Creating a Cleaning List

Our new home is quite a bit larger than our previous one. So my husband and I have made a new list of cleaning duties. There are several different cleaning philosophies, one of which is doing a little each day - that's the one we prefer these days. We have used others in the past, but this is the one that works for us right now.

When making our list, we considered what else was going on that day. We divided up the chores, including outdoor work. Now we each have a cleaning task(s) to do each day. We also made a list of monthly cleaning jobs and decided when to do those.

I like to do my cleaning in the afternoons when the girls are home from school. I can be interrupted and can chat with the girls while cleaning. That allows me to use the times when they are not at home for other work which is best done without being interrupted. My husband, on the other hand, likes to do his cleaning first thing in the morning to get it off his mind.

I've posted our list on our refrigerator so we can be reminded of our new schedule. I think it's good, too, for the girls to see what it takes to keep a home running well.

If you're feeling at a loss of where to start, my book Three Steps to Clever Cleaning helps you determine your cleaning philosophy and gives tips for streamlining your cleaning so you can get on to more fun stuff! It also provides a schedule for infrequent cleaning chores.

I know there are those out there who love to clean and I applaud you! But alas, I'm not one of those. I do love a clean house, though, and am willing to spend the time to keep it that way. Plus I'm sending a subliminal message to my foster daughters that they are important enough to me to provide them with a clean and attractive place to live. It's part of my desire to create an atmosphere for their success.

What are your cleaning secrets?

More on cleaning:
Schedule Daily Clean Up Times
The Best Time of Day to Clean the House
Get Organized Month 2009 - Family Five Minute Challenge