By request, I post my declutter/cleaning schedule!
To create this, I sectioned my house off into 5 zones and assigned each region a day
1. Monday - Living room, Hallway & Stairs
2. Wednesday - Bathrooms
3. Thursday - Kitchen, Dining room & Family Room
4. Friday - Playroom
5. Saturday - Bedrooms
On Tuesday (notice it is missing from above), I take care of laundry for the week and do miscellaneous chores. Sunday I don't have any chores assigned. The goal is to have that be a rest day, or at least a catch-up day if it was a crazy week.
I work part-time, plus my husband works late many nights so I need to have enough energy to put all the kids to bed when he can't be there so rather than try to clean it all in one week, I give myself two weeks. I also switch it up so that the harder chores (like mopping the floors in the living room) don't fall in the same week.
Lastly (and here is my favorite part), now that the kids are trained on how to do these things, the actual amount of time spent cleaning is about 30 minutes or significantly less. Not bad! Oh, and since you will see that I rely upon the kids quite a bit to help, the counter in the bathroom, for instance, is not perfectly wiped, nor is the mirror wiped perfectly clean. But that is not the point in inviting the kids in on this part of being a family.
WEEK ONE
Monday: LIVING ROOM, HALLWAY & STAIRS
"Sweep, Mop & Wipe Day"
Jackson - put up all toys, misc things in prep for vacuumming; wipe glass tables, sweep hallway
Davis - vacuum carpet, sweep stairs and landing
Mom - Mop hallway, stairs & landing
Tuesday: LAUNDRY
"Laundry Day & Misc Chores"
Jackson & Davis - empty all trash cans, sort/put away kids clean laundry, round up and put away all outside toys
Mom - Laundry & misc chores or catch-up on cleaning that got missed
Wednesday: BATHROOMS
J - wipe sinks & counters
D - wipe toilets, bring in garbage and recycling bins from curb
M - scrub tub & sweep/mop floors in main bath
Thursday: KITCHEN, DINING & FAMILY ROOM
"Declutter & Dust Day"
J - dust TV stand
D - dust bookshelf
M - clear off kitchen hot spot, dust TV and high bookshelves, declutter
All - clean windows
Friday: PLAYROOM
"Dust & Declutter Day"
J - put toys away
D - sort toys into proper bins
M - declutter high shelves, sweep & dust
Saturday: BEDROOMS
"Change Sheets Day"
D&J - clear floor
All - strip beds
All - make beds
Sunday: REST!
WEEK TWO
Monday: LIVING ROOM, HALLWAY & STAIRS
"Declutter & Dust Day"
J - dust railing, sweep stairs & landing
D - put away toys, dust desk, window sills, fireplace & tables
M - declutter
Tuesday: LAUNDRY
"Laundry & Misc Chores"
D&J - empty all trash cans, sort & put away kids clean laundry, de-spiderweb porch/decks
M - laundry, sweep front porch &/or decks
Wednesday: BATHROOMS
J - wipe toilets
D - wipe sinks & counters, bring in recycle bins
M - Scrub shower, sweep & wipe floors in master bath
Thursday: KITCHEN, DINING & FAMILY ROOM
"Sweep & Mop Day"
J - pick up all toys, socks, shoes, etc (prep for mopping)
D - Sweep under all chairs
M - sweep & mop
Friday: PLAYROOM
"Dust & Vacuum Day"
D&J - pick up toys and put in proper bins
M - dust and vacuum
Saturday: BEDROOMS
"Dust and Declutter Day"
J - Pick up toys on floor, wipe window sills
D - put away toys on shelves (i.e. declutter shelves), dust shelves & dresser
M - declutter & dust master bedroom, little kids' rooms
Sunday: REST!
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7 comments:
Love it! It's about time for me to teach A and B how to clean the toilets, huh? It would be nice to start handing some things over to them!
So did you print out this big list and hang it somewhere, or do you write their chores on a white board everyday?
I've got to try a new system..., just doing the regular morning chores (make your bed, put jammies away, brush your teeth, ...etc) is not enough.
I have a feeling these 'systems' are going to be constantly evolving over the next few years.
I do have a handy chart that i reference each day because WHAT MOTHER COULD MEMORIZE THAT?! I have been writing chores for the kids on the white board some days. In the past they have enjoyed checking them off the list (or erasing them).
And yes, I see a constant evolution, too. The cool thing is that my two big boys have really become quite proficient at their tasks. And I don't really fuss with perfection, but I do ask that they complete the job (like throwing away the used paper towels and returning the cleaner to the closet). i also have found that it helps to be well supplied: for instance, multiple dusters and dustpans so that I can send both kids to do the same thing at the same time, wet wipes for sink and toilet cleaning, etc. etc.
Cleaning in general, i have found, is so much more difficult if you don't have the right tools and cleaners. So I do the same for myself. A good mop. Lots of cleaning rags. A toilet bowl brush in each bathroom, cleaning supplies upstairs and downstairs, etc.
Good suggestions! Thanks for sharing! One more question... do you let your kids use the "regular" cleaners like Lysol wipes or do you have them use something more kid friendly? I would love for the boys to use the lysol wipes, but I worry that I'm going to poision them!
You should also mention that most of your cleaning products are safe for kids (aren't they?) which helps a lot too.
Many of my cleaners are kid friendly. I have let them use Lysol wipes for bathroom cleaning, but i regret starting that. They are expensive, for one, and they are not kid friendly. My 5 year old is pretty good with them, and I just need to remember to have his wash his hands afterwards. We will go back to baby wipes for sure.
I love your schedule. So my thought is: how about if I send A & H over every day for two weeks and D & J could teach them how to do these chores well? I have such a hard time having the patience to teach them how to do it. I just want to do it myself and get it over. NOT good parenting I know. Maybe at the same time they come over C could come to and watch Weston all day and get potty trained? This could work out great for me! :) Okay- since this is not realistic- you have inspired me to start thinking up my 456th chore chart for the kids. We will try again.
Jenne, I love it! I have a cleaning schedule for myself, and I have had the kids do the usual "lay the laundry flat," etc., but they are ready for a challenge! I took your schedule and adjusted it for our family. I love that you give a list here of what kids are capable of (at certain ages & maturity levels :). I didn't make a "laundry day" for our family, because I fail at that--I'm horrible at that. Instead, I do 2 loads per day (and I have been training the boys to do their own from hamper to folded (or at least mostly folded) in the drawers. Today we started our new 2 week schedule including all of the kids. We cleaned the upstairs bathrooms. Isaac cleaned 2 toilets, and he did AMAZINGLY well at it. I told him at the beginning that it was a "big boy job" and he couldn't be silly when he was doing it. (last time I had the boys help me clean the toilet, probably a year ago, I had toilet water all over the place!!). Kaleb washed the counters and sinks (and attempted to use his washcloth on the mirrors, so I taught him about that :). Noah washed off the cabinet fronts (toothpaste splatters in the boys' bathroom) and inside the drawer where their toothbrushes go (soo icky with toothpaste!). I handed Ruby a washcloth and said she could wash the floors. I cleaned the mirrors, and the bathtubs & shower. Some got done before others, so Kaleb got fresh towels for the bathrooms, Noah went to lay some laundry flat with Ruby, and Isaac put 3 rolls of toilet paper in the baskets at the backs of the toilets (this has been one of the kid jobs forever :). They were all very proud of themselves and their accomplishments!! Tomorrow we dust the family room, wash the sippy cup-milk-spots off the brown leather couches, and clean the windows in there. Fun! :)
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