Back in September I shared the typical day of Susan. It had a terrific response and also some further questions from readers around Susan’s cleaning schedule which involves the family.
Susan kindly agreed to write it up and is allowing me share it. To say that I find her routine impressive is an understatement! It is a great example of doing little things often to keep up with the work load.
Cleaning is part of any household and at times it seems to be a continuous merry go round and pointless as the mess comes back.
My Grandmother use to say “If your kitchen is tidy and your lounge room looks tidy, it is assumed that you are an efficient house keeper.” Another saying of hers “Set the table in the afternoon and your family will assume dinner is on the way”. My Grandmother was an astute lady.
Based on these words of wisdom, I have developed a quick routine that is easy on time and keeps one home looking tidy without the effort. I also on occasion put ankle and hand weights on as part of my exercise routine.
This is my daily routine and my children all play a part as it is now ingrained into the family’s DNA.
Morning routine
Bathroom
Each shower has a squeegee, dishwand and chux.
- Toilets – Denture tablet in the
cistern and use vinegar spray to wipe over toilet seat
- After you have been to the toilet, you spray and wipe the seat for the next person.
- Sinks – Wipe and dry, the bugs live in damp places so keeping your surfaces dry is your barrier to bugs.
- Mirrors – Wipe over with wet cloth and squeegee
Kitchen – After every meal
- Kitchen table is cleared and wiped over
- Chairs are pulled out from under the table and area is swept
- Dishes are washed manually and placed in a dish rack over the sink for drainage. I boil the jug and pour boiling water over the dishes which sterilises and leave dishes to air dry
- All services are wiped and dried off
- The Kitchen area is swept
- Dishes put away
Bedrooms
- Children make their own bed and have a washing hamper in their wardrobes
- Children dress before coming out to the kitchen
- Children strip their bed once a week and tidy up their room and wipe and dry surfaces
Family areas – 10 minutes
- Quick scout around to ensure the room looks tidy I don’t do any cleaning
My entire morning routine would take 30 minutes and I am out of the door with my youngest child at 8.30am.
Afternoon routine
Dinner Prep
Washing
- Bring in and hang out washing and fold at the line. (All family members)
- Place washing in child’s bedroom
- Children are responsible for sorting out their washing and placing in correct basket in the laundry
- Whites
- Blacks
- Uniforms
- Towels
- Sheets
- Socks
Evening Routine
- Children are responsible for their school bags and uniform organisation
- Children are responsible for pets
Bathrooms
- Showers – Children squeegee glass and tiles so shower is dry
- Heated towel racks keep towels and bathrooms dry
- Heat lamps are left on for 5 minutes to ensure the bathroom is dry so mould does not develop
- Floor is dry mopped after showers
Kitchen
Same as morning routine.
Family areas are tidy up prior to bedtime (10 minutes top)
- Dust or wipe down surfaces keeps the bugs at bay
- All bins are emptied and rubbish is taken out to the big bin
- I have no rubbish in my house
overnight and my kitchen scraps are frozen
- We work hard to eliminate rubbish and food scraps so we don’t attract bugs.
Once a week
- Bathroom is cleaned
- Not a big job as it keep cleaned during the week
- House is vacuum and mopped (We wear slippers or socks inside the house as I don’t see the sense of dragging mud into the house. This simple routine keeps the floors and carpets clean.)
- Use the vacuum to do tracks and skirting boards
- Use the vacuum to dust light fittings and vents
- I use a sponge mop for tiles and Enjo mop for my floating floors
- Children are responsible for their own room and expected to help with the rest of the house
- We would spend no more than 2 hours in the weekend on cleaning and outside jobs
Thanks so very much to Susan for sharing her cleaning routine. It is great to see what others to do, not so we feel like we have to copy exactly what they do, but to pick out the tips and tricks that we know will work for our family. I am going to work on getting the kids to do more in the bathroom on a daily basis – this is a fabulous idea!
If you would like to contribute to the series of “typical days” feel free to email your typical day to me at nicole@planningwithkids.com – I would love to read it and be able to publish it on the blog.
You can read about my typical day here. You can read more posts in the series here.