How the schedule is made
Daily jobs: every day
Daily jobs are the short ones that keep a room usable, like the dishes or clothes off the floor. They sit on every day of the week, and every day shows how many minutes they add up to.
Weekly jobs: shared out over your cleaning days
You pick the days you can clean (Monday, Wednesday, Saturday to start with, any 1 to 7). Each weekly job goes to the cleaning day with the fewest minutes so far, so no day ends up much longer than the others. If two days are level, the earlier one gets it.
Monthly jobs: one week at a time
Monthly jobs are shared out over Week 1 to Week 4 the same way. Do each week's list on any of that week's cleaning days.
Minutes are a rough guide
Each job carries a rough number of minutes so you can see how long a day will take before you start. Your home and your pace will differ. Add your own jobs with your own minutes, and take out rooms you don't have.
Daily, weekly and monthly cleaning tasks
The jobs the schedule starts from, room by room, with rough minutes. Use them as a checklist on paper if you like.
Daily cleaning checklist
Kitchen · 25 min
- Load the dishwasher or wash the dishes · 10 min
- Wipe the kitchen counters · 5 min
- Wipe the stovetop · 5 min
- Sweep the kitchen floor · 5 min
Bathroom · 7 min
- Put toiletries back in their place · 2 min
- Hang up the towels · 2 min
- Wipe the sink · 3 min
Bedroom · 7 min
- Make the bed · 2 min
- Put clothes away · 5 min
Living room · 6 min
- Straighten the cushions and throws · 3 min
- Clear the coffee table · 3 min
Entry · 3 min
- Put shoes and bags away · 3 min
Laundry · 5 min
- Move a finished load to dry · 5 min
Weekly cleaning tasks
Kitchen · 40 min
- Take out the bins and recycling · 5 min
- Wipe out the microwave · 10 min
- Wipe the cupboard doors and handles · 10 min
- Mop the kitchen floor · 15 min
Bathroom · 45 min
- Swap in clean towels · 5 min
- Clean the mirror · 5 min
- Clean the toilet · 10 min
- Clean the shower or bath · 15 min
- Mop the bathroom floor · 10 min
Bedroom · 35 min
- Change the bed sheets · 15 min
- Dust the bedroom surfaces · 10 min
- Vacuum the bedroom floor · 10 min
Living room · 30 min
- Dust the shelves and the TV stand · 10 min
- Wipe the light switches and door handles · 5 min
- Vacuum the living room floor · 15 min
Entry · 10 min
- Wipe the front door handle · 2 min
- Shake out the doormat · 3 min
- Sweep the entry floor · 5 min
Laundry · 28 min
- Wash a load of clothes · 10 min
- Fold and put away clean clothes · 15 min
- Wipe the top of the washing machine · 3 min
Monthly cleaning tasks
Kitchen · 1 hr 15 min
- Clear out the fridge · 20 min
- Dust the tops of the cupboards · 10 min
- Wipe the inside of the cupboards · 30 min
- Wipe the oven door · 15 min
Bathroom · 40 min
- Clear out the bathroom cabinet · 15 min
- Dust the light and the fan cover · 10 min
- Wash the shower curtain or wipe the screen · 15 min
Bedroom · 35 min
- Sort one drawer · 15 min
- Dust the lampshades and the top of the wardrobe · 10 min
- Vacuum under the bed · 10 min
Living room · 40 min
- Wash the cushion covers · 15 min
- Dust the window sills and frames · 10 min
- Vacuum the sofa · 15 min
Entry · 30 min
- Sort the coats and shoes · 15 min
- Dust the hallway shelves · 5 min
- Wipe the front door · 10 min
Laundry · 30 min
- Sort the laundry shelf · 10 min
- Wipe the washing machine door seal · 10 min
- Sweep behind the washing machine · 10 min
Keeping to it
Tie a daily job to something you already do every day, like wiping the counters after dinner, with a habit stack, and tick it off in the habit tracker. If several adults share the home, a chore chart rotates the weekly jobs between you. Can't get started today? Start with 5 minutes.
More free home tools
- House cleaning checklist: one session, room by room, that fits the time you have.
- Declutter checklist: one or two categories a day, keep, donate or bin.
- Chore chart for adults: weekly chores shared between the adults at home.
What happens to what you type
Rooms, chores and names stay in this browser while the page is open. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere: your list lives on the sheet you print or the image you save. Close the page and it's gone.
If you need help now
These tools are for everyday habits. They are not a crisis service. If you are struggling or don't feel safe, you can contact:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): call or text 988, or chat online. Free and confidential, 24/7.
Emergency services (911)
US: call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate harm or danger.
Samaritans
Samaritans (UK and Ireland): call 116 123, free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Emergency services (999 or A&E) · NHS 111, mental health option
England (NHS): call 999 or go to A&E now if someone's life is at risk or you do not feel you can keep yourself or someone else safe. If you need urgent help for your mental health, call 111 and choose the mental health option; NHS 111 online is available in England only, and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own services.
Elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
Sources
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
- Contact Us. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
- Contact a Samaritan. Samaritans. samaritans.org
- Where to get urgent help for mental health. NHS. nhs.uk
- Get help for your symptoms. NHS 111. 111.nhs.uk
- When to use NHS 111 online or call 111. NHS. nhs.uk