House Cleaning Schedules

Updated on January 31, 2024

House Cleaning Schedules. This home cleaning schedule includes lists for daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal, and annual cleaning.

In our neck of the woods, it is starting to feel like Spring! We have been blessed with some nice 60° weather lately.

I don’t know about you, but after being cooped up in the house all winter, I like to get my house in tip-top shape and spring clean. Today, I am going to share my cleaning schedules with you. There are tasks I do daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and semi-annually. The semi-annual list is what I do for spring cleaning and fall cleaning to get ready for the busy holiday season.

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Get Prepared

First, you need to gather your supplies for any cleaning job you are going to do. Following is a list of my go-to items I use to keep my house in great shape. I try not to use a lot of chemical cleaners, and these are what work for me and my family, but feel free to use whatever you are comfortable with.

Cleaning Supplies to Have on Hand

• All Purpose Cleaner – for me, that means diluted Castile soap. I buy the 32-ounce bottles and they last forever!
• Vinegar – I use a 50:50 solution of vinegar to water to shine my windows and mirrors. I also splash some vinegar in my mop bucket when I mop the floors
• Microfiber Cleaning Cloths – these work wonders and inhibit bacteria. I even use them for dusting by getting them slightly damp and wiping down all the surfaces in my home
• Dusting Spray – I usually use Murphy’s oil soap. I don’t do this every time I just, just when my wooden furniture needs some sprucing up. 
• Vacuum – with hose and dusting attachment
• Bucket
• Rubber Gloves

Start by Picking Up

Now that you have your arsenal of cleaning supplies rounded up, it is time to get cleaning. But, wait! Before you decide to clean any room in your home you need to pick up and declutter.

This is an ongoing process. In our house, we do a nightly whole house pick up before the kids get in the bath. It is nice to have everything put away after the kids are in bed, so I can focus on other things. This also keeps the messes from getting out of control. 

If you are feeling out of control with the clutter, try to tackle a small project every day. Just about anyone can find 15 minutes a day to clean and organize a drawer or cabinet.

Save the bigger projects for when you have more time. This will vary for each person. For me, it usually means the weekend when my husband is home to help with the kids, but you have to find what works for you.

How Will You Clean?

You also have to decide whether you are a room by room cleaner or a task oriented cleaner.

What does this mean? Basically, do you want to have an entire room clean from top to bottom or would you rather tackle one job (like cleaning the ceiling fans) all at once since you already have all your supplies out?

For me, I am a room by room kind of gal. I would rather have one room completely done before moving on to the next space. Figure out what works for you and go from there. And remember to check-in occasionally to determine if your system is still working.

Now, I will share with you how I schedule my cleaning tasks. This is what works for me, and is not by any means the only way to do it!

Since I have a home with almost zero carpet. We have three area rugs in the entire house and the rest is vinyl tile, I just don’t have time to mop every week. It would take me forever. But, I am okay with that. I like to have the house swept or vacuumed daily, but I only mop once a month and spot clean in between. For you, you may like to add this to your weekly cleaning list.

Daily Cleaning Tasks

• Make beds
• Laundry – at least 1 load
• Dishes
• Clear counters and wipe them down
• Sweep/vacuum
• Nightly clean up
• Declutter (at least 15 minutes)

Weekly Cleaning Tasks

• Empty all trash cans/recycling
• Change sheets
• Dust
• Clean bathrooms
• Wipe down door handles and light switches
• Spot mop
• Clean glass and mirrors
• Clean out fridge of old food

Monthly Cleaning Tasks

• Water plants (two times)
• File/shred papers (two times)
• Mop
• Clean dishwasher
• Clean vacuum filters
• Clean coffee pot
• Clean microwave
• Deep clean stove top

Quarterly Cleaning Tasks

• Shampoo rugs
• Shampoo couch
• Vacuum mattresses
• Change air filter in furnace/air conditioner
• Wash comforters/duvets
• Clean oven
• Fertilize indoor house plants

Semi-Annual Cleaning Tasks (Spring and Fall Cleaning)

• Clean ceiling fans/light fixtures
• Dust cobwebs from ceilings and walls
• Clean blinds
• Wash or vacuum window treatments
• Clean behind refrigerator and stove
• Clean behind washer/dryer
• Clean under beds and behind furniture
• Touch up paint
• Clean out/reorganize sheds (we don’t have a garage, but if we did this is when I would do it)
• Reorganize/declutter any spaces that need it
• Have a yard sale!

You may also like:

• Project Organize Challenge
• Printable Room by Room Cleaning Checklist
• Printable Deep Cleaning List

This post was originally part of the Spruce it Up Sunday series.