Homemaking: Cleaning Schedule

I thought I'd begin by getting right done to business and the heart of a a homemaker's daily job...cleaning.

Are you the sort of person who has a plan for cleaning every square inch of your home? Or do you wonder the last time your bathroom was properly cleaned?  Perhaps, like me, you are somewhere in between.

I wanted to share my chore schedule with you today as a way of encouraging you to keep up with the cleaning.  I has found my schedule to be a great motivator as my chores are only done once a week, so when the washing is all done, I don't need to worry about it until next week.  Surprisingly, it also acts as a permission giver to do something else.  When, say, my washing is done, I feel that I can sew or read or just sit and stare out the window without feeling guilty for not 'working'.

I have taken my order from the Amish books I read a while ago because it suited me and I love that their tradition and simpleness can live on in my family, even though I've embraced technology.

Monday: Washing Day (Involves the actual washing of the clothes, hanging up, drying, folding and putting away.  I usually have to iron 1 of my husband's shirts in preparation for Tuesday, but the rest will wait)

Tuesday: Ironing Day (Ironing...obviously! I have my husband's work shirts, sometimes a top or two for myself and sometimes my daughter's school uniform.  It's a rather easy day!)

Wednesday: Sewing/Mending Day (I love to sew, knit, crochet and potter in my little craft area but I have found some small, niggly sewing projects that seem to keep getting pushed aside in preference for a larger complete project.  On of my first sewing days that I actually kept just recently allowed me to finish some mending that had been moved from multiple crates every time I cleaned up for almost a year.  4 little projects was all it took and I felt a real sense of achievement)

Thursday: Shopping/Baking Day (I have been shopping fortnightly for almost a year. Before that was a year of monthly shopping  that was preceeded by 3 years of weekly shopping.  Pay day always seems to be on a Thursday so it makes sense to shop also on a Thursday.  On the non shopping days I want to get in the kitchen and bake.  Muffins for lunchboxes, bar cakes for the freezer for visitors and now, being 4 months pregnent, our newly purchased chest freezer should also be starting to be filled with meals for post-birth)

Friday: Cleaning Day (I try to get my bathroom and toilet cleaned, the floor vacuumed, the lounge room dusted and my kitchen dressers and benches cleared off.  I'm not fanatical about cleaning because I find it causes a lot of stress for me, so a once a week clean works well.

Saturday and Sunday are reserved for family time as my husband is home on the weekend.  We catch up with family and doing chores around family visits is rather difficult.

My mornings have become a great time to get my children involved in caring for a home.  We are usually ready to leave for school about 10-15 minutes early.  Simple things like making the beds has made a big difference to the feeling inside my home.  My daughter is also getting better at cleaning up her toys before bed and before leaving for school so our home is neat and tidy most of the day.

I hope you feel encouraged to bless your home and family by implementing a cleaning schedule that suits you.

Joining my first link parties at Homestead Barn Hop, Domestically Divine Tuesday