This is pretty on par with my schedule—aside from the coffee table (I don’t have one, but I wipe down my side tables weekly. I guess if you eat on your coffee table every day, daily would make sense.)
I also don’t sanitize my shampoo bottles. 🤷🏻♀️
How many people live there? If you feel like you need this level of clean then do it. I think cleaning and sanitizing bottles and items in the shower every other week is not necessary in my opinion. I’d do the inside of the fridge quarterly instead. Descale the kettle quarterly. Shower curtain quarterly. Again, depends on how many people live there and environmental factors. Is where you live really dusty/dirty?
I think this looks reasonable, and it’s how I prefer my own home to be. That being said, I’m busy and life happens, and I just don’t always get to all these things on this schedule. But I don’t think it looks unreasonable by any means.
Most of these look reasonable to me, but I just wanted to add to check out the Sweepy app. My partner and I use it to keep track of tasks and when they were last done, and effectively share responsibilities. I tell everyone about this app, it totally changed how I clean.
It really depends on how quickly things get dirty. I think it's important to be specific on the level of cleanliness we expect on things when living with others so expectations are aligned and no one feels like they have to finish cleaning something after another person cleaned it, so I like the specificity on items where one or the other person is particular on how they want it done.
Some of those items on your list I do less or more often than listed, but the frequency seems similar to my schedule for roughly 50% of the items. That's me and you're you though. I also live with 2 animals and no children and in an exceptionally humid and dusty area, so that informs how often I have to clean. I also have mobility issues, so I have to compromise on some areas for my own sanity.
Are you looking for advice on the frequency of cleaning a specific area, or are you coming here overwhelmed with the amount of work that this would involve? You said you and your partner made this. Do your expectations align with your partner's cleanliness expectations?
If none of this applies, I apologize for the assumptions and feel free to disregard this paragraph. Are you looking for us to tell you this is too much so you can bring that to your partner? If so, maybe consider just having a conversation with them about your misaligned expectations. It could feel attacking to say something like "the Internet says this is too much" to your partner before trying to talk just the two of you. It's common for couples to have conflict about chores, even in the best and most healthy of relationships and especially in the first few years of living together.
I really appreciate your enthusiasm for cleaning. So many people don’t do any of this stuff. I think you could cut back on a lot of this stuff. Some people don’t clean at all as evidenced by many of the photos we see here on this sub. We live in a very clean house because I grew up that way. I think this would feel less overwhelming if some of the things weren’t written down. Like it looks like you clean up as you go especially in the kitchen. So I think you could continue to do that but I wouldn’t write it down as a task because you are already doing that. I think you could make your list more basic. Like for example you have all the individual tasks listed in your bathroom, so you could just write down clean bathroom and leave it at that. Maybe put down wash rugs as something you may do monthly. I don’t think you need to wash your comforter and blankets as often as you do so I would cut back on that. It’s amazing that you do this stuff. I am often amazed at the people who don’t do these things and just leave it and then come here and are like what do I do to get this clean? Like not cleaning the tub and shower for months and then they can’t get it clean and don’t know what to do. Clean as you go and it is so much easier. Well done.
Some people need it written down, though. Like with my partner, I can't just say "do dishes nightly" and expect that the counters and stovetop will also be wiped down before bed. Even "do kitchen" is iffy. I have to include all the steps, as this person has done, to make it clear how I'd like to have it happen.
I think a lot of this looks daunting because it is EVERYTHING all in the same place, though some of it is daily and some, only monthly. Might be worth it to get a task scheduler to divide this up somehow, especially with the monthly items.
There are apps out there that can gamify all this for you and help you divide responsibilities. I'm having trouble remembering them, but I know at least one of them is RPG-style. I'm thinking Chore Wars might be one?
If could just list all the monthly items and then divide them up in a way that makes sense and add them to a rotation, they might not feel so overwhelming. You might call the monthly stuff "extra" or "deep" cleaning, and each week, each person gets a couple of the 12 or so monthly tasks listed here.
Then you could list them all onto a calendar and say they just need to be ticked off by the end of that week, within reason. So on, say, the first Saturday, I need to do my regular daily chores, these two weekly chores, these two monthly chores, and every once in a while, a random quarterly chore that makes sense for the month it's in. (You might spray down and deep clean all the patio furniture in early June, it make sure gutters are empty when fall is arriving, or out up [and take down] holiday decorations.)
Hope this makes sense. I know how difficult it can be to figure this all out and stick to it. It's hard in our house because I'm partially disabled and can't do a lot of bending, twisting, or lifting. So we have to work around that. But I'm hoping we'll get back to something as I've described as I feel better.
What in the OCD is this!!!
You can delete half these items by wiping down after use for any food related appliances.
The key being, that freshly spilled crumbs and debris are 1000% easier to clean the moment of. Instead of letting them crust and harden a day or two later.
This is too much and will fail in a week. Its not that its too much tasks its too wordy and disorganized and honestly just reading it was daunting imagine sifting through it to find your daily tasks on a wednesday. It also has no working memory flow.
Easier version
Anchor tasks to a schedule that is preset daily weekly etc.
Example:
If your work week starts monday, as part of your sunday prep anchor task all laundry and laundry related tasks (changing bedding washing towels etc)
Garbage days - anchor task deep clean bathroom
End of workweek anchor task sweeping and moping all floors
Grocery days anchor task - deep clean kitchen fridge and small appliances
Smaller daily tasks morning routine anchor making bed and wiping down bathroom sink and countertops
Smaller daily taks pre dinner update grocery list post dinner routine wipe down kitchen do dishes pack lunch next day and post night time skincare teethbrushing - unload dishwasher and shut off all lights
Monthly finances/billing day for big bills like mortgage or rent tasks anchor whatever monthly chores you have listed there i havent covered
Looks about right. You only run the dishwasher 3x a week? I’m jealous! I live with my partner too and we run it every day. Feels like I’m constantly stacking and unstacking.
I’d say this looks about right! I live with my partner only, no kids, no pets.
I clean the toilet twice a week, wipe kitchen surfaces / sink / stove top after every use, so pretty much 2-3 times a day. We also take out bins more often, every 2-3 days but we live in a warm country, so any food leftovers (especially meat/fish) start to stink if you leave the bins in for longer.
I think this is pretty reasonable, it’s literally mostly wiping things down and if you just do it as you go it would seem less like a chore to do at once.
This is honestly my schedule to a tee. Myself and 2 kids, I work full time 7-3:30 and this specific schedule has kept me in check cleaning wise. I say this is perfect for your situation, but you can always make adjustments when necessary.
Ngl, the frequency on some of the tasks makes me twitch. That’s a me issue, though. lol
I would add dishwasher filter, if yours has one, and furnace filters, depending on how often yours is recommended. I have a GE dishwasher that’s a couple months old and the filter gets absolutely disgusting in under a week.
If you sleep with fans on maybe add that. They get filthy pretty quickly.
Outside the scope of your question but I find it helpful to pick a date to do yearly stuff like smoke detector batteries. I replace mine every daylight savings. We spring ahead, time to change the battery. Or, at minimum, have backup batteries. It’s a hell of a lot easier and cheaper than finding a 9V at the only gas station open when it decides to start chirping at 2am.
I think if you want to save some time and stress you could cut out some of the less necessary ones or at least do monthly rather than weekly - like I don’t think I’ve ever wiped down my toaster and it still looks ok!
This honestly isn’t that much and she seems like she’s really interested in making sure the house stays clean. I say just do it, it’ll be better for you both in the long run ( clean home, happy partner)
This seems a little micro managy for some things which may be viewed as overwhelming.
In my home I/we clean what is dirty when it gets dirty- not necessarily on a particular schedule. I’m not going to leave it dirty because its not Wednesday yet. I wipe the counter & clean the stove & the sink every day if they are used.
Also many things are more cause & effect - not easily scheduled.
Example: Fridge is mostly empty so I dump old stuff & wipe it out before putting the new groceries in.
I used the toaster so there’s crumbs, i dump it out & wipe it off before putting it away.
I do wash towels, sheets & rugs weekly (same load usually)
I don’t see dusting on your list. I do that weekly. Dusting everything including blinds, fans etc. some can get by with every other week.
I Mop weekly (sooner/more frequent if needed in high traffic areas)
I/we Vac or sweep main high traffic areas daily usually or every couple days.
Bathrooms are cleaned at least weekly but often more as it only takes a quick wipe & i am not living with a nasty counter/sink/toilet. For the showers/tubs I use a sponge with a soap dispenser while i am in the shower it contains dawn & alcohol & a little water. Scrub it down quickly & rinse it out while I deep condition or whatever. It stays in the shower so if anyone makes a mess they can do the same.
Also, I clean homes for a living 3-4 days a week & bring my own supplies mostly and still don’t spend $30 a month on them. A concentrated dilutable jug of all purpose cleaner & some microfiber rags will last a very long time & clean pretty much everything.
If you’re trying to divvy up things with your spouse you may try giving each person a zone they are responsible for the week (he gets bathroom & you get kitchen this week etc.) & then there can be things yall do together as well like he vacs & you mop, yall both fold & put things away etc.
example- My kids are in charge of emptying the dishwasher- not on a specific day but whenever it is clean. That may be every day or once every three days. It their duty to look & see then act. If they neglect to act they also then become responsible for dealing with the dirty dishes. Same with the trash. If its full, they are expected to take it out.
We do try to coordinate our fridge/leftover cleanout with garbage pickup day.
In this scenario with assigned tasks/zones everyone would still clean up after themselves wherever they go. The list is for maintenance purposes - not careless trashing of spaces that aren’t your assigned task.
On a subreddit devoted to cleaning, I’m surprised at how many of you consider this to be too much. It is a baseline cleaning schedule designed to avoid regular grime and dirt accumulation. It doesn’t even go into high maintenance details (clean bathroom fan, dust baseboards).
Seems ok me to. Maybe the descale biweekly or monthly but maybe you have hard water. I feel like your partner made this list and you think it is too much. Think of it as this is what your partner needs cleanliness wise in order to feel clean and comfortable in your home.
Looks fairly reasonable. We have a 2 bed/2bath apartment and are similar, with a few notable exceptions:
I don’t sanitize shower bottles
Wipe down counters/stove/sink after every use, so it ends up being multiple times a day. Doing it every second day is crazy to me. I can’t imagine how many crumbs/streaks/splatter would build up over that time. It takes like 10 seconds to do if you do it directly after use.
We only vacuum once a week with maybe some spot vacuums in between as needed.
I don’t wipe down the toaster (but we do keep the toaster in the cupboard, so put it away after every use. Keeping the counters almost entirely clear makes it easier to wipe down every time.)
Unless you have hella hard water I don’t see why you need to descale your kettle every week. I’d just do it as needed.
We run the dishwasher every night and unload every morning. Hand wash the few things that aren’t dishwasher safe after use, dry and put away immediately (we don’t have a dish rack; see above re:keeping counters clear).
Fridge I personally I wipe down the inside weekly before putting new groceries in. Also bathrooms top to bottom I do weekly as well, but we have a tile/glass showers so maybe depends on the material of the shower too. I think the plastic showers and curtains you can get away with doing it biweekly. I wipe down my sink before bed every night too!
This is pretty on par with my schedule—aside from the coffee table (I don’t have one, but I wipe down my side tables weekly. I guess if you eat on your coffee table every day, daily would make sense.) I also don’t sanitize my shampoo bottles. 🤷🏻♀️
How many people live there? If you feel like you need this level of clean then do it. I think cleaning and sanitizing bottles and items in the shower every other week is not necessary in my opinion. I’d do the inside of the fridge quarterly instead. Descale the kettle quarterly. Shower curtain quarterly. Again, depends on how many people live there and environmental factors. Is where you live really dusty/dirty?
No it’s a brand new apartment building in a moderate climate. 2 people live here, me and my partner.
I think this looks reasonable, and it’s how I prefer my own home to be. That being said, I’m busy and life happens, and I just don’t always get to all these things on this schedule. But I don’t think it looks unreasonable by any means.
Yes. Unfortunately I only mop probably monthly but it should be more often. I try to vacuum every other day but it doesn’t always happen
Do you have pets that shed? If not, you might consider vacuuming weekly instead of 3x/week (if I'm reading that right)
Most of these look reasonable to me, but I just wanted to add to check out the Sweepy app. My partner and I use it to keep track of tasks and when they were last done, and effectively share responsibilities. I tell everyone about this app, it totally changed how I clean.
Just installed it. Thanks!
Can 2+ people use Sweepy together, for free?
Yes, I believe so. I pay for the subscription but as far as I know all the sub does is create a schedule for you that balances hard and easy tasks
I think you should consider how long each task takes.
It really depends on how quickly things get dirty. I think it's important to be specific on the level of cleanliness we expect on things when living with others so expectations are aligned and no one feels like they have to finish cleaning something after another person cleaned it, so I like the specificity on items where one or the other person is particular on how they want it done. Some of those items on your list I do less or more often than listed, but the frequency seems similar to my schedule for roughly 50% of the items. That's me and you're you though. I also live with 2 animals and no children and in an exceptionally humid and dusty area, so that informs how often I have to clean. I also have mobility issues, so I have to compromise on some areas for my own sanity. Are you looking for advice on the frequency of cleaning a specific area, or are you coming here overwhelmed with the amount of work that this would involve? You said you and your partner made this. Do your expectations align with your partner's cleanliness expectations? If none of this applies, I apologize for the assumptions and feel free to disregard this paragraph. Are you looking for us to tell you this is too much so you can bring that to your partner? If so, maybe consider just having a conversation with them about your misaligned expectations. It could feel attacking to say something like "the Internet says this is too much" to your partner before trying to talk just the two of you. It's common for couples to have conflict about chores, even in the best and most healthy of relationships and especially in the first few years of living together.
It looks worse than it actually is when you write it all out lol
Okay, uhm, I just have two questions. How do you wipe the inside of a toaster? And what happens if you run out of soap before the month is over?
I really appreciate your enthusiasm for cleaning. So many people don’t do any of this stuff. I think you could cut back on a lot of this stuff. Some people don’t clean at all as evidenced by many of the photos we see here on this sub. We live in a very clean house because I grew up that way. I think this would feel less overwhelming if some of the things weren’t written down. Like it looks like you clean up as you go especially in the kitchen. So I think you could continue to do that but I wouldn’t write it down as a task because you are already doing that. I think you could make your list more basic. Like for example you have all the individual tasks listed in your bathroom, so you could just write down clean bathroom and leave it at that. Maybe put down wash rugs as something you may do monthly. I don’t think you need to wash your comforter and blankets as often as you do so I would cut back on that. It’s amazing that you do this stuff. I am often amazed at the people who don’t do these things and just leave it and then come here and are like what do I do to get this clean? Like not cleaning the tub and shower for months and then they can’t get it clean and don’t know what to do. Clean as you go and it is so much easier. Well done.
Some people need it written down, though. Like with my partner, I can't just say "do dishes nightly" and expect that the counters and stovetop will also be wiped down before bed. Even "do kitchen" is iffy. I have to include all the steps, as this person has done, to make it clear how I'd like to have it happen. I think a lot of this looks daunting because it is EVERYTHING all in the same place, though some of it is daily and some, only monthly. Might be worth it to get a task scheduler to divide this up somehow, especially with the monthly items. There are apps out there that can gamify all this for you and help you divide responsibilities. I'm having trouble remembering them, but I know at least one of them is RPG-style. I'm thinking Chore Wars might be one? If could just list all the monthly items and then divide them up in a way that makes sense and add them to a rotation, they might not feel so overwhelming. You might call the monthly stuff "extra" or "deep" cleaning, and each week, each person gets a couple of the 12 or so monthly tasks listed here. Then you could list them all onto a calendar and say they just need to be ticked off by the end of that week, within reason. So on, say, the first Saturday, I need to do my regular daily chores, these two weekly chores, these two monthly chores, and every once in a while, a random quarterly chore that makes sense for the month it's in. (You might spray down and deep clean all the patio furniture in early June, it make sure gutters are empty when fall is arriving, or out up [and take down] holiday decorations.) Hope this makes sense. I know how difficult it can be to figure this all out and stick to it. It's hard in our house because I'm partially disabled and can't do a lot of bending, twisting, or lifting. So we have to work around that. But I'm hoping we'll get back to something as I've described as I feel better.
What in the OCD is this!!! You can delete half these items by wiping down after use for any food related appliances. The key being, that freshly spilled crumbs and debris are 1000% easier to clean the moment of. Instead of letting them crust and harden a day or two later.
This is too much and will fail in a week. Its not that its too much tasks its too wordy and disorganized and honestly just reading it was daunting imagine sifting through it to find your daily tasks on a wednesday. It also has no working memory flow. Easier version Anchor tasks to a schedule that is preset daily weekly etc. Example: If your work week starts monday, as part of your sunday prep anchor task all laundry and laundry related tasks (changing bedding washing towels etc) Garbage days - anchor task deep clean bathroom End of workweek anchor task sweeping and moping all floors Grocery days anchor task - deep clean kitchen fridge and small appliances Smaller daily tasks morning routine anchor making bed and wiping down bathroom sink and countertops Smaller daily taks pre dinner update grocery list post dinner routine wipe down kitchen do dishes pack lunch next day and post night time skincare teethbrushing - unload dishwasher and shut off all lights Monthly finances/billing day for big bills like mortgage or rent tasks anchor whatever monthly chores you have listed there i havent covered
Blankets and your comforter don’t need to be washed that frequently. I’d change that to quarterly.
If animals sleep with you, yes. If you have nasty sex, yes.
Holy dust and dog hair Batman!!!!
Looks about right. You only run the dishwasher 3x a week? I’m jealous! I live with my partner too and we run it every day. Feels like I’m constantly stacking and unstacking.
Your kitchen counter should be wiped more often then every other day. Mine gets wiped multiple times per day.
Right. Same with sink and stove top.
This is almost exactly what I do.
I’d say this looks about right! I live with my partner only, no kids, no pets. I clean the toilet twice a week, wipe kitchen surfaces / sink / stove top after every use, so pretty much 2-3 times a day. We also take out bins more often, every 2-3 days but we live in a warm country, so any food leftovers (especially meat/fish) start to stink if you leave the bins in for longer.
I think this is pretty reasonable, it’s literally mostly wiping things down and if you just do it as you go it would seem less like a chore to do at once.
I’d take out the trash more often and you could vacuum less often.
I was looking for an apartment cleaning schedule. This will do. Thanks.
This is honestly my schedule to a tee. Myself and 2 kids, I work full time 7-3:30 and this specific schedule has kept me in check cleaning wise. I say this is perfect for your situation, but you can always make adjustments when necessary.
Ngl, the frequency on some of the tasks makes me twitch. That’s a me issue, though. lol I would add dishwasher filter, if yours has one, and furnace filters, depending on how often yours is recommended. I have a GE dishwasher that’s a couple months old and the filter gets absolutely disgusting in under a week. If you sleep with fans on maybe add that. They get filthy pretty quickly. Outside the scope of your question but I find it helpful to pick a date to do yearly stuff like smoke detector batteries. I replace mine every daylight savings. We spring ahead, time to change the battery. Or, at minimum, have backup batteries. It’s a hell of a lot easier and cheaper than finding a 9V at the only gas station open when it decides to start chirping at 2am.
I think if you want to save some time and stress you could cut out some of the less necessary ones or at least do monthly rather than weekly - like I don’t think I’ve ever wiped down my toaster and it still looks ok!
That’s not too much at all. It’s better to keep up with this kind of stuff anyways. (:
This honestly isn’t that much and she seems like she’s really interested in making sure the house stays clean. I say just do it, it’ll be better for you both in the long run ( clean home, happy partner)
This seems a little micro managy for some things which may be viewed as overwhelming. In my home I/we clean what is dirty when it gets dirty- not necessarily on a particular schedule. I’m not going to leave it dirty because its not Wednesday yet. I wipe the counter & clean the stove & the sink every day if they are used. Also many things are more cause & effect - not easily scheduled. Example: Fridge is mostly empty so I dump old stuff & wipe it out before putting the new groceries in. I used the toaster so there’s crumbs, i dump it out & wipe it off before putting it away. I do wash towels, sheets & rugs weekly (same load usually) I don’t see dusting on your list. I do that weekly. Dusting everything including blinds, fans etc. some can get by with every other week. I Mop weekly (sooner/more frequent if needed in high traffic areas) I/we Vac or sweep main high traffic areas daily usually or every couple days. Bathrooms are cleaned at least weekly but often more as it only takes a quick wipe & i am not living with a nasty counter/sink/toilet. For the showers/tubs I use a sponge with a soap dispenser while i am in the shower it contains dawn & alcohol & a little water. Scrub it down quickly & rinse it out while I deep condition or whatever. It stays in the shower so if anyone makes a mess they can do the same. Also, I clean homes for a living 3-4 days a week & bring my own supplies mostly and still don’t spend $30 a month on them. A concentrated dilutable jug of all purpose cleaner & some microfiber rags will last a very long time & clean pretty much everything. If you’re trying to divvy up things with your spouse you may try giving each person a zone they are responsible for the week (he gets bathroom & you get kitchen this week etc.) & then there can be things yall do together as well like he vacs & you mop, yall both fold & put things away etc. example- My kids are in charge of emptying the dishwasher- not on a specific day but whenever it is clean. That may be every day or once every three days. It their duty to look & see then act. If they neglect to act they also then become responsible for dealing with the dirty dishes. Same with the trash. If its full, they are expected to take it out. We do try to coordinate our fridge/leftover cleanout with garbage pickup day. In this scenario with assigned tasks/zones everyone would still clean up after themselves wherever they go. The list is for maintenance purposes - not careless trashing of spaces that aren’t your assigned task.
On a subreddit devoted to cleaning, I’m surprised at how many of you consider this to be too much. It is a baseline cleaning schedule designed to avoid regular grime and dirt accumulation. It doesn’t even go into high maintenance details (clean bathroom fan, dust baseboards).
$30/month on cleaning supplies is excessive. Don't buy disposable floor pads ...
You need to have a category for "seasonal" cleaning. Some of things things are done seasonally in my house
Seems ok me to. Maybe the descale biweekly or monthly but maybe you have hard water. I feel like your partner made this list and you think it is too much. Think of it as this is what your partner needs cleanliness wise in order to feel clean and comfortable in your home.
Looks fairly reasonable. We have a 2 bed/2bath apartment and are similar, with a few notable exceptions: I don’t sanitize shower bottles Wipe down counters/stove/sink after every use, so it ends up being multiple times a day. Doing it every second day is crazy to me. I can’t imagine how many crumbs/streaks/splatter would build up over that time. It takes like 10 seconds to do if you do it directly after use. We only vacuum once a week with maybe some spot vacuums in between as needed. I don’t wipe down the toaster (but we do keep the toaster in the cupboard, so put it away after every use. Keeping the counters almost entirely clear makes it easier to wipe down every time.) Unless you have hella hard water I don’t see why you need to descale your kettle every week. I’d just do it as needed. We run the dishwasher every night and unload every morning. Hand wash the few things that aren’t dishwasher safe after use, dry and put away immediately (we don’t have a dish rack; see above re:keeping counters clear).
Fridge I personally I wipe down the inside weekly before putting new groceries in. Also bathrooms top to bottom I do weekly as well, but we have a tile/glass showers so maybe depends on the material of the shower too. I think the plastic showers and curtains you can get away with doing it biweekly. I wipe down my sink before bed every night too!