Do you ever get to a point when your home is driving you crazy because everything seems out of place? You feel like you just can’t keep up with your stay at home mom cleaning schedule, and the mess starts to take over. Sometimes I feel this way and I get anxious and I can’t focus on what I really need to be doing – taking care of my family and home.
If you have followed me for any length of time, you know I am a huge advocate of a framework. They are the foundation of my homemaker cleaning schedule and homeschool schedule.
In this post you will discover the ease and flexibility of using a framework to tackle deep cleaning the whole house without feeling overwhelmed or exhausted.
When Things Get Dirty
Recently my vacuum broke. BOO! I felt like I had lost an old friend. I wasn’t able to replace it right away, so I was left doing the best I could to keep the house clean with broom and mop. Let’s just say, carpets and mops are not friends.
I felt like every corner of the house was dirty and everything looked dirty. On top of that, I couldn’t seem to pull everything back together after taking down all the holiday decorations, and everyone started to feel my anxiety. Has this ever been a place you have found yourself? Just feeling scattered and knowing that if you can just reset you’ll be able to center yourself again and get back on track.
I knew the solution to help me reset – a whole house deep cleaning – but it felt overwhelming. I decided to put a framework together to help me accomplish the much needed whole house deep clean to get me back on track. A framework is my go-to solution when I am feeling overwhelmed with a task that needs to be done.
Consider Your Home
By building a framework, strategizing, and delegating you can easily tackle the job of deep cleaning your home.
The first thing to consider is how deep are you going on this clean? If you haven’t done this in a while, you may consider reorganizing a part of the process and tackle closets, and cabinets in the process. If you have been able to keep on top of purging and minimizing clutter perhaps just cleaning is needed.
Once you’ve determined how deep this clean needs to go, work backward from your goal to create a framework. You can roughly guesstimate how long it would take you collectively to tackle the whole house.
Strategize by blocking out time over several days that allow you to finish the task of deep cleaning. You get to decide how many days you need according to your home’s size, your family’s ability to assist, etc. Blocking out time on your calendar ensures that you won’t schedule anything else on those days.
Bring your family in on the process. Let them help with tasks that you know they can easily accomplish for you. Even if you have little ones they can get in on the action. Yes… it will take a bit longer with their “help”, but the memories will be worth it.
Every home is unique and runs according to its own rhythm, which is why a framework can be tailored to fit any homemaking schedule. By finding what works for you, you can tackle big projects in less time. I have to force myself to stay focused, so my rhythm may look different than yours. Here are some ideas to help you decide which framework suits you best.
3 Deep Cleaning Stay at Home Mom Cleaning Schedules
(Free Printable Framework and Homemaker Cleaning Schedule)
1. Task-by-Task 3 Day Schedule
If you are going for a “lighter” deep clean and not reorganizing closets, cabinets, etc. then you may want to consider a task-by-task framework.
With a task-by-task schedule you can choose 3 major tasks, over 3 consecutive days and tackle that task in each room of your home. For example:
On Day 1: I like to vacuum first with this framework. I vacuum everything: behind couches and dressers, under beds, lampshades, the ceiling corners, etc. This helps me focus better when I move onto the next task the following day.
On day 2: I wash everything. EVERYTHING. Rugs, sheets, comforters, dirty clothes, curtains (if washable), etc. With each dry load I fold or reinstall those items. If it is clothes or sheets I fold and put them away immediately (otherwise I WILL procrastinate), with curtains, I rehang them, I put the rugs back in place…you get the idea.
On day 3: I wipe everything down. I start in the kitchen, as this is the most trafficked area in my home. I move onto other high traffic areas like entrances and wipe the surfaces there, next I wipe things like switch plates, mirrors and windows, walls (where needed), etc. This task usually doesn’t take as long as day 1 and 2, so I finish with mopping the floors.
When I use this framework I feel less overwhelmed and more focused because my task is straightforward. I get distracted easily, but when I know that I am going to accomplish a big project on a certain timeline, I seem to ignore the distraction knowing it will be taken care of soon.
2. Room-by-Room Schedule
This homemaker cleaning schedule is definitely a favorite. It combines the deep cleaning and reorganization tasks into one strategy. A room-by-room deep cleaning homemaker schedule allows you to focus on a single room at a time. Not only do you stay more motivated, but you will feel victorious by seeing visible progress.
One way to approach a room-by-room framework is to consider what will motivate you most. Will tackling the most challenging room in the house make the most sense for you? Or taking on the smallest area that needs attention for the instant win and gratification?
Deciding what will keep you motivated and on track is an important step to take to accomplish your goal. Once you choose your strategy, you can block out the amount of time needed to clean each room.
I like to use the room-by-room strategy over the course of a week or so. You probably have more than 7 rooms (bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, etc) that need cleaning, but you can combine bathrooms and smaller spaces into one day.
Give yourself a timed deadline. If I think a room will take me 3 hours, I give myself 4. I stop at 4 because I know I can easily creep towards 5 and 6 hours if I don’t have a deadline. This also helps keep me focused on that room alone and not end up cleaning somewhere else and create more messes.
Room-by-room feels great because you can feel good about that space being done once your timeline for that room is over. You’ll be motivated to keep going according to the time blocked out on your calendar for your deep cleaning homemaker’s schedule.
3. 7 Day Stay at Home Mom Cleaning Schedule
Blocking out an entire week of deep cleaning sounds a bit much, but this framework allows for your non-negotiable commitments to still be fulfilled. This framework is a combination of the task-by-task and the room-by-room strategies:
Day 1 (and maybe 2): Closets
Focus only on closets until they’re purged and reorganized.
(Set a timeline and stop when it’s up!)
Day 3: Vacuum Everything
Move furniture, reach the fans, get all the cobwebs.
Day 4: Wash Everything
Bed linens, curtains, rugs, and laundry.
Day 5: Wipe Down Surfaces
Focus on high-traffic areas, windows, switch plates, etc.
Day 6: Light Vacuum + Mop
If you have energy left, mop twice—you’ll be amazed at the dirt that was left!
Day 7: REST!
Sit down and soak in your sparkly, peaceful home. You earned it!
This framework may only take you 5-6 days, but I like to be realistic with myself and make sure I give ample time for any tasks that take longer than I expect.
Set a Realistic Goal
The frameworks for a homemaker cleaning schedule mentioned here are a place to start. You may find that a combination of these homemaker schedules work best for you or that they don’t work at all. However you decide to accomplish deep cleaning your home, make sure to set realistic goals for yourself.
Make sure your expectations of yourself (and possible helpers) can be met. I am guilty of setting unrealistic expectations of myself and my loved ones and it generally doesn’t lead to anything fun. But when I take the time to genuinely assess what needs to happen, we can all hit a lot closer to our mark.
What method resonates with you most? Do you have a strategy you would like to share? Let me know in the comments below.
Very good https://is.gd/tpjNyL
Thank you Sydney! I am glad you enjoyed it.