There’s nothing like a clean and tidy home. Not only is it calming and enjoyable, but it’s also a boon to productivity and a way to prevent stress. When you know where items are, you don’t have to waste time looking for them. When the living spaces of your home are clean, they’re more practical for everyday use. With that in mind, staying on top of proper home cleaning is more than a good idea — it’s a necessity for a well-functioning home.

While, obviously, daily and weekly chores are a significant part of achieving this goal, did you know they’re not all that the average home needs? The truth is, in order to keep your living spaces fresh and clean, there are also monthly, quarterly and yearly projects to tackle. Swapping summer bedding for warmer sheets in the fall or cleaning and storing outdoor furniture for the winter are two examples of less frequent, but otherwise good-to-remember tasks.

How can you stay on top of all that is involved with regular home upkeep? To help you manage all the chores that go into keeping a home spick and span, here’s a look at chores, organized by frequency. Think of it as a handy checklist for cleaning your abode.

Daily Cleaning Tasks

If you’re not already in the habit of cleaning each day, it may seem like a burden. However, by staying on top of everyday spills and clutter, you avoid the trouble of cumulated messes. This makes you more efficient in keeping the house clean.

Here are a few examples of cleaning tasks to tackle each day:

  • Make the beds
  • Wipe up spills as they occur
  • Clean messes immediately
  • Wipe kitchen and bathroom counters
  • Sort mail
  • Sweep the kitchen floor

Weekly Cleaning Tasks

Some cleaning tasks are significant enough to conduct regularly, but not pressing enough to do each day. The following are great examples of cleaning chores to practice on a weekly, rather than daily, basis:

  • Empty all trash cans
  • Vacuum all floors
  • Launder towels, sheets, wash cloths
  • Clean bathrooms
  • Dust lights and furniture
  • Wipe mirrors

Monthly Cleaning Tasks

Sometime each month, it is a good idea to give a more thorough cleaning to the parts of your home that are easy to forget day to day. The bookcases in the library that need dusting or the refrigerator shelves that could use a wipe-down are good examples.

Here are a few practical projects to take on every month:

  • Clean refrigerator and freezer
  • Dust all shelves and baseboards throughout the house
  • Wipe down solid surfaces on furniture, window sills, etc.
  • Clean closets (or every few months)
  • Clean inside of windows
  • Wipe light bulbs

Annual Cleaning Tasks

At least once a year, it is also smart to deep-clean your home or parts of your home, to make sure they’re more thoroughly scrubbed and refreshed on a regular basis.

Here are examples of annual cleaning tasks to remember:

  • Inspect and thoroughly clean the basement
  • Check sediment and clean showerheads
  • Clean the gutters
  • Clean and organize the garage
  • Get the chimney cleaned
  • Deep-clean refrigerator and freezer
  • Wash mattress covers and blankets
  • Flip mattresses
  • Clean outside of windows
  • Declutter, especially closets

Generally speaking, when it comes to annual cleaning projects, approach them by season. There are certain times of year when it makes more sense to clean the gutters or get the chimney cleaned, for example. To learn more about maintaining a spotless and well-organized home, take a look at the attached guide. In it, you’ll find chores listed into a helpful, visually friendly to-do list, organized by season.

Content Provided By Maggy Maid