Clean Your House in 15 Minutes a Day with Free Printable

House cleaning is a chore. Literally. It’s a drudge, and I defy all you Cinderellas or Snow Whites out there to convince me otherwise (although you’re welcome to try. Just leave a comment in the comments section).

Anyway, that leads to a dilemma, since I cannot deal with mess, much less dirt. For a long time, I dealt with this by either trying to ignore it until it became such a huge stressor that I spent a full day cleaning, or cleaning all the time. Neither of these is ideal. That’s why the idea of a cleaning plan attracted me. The article I saw had the same title as this one. I didn’t read it, and I can’t find it again (sorry), but the concept in the title was enough to change my cleaning habits. 

Over the last few years, I’ve developed a cleaning schedule that works extremely well. I’ve lived in small apartments (#collegestudentlife) that whole time, and until recently, did not deal with small people and their destructive power. My cleaning methods have changed with the times, and these are the strategies and tips that I use to keep the house clean without driving myself (or my family) crazy.

Let’s start with the habits and attitudes:

1. Clean as you go. It takes two seconds to wipe the hair out of the sink in the morning. It takes forever (and is super gross) to unclog the drain after months of hair has packed itself in there. The same goes for dishes. 30 seconds for a plate and fork right after you eat, but wait for the food to crust on there, and that same plate and fork can take several minutes. Not to mention that it’s probably attracted some friends by then. Cleaning as you go is a habit, and a good one to develop since it makes the job sooooo much easier!
2. Be organized. Things look cleaner if they are organized (also, you can find things, which is a huge benefit!). This is especially important in small spaces. My home wasn’t very organized originally, and so it always looked messy. When I finally took the time to organize it, the house immediately looked a lot cleaner. This is one of those foundational things that will save you time in the long run. If you’re wondering how to get organized, I suggest you check out this post. She has assignments and a printable to keep you on track as you figure out how to make the most of your space. 
3.  Break it up. Don’t try to do all the laundry at once if it’s overwhelming. You do not need to get every speck of dirt out of the kitchen right this second. Clean a few things each day, and you’ll find that eventually, everything gets its turn, and you’re not completely stressed 🙂

And that brings me to the actual cleaning schedule I use. This assumes that you are cleaning as you go, and that you’ve reasonably organized your house so that things have a place to be cleaned to…

Clean Your House in 15 Minutes a Day: The Schedule

Daily: Wipe obvious dirt off all surfaces, sweep kitchen floor, do dishes as you go, pick up before bed

Every two weeks: Fully mop floors and scrub bathtub ( I usually pair these activities with Wednesday’s workload because it’s the shortest)

Once a month: Clean out the refrigerator/freezer (eeek! This doesn’t take that long if you do it often enough, I tend to put this on a Saturday.)

Monday: Sanitize kitchen counters ( I use Clorox or 409 and a paper towel), wipe down stove, Swiffer mop or spot clean floor

Tuesday: Clean mirrors and countertops in bathrooms, wipe down toilet (I use Clorox wands to get inside the toilet bowl), replenish toilet paper, wipe down shower/tub ( I actually have a squeegee in the tub so I can squeegee it after I shower. It takes a few seconds!), Swiffer mop/spot clean bathroom floor

Wednesday: Dust and vacuum. Do 1 load of laundry (wash, dry, fold)

Thursday: Sanitize kitchen counters, wipe down stove, Swiffer mop or spot clean floor

Friday: Clean mirrors and countertops in bathrooms, wipe down toilet, replenish toilet paper, wipe down shower/tub, Swiffer mop/spot clean bathroom floor

Saturday: Dust and vaccum. Do 1-2 loads of laundry

Sunday: Rest day! Enjoy your beautifully clean home!

Click on the image below for a printable version of the plan!

This keeps things pretty nice. I’m a clean freak, so about once every three months, I’ll do a deep clean of the house, where I move furniture and vacuum into corners, and get down on my hands and knees to scrub the kitchen floor. It actually doesn’t take that long to do, because if you keep up with the schedule above, your house never has the chance to get that dirty anyway. 

So that’s my method, and it’s worked for us. What works for you? Is there anything you would add? Leave a comment and let me know!