The Realistic Cleaning Schedule You Need to Use

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Having a realistic cleaning schedule can change the entire atmosphere in your home.

Think I’m being dramatic?

I’m being serious.

Without a good cleaning routine, it is very likely that you’re going to start feeling overwhelmed which will trickle into every other aspect of your day.

Being a happy mom for my kids means that I have to be really intentional about how I set up the rhythms and systems in our home.

I bet you’re like me and you’ve created elaborate cleaning schedules in the past with the very best of intentions to follow through with them…only for it to end in frustration and fatigue.

The reality for many moms is that we’re often functioning in survival mode.

We’re trying to give our focus to so many different things that it feels like a constant juggling act.

Having a clean and clutter-free home will do your headspace a world of good, but you do you make it happen?

How do you create a realistic cleaning schedule that you can actually stick to?

Keep reading to find that answer.

Why You Need a Realistic Cleaning Schedule

There is nothing more unproductive than setting up unrealistic expectations.

I mean, mom guilt is already usually permeating out lives, why add more to it?

Being truly productive starts with having a hard look at what is achievable and setting up expectations from there.

I’m a big fan of jotting down just 3 things to accomplish a day because while it seems like a small amount, the reality is that I get interrupted 5 gazillion times by children which makes it much more of a challenge.

I also believe that my primary responsibility is to be there for my kids. Being interrupted is frustrating, but it isn’t something I would change because being a mom is my first priority.

So, set up realistic expectations so that you aren’t ending your day in frustration both at yourself and your children.

You will also likely find that if you set up an elaborate and unrealistic cleaning schedule, you’ll end up not doing any of it at all.

It can be like a snowball affect either way.

If your expectations are overly high you’ll end up frustrated until you throw your hands up and think, “why bother?!”.

However, if you have more attainable goals it’ll encourage you to keep going which will lead to a lot more satisfaction.

What a Realistic Cleaning Schedule Looks Like

So how do you make your cleaning schedule realistic and still get the jobs down?

First of all, write down the cleaning jobs that you feel are important to get done.

I’m talking about cleaning the bathroom and dusting shelves.

I wouldn’t write down things like unpacking the dishwasher or your daily vacuum.

Those are the kinds of things that we typically do on autopilot as part of our daily routine.

I also strongly suggest giving your children certain chores if they’re old enough to do them.

For instance, my 5-year old can unpack the dishwasher and also take the recycling to the big bin outside.

They seem like small things but it really makes a big difference and takes a few things off my plate.

Once you’ve got your cleaning jobs written down then you’re going to turn them into a loop schedule.

Using a Cleaning Loop Schedule

So what on earth is a loop schedule?!

This is a term that I actually hadn’t heard of until I started homeschooling my kids.

Loop schedules are commonly used in homeschool because they make things a lot more doable for many families, especially when life gets a bit crazy.

Using a loop schedule gives you a clear way to get the jobs done without all the pressure.

The way it works is that instead of having specific jobs set for a specific day, you have a list that just rolls over on a loop.

So, you write down all of your jobs and then do one a day.

If something comes up and you miss a day, no need to stress, you just pick up where you left off.

This makes keeping a clean house so much more manageable and less depressing when you fail to fit things in.

How to Create a Realistic Cleaning Schedule

Setting up your cleaning schedule in a physical format also doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

I created mine in PicMonkey then printed and laminated it so that I could use a dry erase marker to tick things off.

However, you could just as easily create a note on your phone that achieves the same thing.

Remember, keep it simple and achievable.

Never mind what other moms on Pinterest or Instagram are doing.

You know yourself and your family better than anyone and there is zero shame in doing what works for you.

Being a happy mom who isn’t stressed out and feeling like a failure is a much better thing to be than the mom who *looks like she has her entire life together all of the time.

If you’re after an example of what a cleaning loop schedule might look like, here are the jobs that I’ve got written down on mine: