We all want to live in a clean house. Keeping your house clean can seem like an impossible task. With having to keep up with the household chores and picking up after the family it seems like there’s no time for anything else. In this post, I’m going to share some house cleaning tips so you can keep your house clean.
I’ll be the first to admit that my home hasn’t always been clean. As a young working mother, I found it impossible to keep up with the messes. It was hard to get dinner on the table and some of the chores marked off my list.
Setting Up A Cleaning Schedule For The Whole Home
Once I set up cleaning schedules for myself I was able to know what to clean when and how to focus my energy so I could finally live in a clean home. It did take time and practice for our home to get to where it is now.
House cleaning tips
A truly clean home takes time and organization. Not all households chores have to be done each day. You might find success by breaking up the tasks throughout the days and month. This guide will help you to feel less overwhelmed by your cleaning list and guide you to areas to clean and when.
I want to make this as easy as possible on you so I’m going to be breaking this post up into sections to help you.
To make the cleaning easier you’ll find the following sections:
- Daily cleaning
- Weekly cleaning
- Monthly cleaning
- Seasonal Cleaning
- Cleaning room by room
- Cleaning products to use
By breaking this post up into sections you’ll be able to focus on the area you’re needed the most advice in.
House cleaning tips for daily cleaning
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The best way to think of your daily cleaning is to think of this as your maintenance cleaning. Without your daily cleaning, everything will fall apart. If you don’t keep up with the fingerprints on the coffee table or the spilled liquid on the counters it takes a long time to clean them up.
The best thing to do is to create a daily cleaning schedule (or routine depending on what you want to call it). This will be something that you do each and every day to maintain the mess in your home.
Daily house cleaning tips
You’ll want to “touch-up” each room but focus on certain things. I’ll be going into more detail in the room by room section of what should be cleaned when. But to help you out here you’ll want to focus your daily cleaning on:
- Dishes
- Counters
- Laundry
- Picking up after yourself/kids/family
- Air out the house
- Sweep kitchen
and entryway
- Clean the kitchen sink
By focusing your energy on these simple tasks each day you’re not going to overwhelm yourself with everything else that needs to be done.
I’ve found keeping up with the dishes, laundry, and the random stuff around the house that accumulates each day it’s easier to keep the house clean. Learn more about what to clean daily here.
House cleaning tips for weekly cleaning
Here is how I set up a weekly cleaning list! This is going to be a list of household chores that you do each week. Your weekly cleaning routine will be a little more in-depth than your daily cleaning schedule.
Each week during your weekly cleaning session you’ll want to:
- Sweep and vacuum
- Wipe down all counters,
cabinets, and doors
- Scrub sinks, toilets, and tubs/showers
- Dust shelves
- Launder bedding
- Replace towels
- Spot clean windows and mirrors
- Wipe down appliances
- Garbage (as needed)
- Clear out fridge
House cleaning tips for monthly cleaning
As you can see not everything needs to be cleaning daily or weekly. By removing some of the burdens off your shoulders you’re able to focus on other things.
During your monthly cleaning, you’ll be doing some household chores that you might forget to do that’s why having a cleaning schedule in place will remind you to keep up on those chores. Your monthly cleaning routine will cover:
- Cleaning vents and woodwork
- Clean the dishwasher
- Dust and clean light fixtures
- Clean the washing machine
- Dust the blinds
- Vacuum out the dryer vent
- Vacuum
under and in the furniture
By spending a little bit of time doing these chores you’ll be keeping your home clean, maintaining some appliances, and keeping your family healthy.
House cleaning tips for seasonal cleaning
Seasonal cleaning is chores that need to be done only a few times a year. These can change from season to season. The seasonal cleaning holds household chores that need to be done 1 to 4 times a year.
While most people focus on a big spring clean once a year, I do this 4 times a year. This allows me to break up some of the chores and some household chores need to be done more than once a year but less than 12 so having seasonal cleaning is helpful to make sure all of the cleaning is getting done.
I do have a checklist with all of the chores broken up into seasons that you can download.
Simple house cleaning tips to help you keep your house clean
Now that I’ve gone through the daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal cleaning schedules it’s time shift gears a little and talk about what to clean in each room. Or more importantly how to clean each room of your house.
Since the goal is to keep your home clean there are certain things that should be done each day, week, month, and season to make sure that every room of your home is nice and tidy.
Cleaning tips for keeping your kitchen clean
I like to start in the kitchen because the kitchen seems to be the central hub for most homes. In order to keep the kitchen clean, there are things that need to be cleaned each day, week, month, and season to make sure it stays that way.
Daily cleaning ideas for the kitchen:
- Dishes (as needed)
- Wipe up spills as they happen
- Wipe down counters
- Sweep the floor
- Sanitize the sink
- Clean the coffee pot
- Clean up after meals (put food away, etc.)
- Switch out towels and dish rag
By doing these chores each day you’ll be on your way to keeping your kitchen clean.
Weekly cleaning ideas for the kitchen:
- Clean out old food from the fridge
- Wipe down appliance fronts and cabinet doors
- Sweep and mop floors
- Take out the garbage, recycle, and yard waste (as needed)
- Clean out the microwave
- Clean stove top
Monthly cleaning ideas for the kitchen:
- Dust cabinet and appliance tops
- Clean pantry
- Clean stove burner liners (if applicable)
- Freshen up and clean the garbage disposal
- Vacuum and wash corners
- Dust light fixtures
- Clean out freezer
- Wash window and sill
Season cleaning ideas for the kitchen:
- Mop under fridge and oven
- Wash light fixtures
- Polish stove top and appliance fronts
- Clean out all small appliances
- Replace water filter
- Clean dishwasher
- Wipe down and shine faucet
- Clean spice jars
- Clean garbage can
- Disinfect kitchen cabinets
- Clean pantry jars
- Dust fridge coils
- Clean fridge filter
- Clean window blinds/curtain
- Wipe down and clean oven
- Wash walls
- Calibrate oven
As you can see there are a lot of tasks that need to be taken care of in the kitchen to keep it clean and have all of your appliances run smoothly.
Now that I’ve covered all of the tasks that are needed to keep a kitchen clean I’ll be switching gears and talking about how to keep a living/family room clean.
Cleaning tips for keeping a living room clean
The living room and family room is an area that most homes find they spend time in. Some homes have a living room/family room and some homes have one of each. The concept is the same, so I am grouping these cleaning tips together. Because so much time is spent in this room, I will break down the cleaning schedule. You will find daily, weekly, and monthly tasks along with seasonal. This way the living room can fresh and clean.
Daily cleaning ideas for the living room/ family room:
- Clean up messes as they happen
- Wipe down tables
- Fluff pillows
- Pick up after yourself/kids
- Straighten up books/magazines, decor, etc.
Doing these tasks each day will help maintain the mess in this room.
Weekly cleaning ideas for the living room/family room:
- Sweep/vacuum
- Dust flat surfaces
- Wash blankets
- Straighten furniture and rugs
Monthly cleaning ideas for the living room/family room:
- Dust light fixtures
- Treat furniture
(leather and wood)
- Wipe down TV
- Clean baseboards and corners
- Wash windows and sills
- Dust blinds
- Vacuum under furniture
- Wipe down cabinet fronts, light switches, and door knobs
Seasonal cleaning ideas for the living room/family room:
- Switch out seasonal blankets and curtains
- Dust all items on shelves
- Wipedown picture frames
- Vacuum and dust electronics
By following these steps you’ll be able to keep your living room/family room nice and clean.
Cleaning tips for keeping a bathroom clean
The bathrooms are going to take a little more elbow grease to get through then you needed for the living room. The bathroom is a room that needs more attention daily and weekly. I’m going to list the chores that should be done daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally in order to keep your bathroom nice and clean.
Daily cleaning tips for the bathroom:
- Hang wet towels
- Air out room
- Wipe down counter and sink
- Clean up any messes as they happen
- Wipe down toilet seats
By following the daily cleaning tips you’ll be on your way to keeping your bathroom clean.
Weekly cleaning tips for the bathroom:
Each week you’ll want to do the following tasks to keep your bathroom clean.
- Scrub the toilet
- Clean sink faucet
- Sweep and mop the floor
- Scrub the shower/tub
- Dust
- Replace towels (launder hanging towels)
- Wipedown drawer fronts and handles, door knobs, and light switches
Monthly cleaning tips for the bathroom:
- Wipedown/clean light fixtures
- Clean baseboards and corners
- Clean air vent
- Wash window and sill
- Wash shower curtain
- Dust blinds/wash curtain
- Wash toothbrush holder
Seasonal cleaning tips for the bathroom:
- Dust and clean the bathroom fan
- Clean shower head
- Wash sink and tub drain
- Clean or replace toilet brush
You’ll want to repeat these steps for each bathroom you have. By following these tasks you’ll have clean and fresh smelling bathrooms.
Cleaning tips for keeping your entryway clean
Your entryway is the first area of the home that people see when they come for a visit. It’s important to keep this area of the home nice and clean. Thankfully there isn’t too much to do when it comes to keeping your entryway clean. Below are the following tasks that need to be done daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally to keep your entryway clean.
Daily cleaning tips for the entryway:
- Clean up messes as they happen
- Sweep or vacuum
- Wipe down table
- Pick up after yourself/kids
Weekly cleaning tips for the entryway:
- Sweep/vacuum/mop
- Dust area
- Straighten up decor
- Wipe down tables, mirrors, windows, etc.
- Dust outdoor lights and area around
- Sweep outside to keep the dirt out of the house
Monthly cleaning tips for the entryway:
- Wash windows and sills
- Wipe down doors, door knobs, light switches, etc.
- Clean baseboards and corners
- Wipe down frames, mirrors, and other decor
- Clean light fixture
- Dust/clean blinds and or curtains
Seasonal cleaning tips for the entryway:
- Replace HVAC filter (if applicable)
- Clean any other areas that might not have been included in the monthly cleaning
Cleaning tips for keeping your dining room clean
Keeping your dining room clean is important for meal time to run smoothly. Having a cleared off and a clean eating surface is important to having successful family meal time. You will find a nice breakdown of how to get your dining room clean.
Daily cleaning tips for the dining room:
- Clean up after any messes as they happen
- Wipedown table and chairs
- Replace napkins, placemats, tablecloth as needed
- Clean up after yourself/kids
Weekly cleaning tips for the dining room:
- Sweep and mop or vacuum
- Dust flat surfaces
- Straighten furniture and rugs
- Wash linens
- Wipedown doorknobs, light switches, etc
Monthly cleaning tips for the dining room:
- Wipe down walls
- Dust corners and baseboards
- Disinfect light fixture
- Dust all surfaces
- Wash windows, doors, and sills
- Dust blinds/curtains
Seasonal cleaning tips for the dining room:
- Wash and polish silver
- Treat furniture
Cleaning tips for keeping your kids’ bedrooms clean
Keeping your kids’ bedrooms clean probably seems impossible. This guide is focused on keeping rooms clean. You can check out the decluttering and organizing guides for more information on those topics.
To keep the bedrooms clean, it’s important to follow the daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally cleaning tasks. I have broken down all the tasks to tackle.
Daily cleaning tips for the kids’ room:
- Clean up after any messes as they happen
- Make the bed
- Pick up clothes
Weekly cleaning tips for the kids’ room:
- Sweep and mop or vacuum
- Dust flat surfaces
- Straighten furniture and rugs
- Wash bedding and clothes
- Wipedown doorknobs, light switches, etc
- Clean off the desk, dresser top, nightstand
Monthly cleaning tips for the kids’ room:
- Wipe down walls
- Dust corners and baseboards
- Wipe down light fixture
- Dust all surfaces
- Wash windows, doors, and sills
- Dust blinds/curtains
- Clean out toys
Seasonal cleaning tips for the kids’ room:
- Sweep, mop, and/or vacuum under and around furniture
- Treat furniture
- Clean out closet and drawers
Cleaning tips for keeping the master bedroom clean
The master bedroom tends to get neglected. Your bedroom needs to be a place to relax and a sense of zen. Having a clean master bedroom is key. Below are the tasks you’ll want to do daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally to keep the master bedroom clean. Tackle your master bedroom with ease.
Daily cleaning tips for the master bedroom:
- Clean up after any messes as they happen
- Make the bed
- Pick up clothes
Weekly cleaning tips for the master bedroom:
- Sweep and mop or vacuum
- Dust flat surfaces
- Straighten furniture and rugs
- Wash bedding and clothes
- Wipedown doorknobs, light switches, etc.
- Clean off the desk, dresser top, nightstand
Monthly cleaning tips for the master bedroom:
- Wipe down walls
- Dust corners
and baseboards
- Clean light fixture
- Dust all surfaces
- Wash windows, doors, and sills
- Dust blinds/curtains
Seasonal cleaning tips for the master bedroom:
- Sweep, mop, and/or vacuum under and around furniture
- Treat furniture
- Clean out closet and drawers
Cleaning tips for keeping the laundry room clean
The laundry room doesn’t need a lot of attention. The big things are to make sure that you’re putting clothes away to keep the laundry room clean. Keeping your washer and dryer clean will help the lifespan be longer. You will find a list of tasks you can do each day, week, monthly and seasonally. These cleaning tips will ensure you have a clean laundry room.
Daily cleaning tips for the laundry room:
- Put clothes away
- Clean up messes as they happen
Weekly cleaning tips for the laundry room:
- Sweep and mop or vacuum
- Dust flat surfaces
- Wipedown doorknobs, light switches, etc.
- Toss garbage (as needed)
- Clean out lint traps (as needed)
Monthly cleaning tips for the laundry room:
- Wipe down walls
- Dust corners and baseboards
- Wipe and Disinfect light fixture
- Dust all surfaces
- Wash windows, doors, and sills
- Dust blinds/curtains
- Clean out lint tubes with this neat tool
- Wipe out the washer and dryer
- Run the washer through a cleaning cycle with vinegar
Seasonal cleaning tips for the laundry room:
- Sweep, mop, and/or vacuum under and around washer and dryer
- Clean out old containers
- Clean washer filter
Cleaning tips for keeping the home office clean
The home office can seem like an overwhelming room to tackle. The office tends to be the catch-all for junk in our home. Having a clean office allows you to stay focused on work. Below are tasks that you’ll want to clean daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonally to keep your home office clean. Please make sure that you see the organizing and decluttering section if you’re in need of clearing out some clutter and doing some organizing in your home office.
Daily cleaning tips for the home office:
- Keep up with paper clutter (learn more about that here)
- Clean up messes as they happen
Weekly cleaning tips for the home office:
- Sweep and mop or vacuum
- Dust flat surfaces
- Wipedown doorknobs, light switches, etc.
- Toss garbage and recycle (as needed)
Monthly cleaning tips for the home office:
- Wipe down walls
- Dust corners and baseboards
- Tackle light fixture
- Dust all surfaces (including computers)
- Wash windows, doors, and sills
- Dust blinds/curtains
- Clean computer monitors
Seasonal cleaning tips for the home office:
- Sweep, mop, and/or vacuum under and around furniture
- Clean out the filing cabinet
I do have a full checklist that lays out all of the cleaning for you that you can download, print out, and use to help you keep your house clean. Click the button below to download the house cleaning checklist.
If clutter and organization are things that you need help with too, you can check out my cornerstone posts about those topics too. They show you exactly how to declutter and organize your home. With the combination of all three, you’ll have no troubles keeping your home clean.
[…] you are dealing with a list of household chores that is a mile long it can seem that keeping the home clean will be something that you can achieve once the kids leave home. I’ve put together a post […]