Another time savor is to simply buy the right products. You will want a product that works so it not only cuts your time in half but also really cleans well. I couldn’t believe the difference when I switched to the following products:

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser

This is an absolute must have with kids! This takes off everything from walls, tables, cabinets and more.

White Vinegar

This should be a staple in everyone’s home. You can use white vinegar to clean everything and I mean everything in your household. All you need to do is use half vinegar & half water and you are good to go. I typically use this to clean out my microwave but also use for stains/odors, the shower/bath and basically whenever I run out of a cleaning product.

Microfiber Cloths

You don’t need to waste any paper towel or nice wash clothes with a good set of microfiber clothes. Once you are done you can throw these in the wash and they will be good as new.

Dish soap brush

Even if you have a dishwasher it is essential to have a good long lasting dish soap brush. Make scrubbing dishes easier and faster by using a quality brush.

Bar Keepers Friend

This stuff is amazing! You cannot go wrong with this non scratch scourer. It will leave your sink, pots and pans, stove and much more looking brand new! It works fast and is food safe.

Natural All Purpose Cleaner

Whenever kids and pets are in the home I always recommend a natural all purpose cleaner. Not only does it work for pretty much anything but you know it will be safe for children and animals.

Vacuums

Yes, you read that right I said “vacuums” as in plural. I recommend getting an “everyday” vacuum such as the infamous cordless Dyson or more affordable onson option for easy clean up each day. Then I also recommend getting a more heavy duty vacuum like this one for a more thorough cleaning.

I am sure you know there is nothing worse then getting out the heavy duty vacuum to clean up a mess of crumbs on the floor. A smaller vacuum will save time and make it much easier for a quick clean up. Lastly, if you have pets I recommend looking into a Roomba which can run during the day or at night to get all that pesky pet hair off the ground.

Stain Remover

This is by far the best Stain Remover I have come across! It is great for upholstery and carpet. The only downside is it does not remove odor so for that I cannot recommend this one enough.

4. Let the kids help

This might not work till your kids are older but teaching your children to pick up their toys and make their bed at a young age not only helps you out but is also a great learning experience.

My 4-year-old loves making her bed every day and is so proud to show me when she is done. It may not be perfect but she has taken complete ownership of the task and even likes to help me make my own bed every now an then.

Make chores fun for your kids or even create a chore chart with a special prize once complete. You can find a great free printable chore chart here!

More great ideas for getting your kids involved with keeping your home clean:

Put dirty laundry in basket
Wash and/or dry dishes (Load/Empty Dishwasher)
Feed the dog/cat
Dust
Take out the trash
Clean Windows & Mirrors
Sweep

5. Hire a cleaning service

You are probably wondering why this is on here because you probably wouldn’t be reading this if you were going to hire someone to clean for you. However, I am here to tell you that this is totally okay! Motherhood is exhausting and is definitely deserving of a break.

I highly recommend looking in to a cleaning service in your area to see what the rates are. I am sure you will be surprised because many are affordable. You also could choose to have someone come out once a month or even just once a year to get a good deep cleaning completed.

Also know that hiring a cleaning service does not typically mean picking up your things or doing your laundry. Instead they do the deep cleaning that is hard to get to as a working mom or anyone for that matter.

Therefore, do not take this off the table! You may even find someone who does this on the side for an even smaller fee.

Conclusion

Is there such a thing as cleaning your house perfectly? Probably not but you sure can make cleaning less of burden and even fun too! Whether you want a work from home cleaning schedule or a cleaning schedule while working full time these checklists will help you keep your house in order.

Don’t forget you can access the free printable cleaning schedule here!

Also check out these amazing cleaning hacks:

Make your bed every morning
Do not leave dirty dishes in the sink
Empty dishwasher while making breakfast or coffee
Utilize cleaning wipes in the bathroom for a quick wipe down
Have a “no shoes” rule in the house
Take an extra minute to rinse your shower at the end
Keep a spray bottle of vinegar and water
Teach toddlers to clean up their toys

The Best Cleaning Schedule for Working Moms

Easy cleaning schedule for moms working full time.