Cleaning is one of those tasks that is never done for good. It is going to need to be redone at certain intervals depending on what the cleaning tasks are. I’ve separated this article into two sections. The first section is about things that need to be cleaned every week. The second section is about things that don’t need to be cleaned every week. Spring is a good time to re-evaluate your cleaning chores. It’s also an excellent time to do a deep clean of the entire house. But first, let’s look at what you should clean and how often.
Things That Need To Be Cleaned Every Week
Laundry
To prevent having piles of dirty laundry to wash all at once, it is best to do laundry every week. That way you can also ensure that you and your family are wearing clean clothes. You may want to line up some laundry baskets so that the clothes are organized and ready to wash.
Carpet and Rugs
Even if you can’t see the dirt on the floor, it is probably there. Because of that, you should be using an upright vacuum cleaner your floor every week. When you do that, there is less of a chance that you will be breathing in dust. If you have any rugs in the house, make sure to shake them outside weekly. This is especially important in high-traffic areas.
Your Kitchen
Since the kitchen is where you cook the food that you eat, you will want to make sure that your kitchen stays clean. Below is a kitchen cleaning checklist for you to use weekly.
- Appliances- Take time each week to wipe down your refrigerator, microwave, oven, and any other appliances that you may have.
- The floor- Where you will be cooking, crumbs will fall. That is why you should weekly sweep your floor. If your floor seems really dirty, you may want to wash it with a mop.
- The sink- Wet, warm places can easily breed mildew and scum, but you can prevent that from happening by washing your sink weekly. If you have any dishes that you left in the sink, take the time to wash them and put them away.
- Take out the trash- Take out the trash once a week, and clean the trash can outside.
- Countertops- Wipe down your countertops weekly to prevent crumbs from building up. Also, wash your countertop with a cleaner to wash away any dirt.
The Bathroom
Weekly you should wash your bathroom mirrors, toilet, counters, bathtub, and shower. The bathtub/shower can be a place that breeds mildew and scum, so make sure to wash those areas really well.
When you do your weekly laundry, throw your bathroom towels in the washing machine as well. Since you probably use the towels right after taking a shower or washing your hands, you will want to be drying yourself with clean towels.
Furniture
Furniture can easily gather dust, so take time to wash them. Not only does dust look bad, but it has been known to leave fine scratches on the finish if something rubs against it. It is also bad for your health, so wash them weekly to prevent you from breathing it in.
Sheets
You spend a lot of time sleeping on your bed, so it is important to keep your bed sheets clean. Throughout the night you will leave sweat, oils, and dead skin cells on your sheets. They will stay on the sheets until you wash them, so try to wash your sheets at least once a week.
Washing Machines
Even though washing machines are supposed to do the washing, sometimes they even need to be on your cleaning list. To prevent mold and bacteria from breeding, you should wash your washing machine once a week. To wash, run a small load with whites, hot water, and bleach. Don’t forget to wash the outside of the washing machine, since this area can also collect dirt.
Things You Don’t Need to Clean Weekly or Less Often
Clothes that you wore once
If you wore your clothes only once, there isn’t a need to wash them right away. Unless you were sweating a lot, you can wait to wash your clothes until they have been worn around three times. Over-washing and over-drying can make fabrics fade.
Curtains
Believe it or not, curtains need to be washed only once a year. So unless your curtains get really dusty and dirty, this is one thing to check off your cleaning list. If you notice marks on the curtains, you can spot clean them.
Fireplace
If you burn wood or coal, you won’t need to clean your chimney every week. However, it is a good idea to clean it every couple of months to get out any soot that may have built up. How often you clean your chimney is going to have a lot to do with how often you use your fireplace. The National Fire Protection Association states, “Chimneys, fireplaces, and vents shall be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits, and correct clearances. Cleaning, maintenance, and repairs shall be done if necessary.”
Light Fixtures
Although you may want to clean your ceiling lights weekly, you only have to do this once a month. Make sure to clean it once a month, to prevent dust from piling up.
Final Thoughts
Cleaning is a chore that works best when you get into a routine. Some people like to do laundry on a certain day of the week, and clean the bathroom on another day. Some cleaning chores will need to be done every week such as laundry, carpets, and rugs, the kitchen, bathroom, furniture, sheets, and cleaning the washing machine. Other cleaning chores need to be done only once a month or less such as clothing worn once, curtains, chimneys, and light fixtures. The most important thing is going to be to get into a routine so that you do these cleaning routines when they need to be done. It may help to make a schedule and put it on your calendar or put a reminder in your cell phone.
I know that cleaning can be a pain, but it is a necessary evil to keep our homes at our best and even to protect our health. I hope that this article can help you to clean what is truly important each week, and be comfortable letting some regular cleaning routines slide that don’t need to be completed as often. Good luck and happy cleaning!
