A New Move and a Fresh Start
Back in June, our little family moved to a new house and a new town. Ever since, we’ve been getting settled, working on house projects, and preparing for the upcoming church plant this Fall. (If you’re new here, my preacher husband is starting a church this Fall! As a new church planting couple, we’ve learned that there is a lot involved with church planting! Hopefully, I can share more about that sometime soon.)
Regardless, I think it’s safe to say that between my 6 month old baby, a move, and a church plant… we have been pretty busy. 😉
Ever since the move, it feels as if my homemaking routines (especially my cleaning schedule) have gone out the window! However, this fresh start in a new house, has given me the opportunity to re-think and make-over my routines as a wife, mama, and homemaker.
The Search for New Cleaning Routine
Before we moved, we thoroughly cleaned the new house with the help of our parents. Since then, with all the moving, organizing, and rearranging (not to mention some very dusty construction taking place) I’ve done very little maintenance cleaning.
Realizing it’s time for a new routine, I asked my Instagram followers for some tips and ideas in regards to cleaning routines. They shared some excellent recommendations and I’ve been tweaking their ideas to create some new routines in my own home.
In today’s post, I will be sharing three of the recommended cleaning routines and next week I hope to share my own homemaking routines and new cleaning schedule.
So, if you’re also in need of some structure in your daily homemaking… you’ve come to the right place!
Three Cleaning Routines for a Fresh and Tidy Home
The Fly Lady Method
The Fly Lady and her cleaning method have been popular for many years now. It’s hard not to read her website (or books) and get a very serious itch to get up and clean! Fly Lady talks a lot about cleaning and maintaining things on a regular basis… and she communicates her methods it in a very corny (but fun) way.
A few things you will learn right from the start…
- The importance of keeping your sink clean
- Get dressed every day (including putting on a GOOD pair of shoes!)
- How to make and follow morning and evening routines
- How to give your house a “home blessing”
The Fly Lady approach is great for those who are new to keeping their home clean. If you feel like you are drowning in a dirty house, please look into this method further!
Here are some helpful links on the Fly Lady website:
If you want to know more about the Fly Lady Method, I would highly recommend scouring her website or reading her book, Sink Reflections.
The 5×5 Method (by @athomeontheprairie)
This is a new-to-me cleaning routine that an instagram follower shared with me. This routine was created by Elizabeth from @athomeontheprairie. At first glance it may sound a little bit complicated, but once you understand the basics, it’s quite simple – and very helpful for long-term maintenance.
Here’s how it works… there are five different categories:
- Deep Cleaning
- Sorting
- Food Prep
- Projects
- Laundry
Each day, you choose five different tasks that fall under each of the five categories listed above.
Here’s an example:
- Deep Cleaning- Wash windows
- Sorting – Organize clothing that baby outgrew
- Food Prep – Bake cookies for weekend get-together
- Projects – Patch work jeans for hubby
- Laundry – Fold and put away
Every day (for five days out of the week) you choose five tasks to complete that fall under those five categories. This way, you get a little bit of deep cleaning, sorting/organizing, food prep, projects, and laundry completed each and every day!
Another way to implement this routine… write down tasks that need to be done on 3×5 cards and divide them into the appropriate categories. Each day, choose one card from each category and complete them by the end of the day (preferably, before five o’clock). 😉
For more about this cleaning method (and to see more examples in action) be sure to follow Elizabeth on Instagram!
The Simply Clean Method
This is actually a favorite method of mine! I read the Simply Clean book a couple years ago and I love Becky Rapinchuk’s simplified cleaning routine! In short, you complete a different task each day of the week with Sunday as a day off. Here’s the basic set up of the routine…
Monday: Bathrooms
Tuesday: Dusting
Wednesday: Sweeping
Thursday: Wash Floors
Friday: Catch All Day
Saturday: Wash Towels and Sheets
Sunday: Just the Daily Tasks
(Everyday: Do one load of laundry from start to finish)
I personally love this simplified approach to a cleaning routine and have patterned some of my homemaking and cleaning routines after the Simply Clean Method. I would definitely recommend the Simpy Clean book, as it’s actually an enjoyable cleaning book!
Be sure to check out the Clean Mama Instagram page and website as there’s a lot of helpful tips and resources in both places as well.
What if none of these routines are a good fit?
There are lots of cleaning routines out there! If none of these cleaning routines sound appealing to you – or you’re looking for an entirely different approach to cleaning, don’t give up! Search Pinterest for some simple cleaning schedules/routines that you can tweak OR start from scratch and create a personal plan that will work for your family! Remember, a cleaning routine works best when it works for YOU and YOUR FAMILY. If something isn’t working well, don’t be afraid to change it!
Final Thoughts
I hope these three cleaning routines give you some inspiration to find something that works well for you, your home, and your family. I personally love being able to bless my family with a fresh and tidy home and… it blesses ME too!
Do you have a cleaning routine that YOU love? Please share with us below!
Next week, I will be sharing my updates cleaning routine/methods.
Until Then,
I used to do the Fly Lady method and I loved it. It’s really easy to get youngsters to help you out on this method. The Simple Clean method sounds familiar too, but I’m not sure if I’ve actually used it or not. When I was little, I used to want to live like Laura Ingalls and follow Ma’s weekly routine:
Wash on Monday
Iron on Tuesday
Mend on Wednesday
Churn on Thursday
Clean on Friday
Bake on Saturday
Rest on Sunday
I don’t have much of a routine except for mending on Monday and cooking on Friday. And laundry is an afternoon thing for me. I’ve been traveling recently, though, so my routine has been thrown off a bit. 😛
Glad to hear that you loved the Fly Lady method! I find her books and resources incredibly motivating!
Okay, totally gonna look into these more in depth!!
Yay! 😊
I’ve done the Fly Lady system before, and right now I am trying a modified version of the Simply Clean method (I bought her planner this year and like it quite a bit). It seems that different systems work for different stages of life; I’m really interested to look into Elizabeth’s method. Thanks for the helpful reviews!