A popular topic amongst my other Mummy friends is how do we fit everything in. And in particular, how do we fit the weekly cleaning in. I established a great routine because I got fed up living in chaos all week, then spending all weekend cleaning. Once I started to use a simple routine, with a little bit of cleaning every day, it helps me to keep on top of everything (most of the time!). And even with a child, crazy work schedules (even though I’m working from home), I still am able to stick to this routine.
My cleaning routine can from a particularly bad time when my house was in so much chaos, we got an infestation of ants in the kitchen. Having pest control problems showed me that my cleaning was not up to scratch. Because I work my routine around my schedule, I feel that it can apply to a lot of different people.
Every day I have a specific chore. This simple routine helps me keep my little world clean and tidy. Plus, Empire Pest Control tell us, cleaning has a huge impact on staying free from pests. Living in London, things can get grimy quickly and the thought of cockroaches running around is incentive enough. Here is my secret formula…
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Here are some ways you can implement your own simple cleaning routine into a busy parenting lifestyle.
Going Out To Work
If you have to actually go out to work (to another physical location), the daily commute can end up being really exhausting. By the time you get home at the end of a long day, you may feel like collapsing on the sofa with little energy left to put into a cleaning routine. The best way to tackle this is to start with a 5-10 minute clean before you go to work, and another 5-10 minutes when you get home. Start with the daily tasks, and try to complete them every day.
If you are finding the daily tasks a bit overwhelming, start by doing just one. Doing one load of laundry, picking up clutter and wiping counters can all be done in a short amount of time. Add one every week, and before you know it you’ll have a proper routine to suit your schedule. Once you have a good handle on the daily tasks, you can start on the weekly ones.
Irregular Work Patterns
Having an irregular schedule is really difficult for a family. Maybe it’s overnight shifts, or 3 days on then 3 days off, or you may even work for 12 hour shifts. A cleaning routine can still be accomplished here, but you have to give yourself time to figure out what works best for you. You might need to double up on tasks, and do two or three when you have days off. But that means you won’t have as much to do on the days when you have to work.
Some weeks may be that you just get the minimum amount done. Other weeks you will be able to conquer the world and get everything done. Take it in your stride, and remember that doing just a bit of cleaning is better than doing none.
Working From Home
Taking a break during the day actually helps you to be more productive. I often take short breaks at specific times during the day, and use this time to throw a load of laundry in, or wash up the breakfast things. It helps my brain to relax a bit, and when I go back to my desk I become more productive. I also do quite a few relaxation exercises throughout the day.
I find it better to get my housekeeping tasks out of the way in the morning. Otherwise I get sucked into work completely, and any cleaning chores go right out the window. Finding my time to clean helps me keep the house tidy as well as getting my work done too.
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