If you’re wondering why I haven’t shared recipes or cleaning routines or any other kind of homemaking tip in a while, it’s because I completely fell off the homemaking bandwagon this summer. I became so immersed in everything that makes up my work (the Blogger Mentorship Program–15 mentees at the moment!, my Etsy summer and fall lines, daily blogging, sponsored posts, podcasting, etc.) that we ordered a lot of takeout for dinner and our house was never totally clean and organized, which is the way I prefer to keep it.
It took me some pulling back and reevaluating to get back on track. Ultimately, we chose our lifestyle for me to pursue my blogging/entrepreneurial dreams, yes, but also so that I would have the time and energy to properly keep our home in a state of order, which is something I enjoy and is important to me. I like our home to be clean and tidy, with folded laundry in our drawers, and food in the refrigerator. With meals planned, prepped, and cooked. Not perfect, but orderly and consistent.
“Outer order contributes to inner calm.” -Gretchen Rubin
Whereas I had done well at prioritizing homemaking for the first nine months of our marriage, for much of this summer, it was pushed to the very last back burner. Chaos is too strong a word, but scrambling to figure out dinner at 5pm or spending my entire weekend cleaning because I hadn’t worked on it all week took its toll. About the beginning of August, I decided that it was high time to get it back together. I got back to meal planning and started putting a cap on the amount of time I spent in the office during the day, which were both positive steps forward.
We got back to eating at home, and I freed myself up so that I could spend more time taking care of our house, but I realized that a huge part of the problem was that I hadn’t created a new cleaning routine for our (bigger) house–I was still trying to use the same method that I used when we lived in a apartment three times smaller than our current home. Needless to say, it was not working. In our apartment, I dedicated three hours once a week to deep cleaning the entire space. It was hard work, but it was relatively fast given the small floor plan.
Now, it takes triple that time. (I’m not exaggerating…it took me nearly 10 hours the last time I cleaned our entire home in one day!) Not only is that method exhausting, but it’s unreasonable and totally unsustainable. A couple of weeks ago, I set out to find a new routine that would work for me, and I found it on Clean Mama’s site. I have long adored this site for cleaning tips and tricks, and I decided to try the weekly plan (with a few tweaks)–it ended up suiting my needs perfectly. Here it is:
My new cleaning routine
via Clean Mama, with one change
- Monday: clean bathrooms + wash towels
- Tuesday: dust
- Wednesday: vacuum
- Thursday: wash floors
- Friday: catch all day
- Saturday: wash sheets
- Sunday: rest
The only change from Clean Mama’s routine is that instead of washing sheets and towels on Saturday, I prefer to wash towels on Monday while I clean the bathrooms, so that once I’m finished, the entire bathroom is sparkling clean, including the towels.
This routine works perfectly for me. It takes me about 45 minutes to an hour each day, but our house is in a constant state of cleanliness and order, and I’m never overwhelmed at the prospect of having to clean the entire house in one day. Additionally, I’ve moved all of my cleaning supplies into a caddy that I can easily tote around the house with me, which makes the process both faster and simpler.
The first week of following this routine was working well, but I was cleaning in the afternoon, around 3 or 4pm, after I was finished with computer work. This was definitely not ideal for several reasons: I needed to focus on dinner at that time, I was physically and mentally tired, and I really, really didn’t feel like cleaning that late in the day. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about myself, it’s that depending on my future willpower doesn’t work. I have to create systems and routines that work with my natural rhythms or I’ll never keep them up. So…
The one change that made it click
One morning last week, I woke up and was in a cleaning mood. I checked my routine and got working on that day’s task first-thing. The only things I did before I started cleaning were get dressed, let Charley out, and make our bed. I didn’t eat breakfast or check my email or do anything else. I just got dressed and started cleaning.
An hour later, when I was finished, I noticed how much energy I had! Moving around and breaking a light sweat first thing in the morning really woke me up and got me going. Plus, being a night owl, the mindless task of vacuuming was a nice way to ease into the day.
Now, I clean every morning exclusively. This sets my day up for success and ensures that our home stays tidy because I’m not relying on an elusive afternoon burst of energy to get things done. Here’s my new morning routine:
My morning routine
- Wake up
- Let Charley out
- Brush teeth, wash face
- Get dressed
- Make our bed
- Complete cleaning task for the day
- Eat breakfast
- Clean up kitchen
- Head into office to work
This works well for me. Like really, really well. The first hour and a half of getting up, getting ready, and cleaning is totally thoughtless and requires almost no mental energy. This is ideal for me, because it takes me a while to get my wheels spinning after I wake up. (I used to sit in front of my computer and surf the internet during this time; my revised routine is much more productive.)
Then, the second part, when I eat breakfast, clean up the kitchen, and get ready to work (I usually make a to-do list at this time), is enjoyable and only requires slightly more mental energy. (What will I eat for breakfast? Do I need to thaw or prep anything for dinner? What do I need to get done today?) During this time, I either watch YouTube or listen to a podcast–the promise of entertainment (plus food) is essentially my reward for cleaning. 😉 It works!
We’ve had a few cluttered moments, and we always will come across those, but I can tackle clutter fast since nearly everything in our house has a place…usually with a label! 🙂 It’s cleaning that I can’t handle quickly–I’m so glad to be back in balance as we approach fall because we plan on spending lots of time in our cozy, [clean] house!
// Have you ever had to reevaluate a routine because it was no longer working for you? How did you change it to make it effective again?
This is great! I love how establishing a cleaning routine can help the rest of your day – and week! – go smoothly! 🙂 And I have always found that cleaning is a great stress reliever for me…totally worth it in multiple ways! 🙂
You’re so right about the morning setting the stage for the rest of the day/week. I feel so much more productive when my environment is clean and tidy! 🙂 Thanks for reading + commenting, Hannah!
Blair! What a great use of morning time. You know how I love that. 🙂
YES! I thought of you! It’s a couple hours after you’re up, but I’m getting there! 😉 Thanks for reading, Caitlin!!
Love this! I’m definitely going to try out that cleaning schedule. I’ve always wanted to clean a little each day so that I don’t have to do a “big clean” on the weekend, but I’ve never been able to put it into action. This seems like a simple enough plan to try though! And, I love the idea of getting big tasks done in the morning when you are less likely to want to in the afternoon. That’s my usual approach to working out. If I don’t do it in the morning, I’m not going to get it done. Thanks for sharing!
I hope it works well for you!! 🙂 Cleaning is exactly like working out for me, too–do it first thing, or it won’t get done! Thanks for reading + commenting, Emily!
Looks great!! I’d love to hear about what cleaning products you swear by and how you organize them around your house. (example: keeping certain products in certain spots in your home for easy access, etc) Unless you already have a post for that somewhere! Thanks!
Hey Brianna! Thanks for reading!
I wrote about the cleaning products I use here and talked about where I keep my cleaning products in this podcast. I’m currently working on making my cleaning supplies more natural (essential oils, baking soda, vinegar, etc.) and will post on that once I’ve fully made the switch. At that time, I’ll share my cleaning caddy, too! 🙂
I need to figure out a cleaning routine now that my husband and I upgraded from a 1 bedroom apartment to a 3 bed, 2 bath house. I love podcasts when I’m cooking because it doesn’t feel like I’m wasting time.
Congratulations on the upgrade! I would highly recommend trying Clean Mama’s routine that I outlined above. It’s worked really well for me and is very do-able on a daily basis. I love podcasts, too! In fact, your voicemail is being featured on mine tomorrow! 🙂 Thanks for reading, Bailey!
Thanks for sharing! I would love to hear more about how and what you label. I just got a label maker and am trying to decide how to best organize. I’m nervous I am going to label too many things or not enough!
I basically label everything. Slight exaggeration, but not by much. 😉 I prefer everything to have a designated, labeled place, and it helps both me and Riley find things when we need them! I would say label whatever you’d like to start out, and remove or add labels as you live with them and discern your needs! #LabelMakersForever
Hi Blair! I was wondering how laundry, besides the towels and sheets, fits into your cleaning schedule.
Hey Nicole! I generally do two-three small loads a week. Our hamper is relatively small, so once it’s full, I throw in a load, and make a point to dry and fold it on that same day. (I wash all lights and darks together with cold water.) This tends to work well because doing a lot of laundry in one day is not enjoyable to me! A little here and there tends to make the work light, manageable, and quick. Hope that helps!
I love reading about other’s processes and how they manage to keep a clean home! I shared my tips and routine on my blog today too. Great post, Blair! 🙂
http://abbysaylor.com/