Swipe My Simple Daily Cleaning Rhythm

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Last updated on December 20th, 2022 at 06:10 pm

We’re all a bit nosey, so today I thought I give you a peek into my daily cleaning rhythm.

It’s not a “schedule” per se but more of a daily rhythm. They’re habits I’ve cultivated over time that fall into a routine, triggered organically by daily events.

If I were to schedule the exact time when I make my bed or wash the dishes, these chores would never get done.

Allowing chores to flow organically throughout the day gives me space and freedom to live my life rather than allowing chores to rule my life.

I can see why some people feel as though cleaning is all they do and why they desire a “schedule.” When our children are young, the house is messier. But our time is limited, so rather than trying to do everything, it’s better to prioritize what gets cleaned up.

The good news is, the messy stage doesn’t last forever. As our children get older, we can enable them to clean and organize with us. We no longer have to do it all alone. Teaching our kids a natural rhythm to cleaning and organizing will enable them to manage their own belongings and homes in the future.

Again, I know how helpful it can be to see what another person does. My hope in sharing my daily cleaning rhythm is that it will trigger ideas and inspire your own rhythm.

Here’s a peek into my daily cleaning rhythm.

Morning

Chore 01: Empty the dishwasher

I empty the dishwasher as I make breakfast (typically as I make toast or fry eggs). I stop in the middle to do a Morning Offering with my daughter when she enters the kitchen.

Chore 02: Clear table & counters & wash dishes

After breakfast, I wash all the dishes and make sure the counters are cleared away. We’re ready for when lunchtime comes or to come back to do homeschool work that needs to get done in the kitchen.

Chore 03: Make beds

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I make my bed before chore 01. Since I exercise those days, I’m in my room getting ready for the day earlier than Tuesdays and Thursdays. Making the bed is part of our “getting ready” routines. Both my daughter and I make our beds when we get dressed for the day. (This is the strategy of habit stacking, in case you were wondering.)

Midday

Chore 01: Tidy homeschool room

We try to homeschool in the mornings (if we’re not leaving the house), so we always tidy up our school table before lunch. This gets us ready to go back to work again if we need to do more after lunch.

Chore 02: Clear table & counters & wash dishes

Once again, I’m back to washing dishes after lunch. I make sure my daughter clears her plate and she often dries dishes as I wash.

Evening

Chore 01: Clean as I cook

As I make dinner, I put away ingredients and wash dishes. This leaves less of a mess for after dinner clean up.

Chore 02: Clear table & counters & wash dishes

Same routine as morning and midday.

Chore 03: Vacuum kitchen floor

If it’s bad enough, I’ll vacuum the floor after breakfast or lunch. Usually, I vacuum crumbs at night after dinner.

Chore 04: Kids tidy up

At 7, my daughter is pretty well trained in picking up after herself. I just have to tell her it’s time to clean up and she can put her own things away. When she cleans up varies depending on what is going on that day.

Chore 05: Nightly reset (before bed)

I put away any stray items, wipe the counters, clean up any new dishes, and set the dishwasher to run.

My daily cleaning rhythm is very simple, now that I see it written out.

If you’re wondering why we don’t have to do more putting things away, it’s because we use the highly efficient 1-Minute Rule. (Learn about it here.)

I’ll be publishing posts on my current routines for doing laundry and cleaning bathrooms. (But you can read about my simple cleaning schedule here.)

You might notice that I only do a few of the chores listed on my 10-Minute Tidy Tracker. I’m doing exactly what I recommend to you: pick a couple of things on the list and focus just on that!

Swipe My Simple Daily Cleaning Rhythm