Why it's good to have a cleaning day

Cleaning sucks. 


We all know this. 


But despite us hating cleaning we still have to do it, because none of us want to live in a rubbish dump right? Over the last few months we have started having what we call a 'cleaning day', on this day - usually at a weekend - we will ALL tidy the house. We work together to get everything clean and tidy and it's usually finished in the morning. 





You do not get gold stars for cleaning your toilet. In actual life, there is a depressing lack of stickers.

Alexandra Petri





Getting into a routine with your cleaning is key to keeping on top of the chores. You don't want it to build up so that you have to spend a whole day cleaning and still only feel like you've managed to get one room sorted. I know this - I've done it - many times! 



Routine


I have regular chores I do on a daily basis, these include things like loading the dishwasher or washing the dishes, wiping counter tops in the kitchen, and putting a load of washing into the washing machine. I always split my chores into morning and afternoon chores too - it's just easier and more convenient to do that. 

My morning chores include wiping the counter tops and loading the dishwasher. At least if these things get done my kitchen looks somewhat tidy and I don't feel like I'm getting nothing done. I do my chores first thing, before taking LP to school, so that I can come home after the school run and get on with work (blogging). Whatever I don't get done before the school run is deferred to later in the day. 


A brown leather sofa in a lounge. There is a beige plush carpet and a colourful painting on the wall.
It's lovely walking into the lounge to this.



My afternoon/evening chores include 15 minutes of ironing and making dinner. I have others of course and I get them done between 4 and 5 pm (usually).

By the end of the day my kitchen looks tidy and my lounge is neat - depending on what the boys are doing. 



The cleaning day


Once per month I will have everyone in the house do chores, including putting new bedding on their beds, vacuuming their rooms, and making sure their bedrooms are tidy. Depending on the state of the house at the time I may ask them to do extra chores like cleaning the windows or clearing out their old toys. 

We always schedule our cleaning day for a weekend when we have nothing else on so we can concentrate on getting the house clean. 



What the boys think


Because we've been doing it for a while now the boys expect it and as long as they know ahead of time that it's going to be a cleaning day they don't protest as much as they might if I just sprung it on them. They don't like cleaning day (obvs!) but they do the cleaning and the house ends up nice and tidy which is great.

The boys have started to learn the routine too, they know when we're due a cleaning and ask about it. They have even started to keep their things tidy so they have less to do when it comes to cleaning day. It's a great way to teach your children about chores and what a difference it can make when they're actually done. 



How it helps me


My boys have daily chores, which has helped me have more time for myself. My own daily chores get done, which also means I have more time for me. Add a cleaning day into the mix and I find that I have lots of time for me, I can spend time reading or sketching and I get to enjoy a hot coffee in the morning before doing a school run. 

Yes, my boys are a little older now and can help out with the chores but it's been a long time coming and it's only since we introduced chores that they've learned. If we had introduced chores sooner I have no doubt it would've been much easier much sooner. 



Having a clean house


At the moment my house is fairly tidy all of the time. I don't want to jinx it but anyone could pop around to my house and I wouldn't be ashamed to let them in - even into my kitchen! This is not something that I would ordinarily say - my kitchen is often out of bounds (and we close the door) because that's the one room that always looks shocking. Right now though I am not ashamed of the state of my kitchen - it's not perfect, it's "lived in", but it's certainly not a dumping ground like usual. 





The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment.

Marie Kondo





My lounge is great, no toys anywhere and the sofa looks neat and comfortable. The carpet looks fine, despite not being vacuumed on a daily basis. The Hubby works in the lounge too and he hasn't complained about the state of it in a while!



Reward yourself


We always reward ourselves after a cleaning day - particularly if we finished early. Finishing early means we've managed to keep the house tidy enough that cleaning day wasn't difficult. When this happens we either take the boys out for lunch or we buy a treat. The reward is a great motivator!

A woman sits on a sofa with her legs up. She is holding a coffee and a kindle - ready to read.


The very best thing about having a cleaning day though is that it helps me stay on top of my chores and means that the house is almost always tidy. It's not easy, I know that, but with persistence and routine I've been able to get on top of the worst of it. 

As a result I am able to have time for me - and you can't beat that!


Want more time to enjoy a hot coffee? Have a cleaning day once per month - here's why it's a great idea!

Do you have a cleaning day?



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