Home Journal: Perpetual Cleaning Schedule

I hate this part.. don't we all? But it is the part that has to be done or things get away from us and then we spend our free day doing it all. 

Creating a cleaning schedule changes that rush when friends & family come over (or the embarrassment when they just stop by!) and allows you that free time when you do get a day off. 

In order to create your cleaning schedule think of the things that you have got to do or things go nuts. This isn't the standard things, like dishes &








 cooking (more on that later!) Mine is 2 pages I put in a page protector back to back since the 2nd page is "Annual" and I don't need to see it that often.
First I added "Straighten up hotspots!" What do you do daily that gets crazy in no time? Hall table where you pile the mail? Bedside table where everything from your pockets goes daily?? These are my hotspots. What are yours?
Then I add the things I hate to do and will walk off and create a disaster tomorrow when I come in... wiping counters & stoves, making beds, garbage, that stack of mail (yes I need reminded twice LOL!) Since my family sees this too I also added "Clean up Spots & Spills" right in the middle of "my" chores, so that everyone remembers. 
Yes, my kids will spill something and yell "Mom I spilled." And even though I SAY "Wipe it up!" They hear "I'll get it!" Remember this is a sort of training guide to get everyone on board.
Then I end my Daily with Praise any cleaning effort. The kids, the hubs.. anyone who did any small something to help you accomplish today's goals. Say thanks... even to yourself!
I went on to weekly chores, things that MY house can survive with if we only do it once a week. I color coded (Sunday    Monday    Tuesday    Wednesday    Thursday    Friday) so that each day has 1-2 things, and we get Saturday off and Sundays are simple. These chores are perfect for that slot on my kids chore chart that has under their daily chores "Ask Mom for a Chore". Things like vacuum bedroom areas, clean mirrors, damp mop, & clean animal dishes.
On Semi-weekly I have Just a few things that I try to do 2x a week: Vacuum the main living areas and laundry. Those have color coded (T/F) & (S/W) so anyone helping knows what day I'm doing them on.
Monthly chores are like weekly, things my household can survive on doing once a month, color coded by week (Week 1    Week 2    Week 3   Week 4). Things like chasing cobwebs, wiping appliances, spot cleaning carpets, deep carpet cleaning (edges/move furniture, etc).
Then there are Annual or Spring Cleaning chores that can be done 1x a year without much havoc, like gutters, paint touch ups, window exteriors and the like.
Again this is just a blueprint to remind you to get on a set course. Does it always work? No. Goes great for a week or three then we stray.. then we have a full weekend of staying home & cleaning because it piles up and everyone decides to get back on course because they hate staying home.
One thing you HAVE TO remember is that if your home is a mess following this list documents won't get it cleaned overnight.. and maybe not even over a week. It wasn't trashed in a day and it won't sparkle in a day. Follow your list one day at a time, do what you can each day, and eventually, before you even know it, you will notice a difference.
These downloads are in Microsoft Word (.doc) files so you can edit them to fit your needs. If you want my fun font from the screen cap, see the info below the download links :)
DOWNLOADOption 1 (Editable MicrosoftWord.doc with fun font-see below to get the font!)Option 2 (Editable MicrosoftWord.doc with Windows standard font)
Head over to KevinandAmanda.com to download Pea Carrie, the font I used on the original file (as seen in my screen cap) or download option 2 for a standard Century Gothic Font.
So far on our Home Journal we have covered:

Weekly To-Do ListDear BabysitterImportant NumbersPerpetual Cleaning Schedule (Editable in MS Office) 
Stay tuned for:15 Minute Quick CleansPrintable Chore Charts (Editable in MS Office)...and more! 

PS: Just a reminder to my printables followers!, Nitro PDF allows you to type text into ANY pdf, save, and/or print it, or even create your own. Best of all... It's FREE!!! Check it out HERE. I'm not an affiliate, so I get nothing for sending you to it. I just love it and think you will too!