How To Create A Simple & Quick Daily Cleaning Checklist

This post is all about creating a daily cleaning checklist.

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Growing up my mom was all about keeping a clean house. However, my room and spaces were never clean unless she told me to clean them. Every day she would say that I would struggle to keep a clean house if I didn’t make it a habit. Of course like any teenager I blew her off.

But she was right. Once I moved into my own space I struggled to keep it clean. At first my excuse was that I wanted to spend time living in a space that I didn’t need to clean 24/7. Then more time passed by and I still didn’t get into the habit.

One of my goals this year is to start taking care of my spaces and make it a priority. One way I started was by creating a spring cleaning plan. I am still struggling, but now I have started to learn small daily things that help keep my home clean.

Here is how to create your daily cleaning checklist

Address you habits

This might be the biggest reason my home is messy. I have bad habits, such as throwing my clothes on the floor when I take them off. This was when my roommate recommended placing a basket where I was throwing my clothes. And it was a life changer. Now my clothes are in a basket instead of on the floor.

Start by thinking of your habits. What are the things that make your home messy and is there a way to address them? Because of this thinking, baskets have become my favorite way to keep my house straightened up.

If they are habits that cause you to throw objects in a certain area, find something to throw them in. If you leave your dishes all over the house, practice placing them in the sink so they are in one spot.

Go room by room

This is another area I struggle with. It might be the ADHD but I have a habit of moving around the house when I clean. So instead of focusing on one room, I straighten random spots in each room.

Not only does this take longer, but then I never see the progress so I don’t feel like I am doing anything. Choose a room and focus on only that. Write down all the tasks you want to get done in that room and mark them off as you go. Don’t start don’t start on another room until you’re done.

You can take this a step further and do one or two rooms a day. This keeps me from feeling like I am cleaning all day, every day.

Only do the bare minimum

I used to overwhelm myself when creating cleaning lists. I would start by listing each room and then come up with a list that had 20 or more to-do items on it.

Daily cleaning should only be the bare minimum. The daily tasks that make your home feel put together. Such as straightening up objects, vacuuming, and folding blankets. These are tasks that should only take a few minutes are make your home feel clean.

Other tasks, such as dusting or mopping, should be done once a week all at once. They take up a lot of time and you don’t need to do them each day.

Create a cleaning schedule

A way to help yourself do the bare minimum is by creating a daily cleaning schedule. Choose which days you focus on a room and stick to only that room. It helps you feel less overwhelmed and makes sure you don’t forget anything.

Take it a step further and dedicate a day each week to a ‘reset.’ This is when you do all the big cleaning items you wouldn’t normally do during the week.

Here is how I break down my daily cleaning checklist:

Monday: Laundry and bedrooms:

• Wash, fold, and put away laundry
• Vacuum bedroom
• Pick up items
• Wipe down surfaces

Tuesday: Kitchen

• Wipe down surfaces
• Sweep floor
• Wipe down the stove and sink

I would continue this for each day of the week. Then on weekends, I will create a ‘big’ cleaning checklist.

Weekend cleaning:

• Mop floors
• Clean out fridge
• Wash bedding
• Clean out garage

Having these pre-scheduled checklists will help you keep everything organized.

Break it up by the time of day

Sometimes it is just hard to do all the cleaning at once. I work from home and occasionally need to take desk breaks. During these breaks, I would start cleaning different things or switching laundry.

Not only does this get you up and moving, but it also helps break up the cleaning. This doesn’t need to be scheduled but it does help to make it a routine.

For example, I take a break every day at 10 am and use that time to put away dishes or start a load of laundry.

Make a cleaning cart

Even though the focus is on making a cleaning checklist, it is also important to make the cleaning easy.

I just started seeing cleaning carts all over TikTok. I know they have been a thing for a while, but I never thought about using one for my daily cleaning.

It is easy to create one too. These carts are lightweight and a great way to store all your cleaning supplies. They also come in fun colors.

Then place all your favorite supplies into the cart. I like to divide the three shelves into various categories. My general and go to cleaning supplies I put on the top level for easier access. Such as my general spray or cleaning clothes. The second shelf I put harder cleaners, such as a deep cleaning spray or ScrubDaddy sponges. Then on the bottom shelf, I put bigger cleaning supplies such as trasher bags or paper towels.

Keep cleaning supplies in each room

This has been another life saving change.

I started keeping cleaning supplies in each room. Having them accessible makes the cleaning process easier and faster. It also keeps me from having to run into a different room and getting distracted.

You will also be more likely to clean up a mess when it happens.

You don’t need a wide variety of cleaning supplies in each room. Place paper towels and all-purpose cleaner under kitchen and bathroom sinks. The more places they are, the more likely you will be to grab them in the moment.

With a daily cleaning checklist, your home will feel much better

Having a clean home doesn’t have to be hard. Sometimes it just takes creating a plan to make it happen. Also having access to cleaning supplies helps when things get messy in the moment. If you straighten it up right away, you have less to do later. Don’t let cleaning stress you out. All that matters is that your home feels happy to you.