Simple cleaning routine for a small home

Most of us are looking for a cleaning routine and schedule that we can stick to. And that won’t take hours each day. In this post I am going to share with you my simply cleaning routine for a small home. Living in a small 800 square foot home with four people things are start to feel cluttered really quick. Having this simple cleaning routine keeps me sane when it comes to keeping my house clean and tidy. This routine is certainly adaptable if you have a larger home.

Cleaning and organizing don’t come naturally to me. As someone with ADHD and a creative mind routines are really hard but at the same all the more necessary. So if I were to give you one word I want you to remember its “routine”. Routines are a lifesaver when it comes to keeping the home. Another word you could use would be “rhythm”. Aim to create a routine for cleaning that becomes part of the rhythm of your day. Before you know it will become as “mindless” as brushing your teeth.

I currently have a daily morning routine and weekly routine. My evening routine is a work in progress. I will just be sharing my morning and weekly routine for now.

Morning routine for a small home

My morning routine is very simple. As soon as I’m done taking my shower I spray and wipe down the bathroom sink and clean the mirror. Using the hand towel from the day before and wipe down the sink and counter an all purpose spray. (Mrs. Meyers is my favorite.) Then I clean the mirror with the same spray and a paper towel. I then replace the hand towel with a clean one. Then spray down the toilet, including the inside of the bowl. I run the toilet brush around a couple times and wipe down the outside of the toilet, except the base.

After those two things I start a load of laundry (on Mondays this is the bathroom towels and bathroom rugs). Then I sweep the bathroom and laundry room. In our little house the bathroom is also the laundry room and entry. There are plans in the works to change that! Then I sweep the kitchen and run the vacuum through the living room.

This takes me about 20 minutes give or take a few depending on having to stop and take care of my 8 month old. I will usually put her in her high chair with a couple toys to keep her occupied and that usually does the trick!

Morning Routine Check-list:

• Wipe down bathroom sink.
• Clean bathroom mirror.
• Wipe down toilet, including inside bowl.
• Start load of laundry. (Do load of towels and mat/rug on Mondays.)
• Sweep bathroom, laundry room and kitchen.
• Run the vacuum around the living room.

Weekly cleaning tasks for a small home

After I complete my morning routine then do the weekly cleaning task for that day.

Mondays are dusting. I have a handy little duster on a rod that pulls out so you can reach higher places. It makes cleaning picture frames, door frames and book shelves really easy. Using your little duster dust the whole house. It really doesn’t take that long especially if you keep up with it each week.

Tip:

Here’s an awesome trick for dusting your ceiling fans when they get overly dusty, use an old pillowcase. Simply take the pillow case and pull it over the blade of the fan. With your hand on top of the pillow case, applying some pressure, pull the pillow case off the blade. All the dust goes into the pillow case. Repeat with all the blades. Then simply turn pillowcase inside out outside and shake it out then throw it in the laundry. This trick is a lifesaver!

Tuesdays are windows. You don’t have to wash every single window in your house but pick two or three and rotate each week. Wash the glass, the track and the sill.

Wednesdays are appliances. Just like the windows you don’t have to clean all of your appliances at once. Pick one or two and rotate through them. And keep it simple. You don’t have to deep clean your oven every week (unless you want to). Just spray down the outside and make it shiny. Deep cleaning the inside is for another time.

Thursdays are bedding and bedroom floors. Strip the beds and wash the sheets. If the comforters and/or blankets don’t need to be washed then hang them up outside, if weather permits. Hanging your bedding outside even in the winter months, as long as it’s not raining or snowing, cleans off dust and allergens and really freshens them up. Then vacuum or sweep the bedrooms.

Fridays are cleaning the shower and mopping.

Tip:

Here’s another awesome trick, clean your shower while you are taking a shower. Trust me! This is a game changer and saves so much time. I grab a small bucket or pitcher, put a little dish soap in it and fill with hot water. Then I grab a magic eraser sponge, hope in the shower and go to town. For whatever the reason this makes cleaning the shower twice as fast and exponentially easier. And you are killing two birds with one stone!

About once a month I will throw the shower curtain in the washer. I buy simple cloth, white ones that you see in hotels. They are inexpensive, great quality, are easy to clean and look nice. I typically buy a new one every six months or so.

After cleaning the shower (and taking a shower) I do my daily morning routine and then mop the bathroom and kitchen. Again, I live in a very small house so I don’t have a huge space to do. Because sweeping is a part of my daily morning routine it’s already done when I need to mop.

Weekly Cleaning Tasks Check-list:

• Mondays: Dusting
• Tuesdays: Windows
• Wednesdays: Appliances
• Thursdays: Bedding and bedroom floors
• Fridays: Shower and mopping

And that’s it guys! That’s my simple cleaning routine for a small home. I hope this gives you some encouragement and inspiration for your own cleaning routine and rhythms. Take what you want from my ideas and tweak them for yourself and your home as needed. Keep it simple and don’t overthink it.

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Want to have chickens and a garden but don’t feel like you have space? Check out my post and YouTube video on having chickens and a garden work together in a small space. https://homespunannie.com/1746/make-your-chicken-coop-and-garden-work-together/