3 pros!
Don't know where to begin? A cleaning checklist can help you stay on top of household tasks.
Whether you do all the house cleaning yourself or leave it to professional cleaning services, it is useful to have a checklist to keep your cleaning on track.
Laura Knox, owner of The Best Cleaning Lady on Indianapolis’ Southside, says making a checklist for each room will keep dirt from swirling around you like Peanuts’ Pig-Pen. By doing so, she says every nook and cranny gets cleaned eventually.
To make the checklist, divide the chores that need to be done by room, then divide each task by frequency.
Daily chores
Create a daily checklist that includes all the tasks that need to be done around your home each day.
If you use a housekeeping service, display the list prominently and put your house cleaner's name next to the chores you want him or her to complete.
For example, you can be responsible for putting your laundry in the hamper or away and for loading and running the dishwasher. Your housecleaner can be responsible for cleaning the floors and dusting surfaces.
Other daily tasks to include are wiping down the shower and sink in the bathrooms, making the beds and straightening objects on your nightstand, couch and dresser.
Weekly chores
Some houehold jobs can be done weekly.
You can reserve window cleaning and deep floor cleaning, such as mopping the bathroom and kitchen floors and vacuuming the carpet, for weekly tasks.
If a lot of people or pets live in your house or you have young children, you may want to vacuum and wash the floors more frequently.
It's also a good idea to vacuum the upholstery on your living room furniture weekly.
Every week, launder the bath towels, bed linens and bath mats.
Knox says her clients also want weekly help with other often overlooked tasks, such as wiping down the top of the fridge, windows and door frames; dusting curtains, blinds and vents; and lifting and cleaning under large area rugs.
Monthly and special occasion chores
Your cleaning checklist should include a few chores that you only need to do once a month or even less often. The person who cleans your home can assist you with these tasks, depending on his or her schedule and the inclination for the chores.
Monthly chores include deep cleaning your refrigerator and freezer. Remove and discard any spoiled food and wipe down the shelves inside the refrigerator. You should also wipe down the exterior.
Each month you should also wash any comforters or mattress pads and any window or shower curtains. Unpleasant tasks, such as scrubbing the grout between bathroom tiles and cleaning the baseboards, should be done each month.
Seasonal chores
Some tasks only need to be done seasonally, such as spring cleaning chores.
For example, you should clean your oven four times a year and turn the mattresses in the bedrooms semi-annually or seasonally. If you have a fireplace, it should be cleaned every few months.
Each season, check on the contents of your pantry. Discard any cans that are expired and any open packages of food that you have eaten in a few months or that you never plan on using. Wipe down the shelves of your pantry and organize the remaining food by type and date.
Editor's note: This is an updated version of an article that was originally posted on Jan. 12, 2012.
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