Cleaning routines

Weekly cleaning routine

I'll have to admit that I don't believe in spring cleaning. And lately there isn't much time for cleaning at all. However, something usually gets cleaned once a week in spite of everything else that's going on. At least once a month, I also wipe off the doorknobs, light switches, remote controls, keyboards and mice, and telephones with antibacterial wipes. The bathrooms get cleaned every week. No ifs, ands, or buts.  Then I pick two other rooms to dust and vacuum each week. Or I'll dust and vacuum one room, sweep the garage, and mop the linoleum floors in the kitchen and bathrooms. Finally, if I have time, I'll vacuum the rest of the rooms to complete the weekly cleaning. I continue this routine until all of the rooms are clean. Then I start the process over again. 

It typically takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete my cleaning cycle. This way, I can, at least, keep the house looking decent. Only adults and 1 cat live in my house, so that's helpful. Even if you have kids and several pets, though, I'm sure you can come up with a similar cleaning routine.

Image courtesy of No Revisions via Unsplash

Deeper cleaning routine

We live in air tight homes now, so annual cleaning (springtime or otherwise) of the past isn't as necessary as it used to be - as long as we keep up with our weekly cleaning routines fairly well. But I do dive into deep cleaning from time to time. And when that happens, I have a certain routine that I like to follow for that as well. And I've decided that I prefer to do this one room at a time - again, for the purpose of getting at least one room deep cleaned each week or so when the deep cleaning bug hits. This may take longer, of course, to complete the cycle. So, I wouldn't worry about any other cleaning except for the bathrooms and vacuuming. Or you can do the deep cleaning every other week so you can do your routine cleaning in between the deep cleaning weeks. Another possibility is that you can deep clean the next room you're going to clean during your weekly cleaning.

With the deeper cleaning, I always start at the top. I have been known to vacuum the ceiling in the past. If you prefer to skip the ceiling, at least vacuum the corners where the walls and ceiling meet to get rid of cobwebs and spider webs. 

I personally think the drapes, curtains, shears, and vertical blinds should be vacuumed and/or washed next. Lots of dust may come off of these as you remove them to wash or move them around to vacuum. Be sure to spend extra time on any swags, the back side of valances or canopies, creases, and pleats so as to remove as much dust - and maybe even spiders - as possible.

Next, vacuum or wipe down the walls and baseboards. If you have a high ceiling anywhere in your home, a sponge mop is helpful in reaching the higher sections of those walls. Or, if available, attach more cleaning wands to your vacuum cleaner. I save all of my vacuum cleaner wands, because they last well beyond the life of the vacuum cleaner itself does.

Cleaning windows and doors

After the walls and baseboards are cleaned, clean your other window treatments such as shades and  horizontal blinds. If you have blinds, I recommend that you vacuum them or Swiffer them to remove heavy dust buildup. Do this with care so you don't break the slats. Then use wet wipes of your choice to clean each slat. I use cheap baby wipes that won't leave behind a lot of fuzz. But you can use antibacterial or window cleaning wipes as well. Follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions for shades.

Once the window treatments are clean, you can clean the windows and window frames. Now might be a good time to clean the sills also. After the windows are finished, wipe down the doors.

Cleaning closets, cabinets and drawers

Most rooms are going to have  a closet, cabinets, and/or drawers. So we're ready to move to these areas of your room. And you can clean these areas in any order you want to. Just whichever one of these areas you want to tackle first. All of these places will slow you down, but it's a process that's important. Toss out anything you no longer use or need. Or set these items aside for a yard sale or donations. Just be sure everything is removed from these locations so you can vacuum and dust them out as well as dust or wash the things that will go back into them. 

Other deep cleaning

You'll want to clean inside and outside your fridge and oven as well. I actually do this 2 or 3 times a year. If you have carpeted floors and fabric-covered furniture, you'll want to clean those with a carpet and upholstery cleaner as you have time. Once every couple of years should be fine for adult-only households. More cleaning may be required for households with smaller children and/or lots of pets.

Lights, light switches, and outlets also need to have dust removed. If the lights hang on a chain or rod, wipe those off as well. Dust ceiling fans and vacuum lampshades. Move furniture that doesn't get moved often. Vacuum the floors where that furniture normally sits, and dust the back side of this piece of furniture.

If this was helpful to you, feel free to share with your friends and fan base on your favorite social media sites. Let me know if I left anything out too!

Have a blessed day,

Patricia