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I wanted to share this daily cleaning list for you and your kids because life is just easier when you know what to expect… cleaning included.  I like to know what I can do each day (and what the kids can do each day) to keep the house clean, decluttered & tidy.

cleaning list

So I will be the first to admit- it can be hard to keep things clean with kids.  Our kids are young: 7, 5, 3 and 1.  Keeping the house “spotless” is not really possible, but keeping it clean is do-able!

I shared a post last year with my list of chores for young kids, but today I want to tell you how I keep the house clean.

REMINDER: I HAVE FOUR KIDS, SO I HAVE TO CLEAN DAILY.  IT ONLY TAKES ABOUT 3O MINUTES TO AN HOUR TOTAL, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE OR OUR HOUSE IS A MESS!  

daily cleaning list

How often should you vacumn (when you have kids)?  

Downstairs (main areas of the house): I vacumn every day, sometimes twice a day and sometimes every other day.  I really need to.  I like to, so I don’t mind, but if I don’t sweep daily, you would notice.  (12 feet walking around!)   I can’t stand the thought of having things on the ground (dirt, crumbs…).  Plus, our baby is at the stage where she finds every little thing on the floor.
Upstairs (bedrooms): I vacumn their bedrooms about twice a week.  

My other daily chores include: 

  • Spraying the kitchen countertops- making every meal here means that I have to clean it often.
  • Sweeping the hardwoods- again… 4 kids + hardwoods = A LOT OF CRUMBS, DIRT, LEAVES, ECT…
  • Making our bed (first thing in the morning) – every day this is done.  It makes me feel ready for the day.
  • One load of laundry (sometimes I skip a day, but then I have 2-3 loads). This includes washing, drying and putting away.  Here is my post on making laundry easier:  And here is one on how to organize the laundry room.
  • Wiping down the bathroom countertops- this takes about 1 minute.  I leave disinfecting wipes in the bathroom and just take one and wipe down the countertop, then the sink and then I toss it into the garbage can.   Less than 60 seconds.
  • Clean the kitchen appliances (the outside- from little fingerprints)- I just use either a stainless steel wipe or I spray it with a glass cleaner and wipe it with a paper towel.  (20 seconds total).
  • Take the garbage out (to the big garbage can outside)- this is done several times a day.  I don’t know how we go through so much garbage!
  • Pack lunches, make dinner, etc… but those don’t really count as “cleaning”
  • Run the dishwasher after dinner and snacks.  Unload it before bed so that it will be ready for breakfast dishes.  If it is not full, I will run it the next day after lunch and the kids will unload it after school.
  • Clear off any “hot spots” (areas in the room that collect stuff.  It might be a basket, it might be your mail, it might be a bench where you lay stuff as you walk by.  Clear it off at the end of the night.
  • 5 minute pick-up.  I learned this from the fly lady a while back & loved it.  Spend 5 minutes a night (with your kids) picking things up.  We have a race & run them back to their designated spot before the timer goes off!

 

Kids daily chores and responsibilities: 

  • Brushing teeth
  • cleaning up their pajamas (if you missed my post about how to keep kid’s rooms cleaned, you can see it here.  This seriously works!)
  • Get their breakfast ready (if they are old enough).  They don’t have to make it, they just have to get it out for me to make it for them.  They can do this the night before.  If they want oatmeal, they have to get the oatmeal, bowl and spoon out and ready for me to make it.  (This helps if you are trying to get the kids ready for school faster)
  • Putting their toys away – see the 5 minute pick-up above.  (If they complain that another child made the mess, I will follow up with “well- what if I only wash my own clothes, make my own dinner, drive myself places, etc… we all help each other in this family.”
  • Get their shoes and back packs ready for the day.   I am teaching them to be responsible adults.
  • Watch the time for when its time to catch the school bus.  Our oldest son is responsible for checking the time.  He leaves at 8:08 and by 8:05 he is always ready at the door (he doesn’t want to be late and he would ask me every minute if it was time for him to leave (from about 7:50 on!), so I have given him this responsibility and he has done very well watching the time- of course, I am watching it, too!)

Every day they pick two age-appropriate chores (easy chores that they can handle- cleaning the steps, picking up toys, sweeping the front porch, cleaning the baseboards, wiping the sinks in the bathroom, cleaning up under their bed, etc…)
age appropriate chores

Our family has weekly jobs too (usually done on Sundays) 

  • Clean up the outside toys 
  • Clean the garage (more like every few weeks)
  • Clean out closets – just hanging up shirts that have fallen, putting away toys, etc…
  • Clean the microwave and stovetop
  • Cut the grass (my husband does this)
  • Clean the bathrooms (toilets, base of toilets, bath tubs/showers, etc…)  The countertops need wiped down daily.
  • Floors- cleaning the wood floors every week or two.  (This means using a cleaner with a mop and then applying a coat of shine for the top-coat.  This protects them and makes them stay cleaner longer.)
  • Clean out the refridgerator (see my post on Organizing the refrigerator)
  • Clean out the van on Sundays:  Here is how we do this:  (Oh- this is another job that I don’t mind doing.  I love to watch it go from messy to clean!)  I also love to have it organized- here is my post on keeping your car organized.That’s it!   Tell me how YOU Clean!  Leave your best tip!

 

MORE POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:
stopped using chore charts

FREED FROM CLUTTER - BECKY MANSFIELD

reward system for kids

Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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18 Comments

  1. I am an vacuuming fanatic! I love a clean house and only then I will relax! Your chore list is very similar to mine!

  2. Some days I am busier than a one armed paper hanger and I sure could use these tips!

  3. WOW! You do a lot in a day. I think your day are my week chores and your week chores are my monthly. Phew.. all the respect to you!

    1. haha! I have 4 kiddos (all very young), so if I don’t, our house is a MESS! 🙂

  4. I vacuum everyday, at least the rugs since most of our house is tile. I WANT this, going to drop a hint to my husband to pick me up. Thanks for sharing!

  5. Being a homemaker, mommy and parent is a tough job. like you said it’s hard to keep the place spotless when little kids running around and literally trashing the place. You did amazing job keeping your house clean. my style of cleaning is not as good as yours. Thanks for sharing this great review.

    1. haha! I’m sure that it is! My daily routine takes about 30 minutes (well- not including the laundry- I dread that job!)

  6. This chore list is a great idea! I need to start something like this with my daughter!

  7. i just share the job between the 7 weeks days. for example:
    monday bathroom (no floors)
    tuesday errants (shopping, other buys, coffe relax)
    wednesday dust and floors (vacuum and mop)
    thursday laundry and some things i couldn’t finish the other days
    friday kitchen, put out rubish (front cupboards, fridge, stove, counters- although i do everyday- microwave… ), fast wipe bathrooms put the laundry away if it is dry (this 2 if i can) take a walk or blog or…
    everydays the meals (lunch and dinner, even if i can, do in advance for the others days) beds and tiddy as i go little things to collect.
    weekend do the things that have to be done just quarterly, monthly, annually…(as clean windows, order and clean into kitchen cupboards, closets…)

  8. You give me so many great ideas! My little girl is big enough to help and she is very interested in my cleaning activities. She wants to wipe, to wash and even tries to turn on the vacuum. The tips you’ve given will help me to choose some age-appropriate chores for her. Thank you!

  9. Thank you for sharing these great ideas with us. With 2 or more kids it’s just impossible to maintain daily household chores. But now with your suggestion, hopefully, I can clean my house and other staffs daily.
    Please keep sharing this kind of ideas and suggestions. Best wishes to you.

  10. I absolutely love your suggestions! Mine are the same age gap as yours except my oldest just turned 6 (then there’s 4,2,and 18 mos) and we have been major struggling with laziness around here. My two oldest have a chore list, they just absolutely refuse to do it without earth shattering consequences. I am the mom who doesn’t sit down til everything is spotless, and with our family size and homeschooling that just never happens, so I am searching for solutions. I will scour your posts, we seem to have alot in common!

  11. I try to clean my home as often as I can, but it used to be straining on my back, knees, and shoulders. I recently infested in an electric scrubbing brush to help ease the strain.