8 Cleaning Schedule Tips to Help Parents Get Organized
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Busy parents, you deserve a home that re-energizes you
Nothing feels more calming and refreshing than relaxing in a clean house, and a family cleaning schedule can help you get there. Of course, getting the whole family on board to pitch in can seem overwhelming at times. However, a little organization and planning can help you distribute household chore responsibilities so everyone can participate.
Try these 8 tips to create the ultimate family cleaning schedule for achieving the well-organized home and calm oasis you deserve.
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How to create labels and more for home organization
Making a plan and getting organized will make it so much easier to set up your cleaning schedule. Specifically, you can use personalized labels, tags, and checklists to help you organize storage and cleaning tasks. Additionally, planner stickers help you organize tasks and manage your family’s time better. In fact, we’ve written about how planners help you achieve your goals before. Moreover, some of those principles can definitely be used to reach your family cleaning goals.
With this in mind, consider the benefits of using Avery labels, cards, and tags that you can personalize for free online. In fact, Avery Design and Print Online (ADPO) is free online software that makes it easy to edit, save, and print thousands of predesigned templates.
More resources to help you create
- How to Print Labels
- What Kind of Printer Do I Need for Printing Labels?
- Video: How to add and format text in ADPO
1) Use small daily tasks to instill good cleaning habits
When you consider the research conducted at Brown University, it is easy to see that kids develop habits early on and are inclined to stick to those habits by the age of nine. This being the case, it’s a good idea to establish a daily cleaning schedule for quick and easy tasks while kids are young. Accordingly, this will help to foster lifelong good cleaning habits. For example, you can start with simple actions such as picking up their toys, making their bed, or assisting in table clearing. While they seem like minor tasks, collectively, they add up to valuable cleaning habits.
2) Include the kids in the family cleaning schedule
Quickly turn any chore chart into dry erase with a self-lamination sheet.
- Customize our kids’ checklist for free online, then print on any 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper or cardstock.
- Cover with an Avery self-laminating sheet (73601).
- Use with colorful Avery pen-style dry erase markers (24481).
Getting kids involved in the house cleaning schedule means more than just telling them what to do. Generally, being responsible for a job well done makes you feel good, and the same is true for your kids. When you give them agency to participate and be responsible for their tasks, kids can get a real sense of pride from cleaning.
With this in mind, laminated cleaning checklists are a great way to give younger kids ownership of their portion of the household chores. It doesn’t have to be a huge project either. You can simply slip your kids’ checklist into a sheet protector or use a self-adhesive laminating sheet and boom— instant dry erase cleaning schedule.
3) Free up your weekend—spread big tasks throughout the week
It can be tempting to think your family is too busy for cleaning beyond the basics during the week. However, it’s important to resist letting your house cleaning schedule take over the entire weekend. Moreover, making time for crucial rest, relaxation and exercise helps your family stay happy and healthy.
With this in mind, laminated cleaning checklists are a great way to give younger kids ownership of their portion of the household chores. It doesn’t have to be a huge project, either. You can simply slip your kids’ checklist into a sheet protector or use a self-adhesive laminating sheet and boom—instant dry erase cleaning schedule.
4) Get started with cleaning schedule templates and examples
Stay motivated with cleaning schedule formats that are neat, orderly, and visually appealing. Whether you’re starting with these examples or you’re starting from scratch, use Avery cleaning schedule templates for chore charts, checklists, and planner stickers to pull everything together.
Daily cleaning schedule example
Use planner stickers to add the family cleaning schedule to everyone’s planner.
Print this design on Avery 1/2″ x 1-3/4″ labels sold by the package for inkjet printers (8167). Or, print them on 1/2″ x 1-3/4″ matte white labels for laser or inkjet printers, which are sold by the sheet (94203).
Alternatively, choose “Let Us Print for You” after customizing to order custom-printed rectangle labels.
- Make your bed as soon as you get up.
- Put dirty clothes in the hamper when getting dressed.
- Wipe down the bathroom sink after getting ready.
- Wipe down the kitchen sink and counter after meals.
- Wash dishes or load the dishwasher as dishes are used.
- Hang up jackets, sweaters, scarves, and other re-wearable items.
- Spend 5–10 minutes picking up and putting away other clutter.
Weekly cleaning schedule example
Customize our weekly checklist for free online or print as-is for a guide to get you started. Print on any 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper or cardstock.
Use Avery 76000 sheet protectors to store and protect your cleaning schedule checklists.
- Monday: Dust and vacuum all living spaces.
- Tuesday: Clean the kitchen counters and floor.
- Wednesday: Change all bedding and dust bedrooms.
- Thursday: Do the laundry and clean the master bathroom.
- Friday: Wipe down door jambs, knobs, and spot-clean walls.
- Saturday: Clean all shared bathrooms.
- Sunday: Vacuum the furniture and clean the windows.
5) Make space for seasonal tasks in your cleaning schedule
Plan for sorting, labeling, and storing seasonal clothes with personalized labels for storage containers.
We recommend Avery 5444 2″ x 4″ removable labels. These small-format labels can be printed two at a time because they come on 4″ x 6″ sheets. This video can walk you through how to print small-format labels if you’ve never done it before.
Planning ahead for seasonal cleaning goes a long way toward making household chores feel less hectic. For example, you can use your cleaning schedule to set aside time to clean the gutters before the rainy season hits. Another great way to plan ahead is to schedule time to switch out seasonal clothing. In fact, storing away winter clothes in the spring and summer clothes in the fall is a must-have for your cleaning schedule. It’s so much easier to keep your closets neat and tidy when you don’t have to deal with items that are not in use.
Resources for seasonal organization
- Spring cleaning checklist you can customize and print
- 9 Summer Organizing Tips: Prep Now for Fun in the Sun
- 6 Easy and Useful Tips for a Successful Garage Sale or Yard Sale
6) Choose the best binder to organize your cleaning schedule
Organize your ultimate family cleaning schedule in one binder that’s easy to find.
Customize these designs online for free, then print on any 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper or cardstock.
There are three main things to consider when choosing a binder for your cleaning schedule and checklists. Firstly, the binder should be highly functional with many pockets and easy to open and close. Secondly, it should be durable enough to withstand standard household cleaners and getting tossed around while doing chores. Lastly, your binder is easy to customize, both for personal style and identification.
To sum up, look for binders with these features to organize your cleaning schedule: 1) Functional features, 2) durable construction, and 3) clear, view front.
To sum up, look for binders with these features to organize your cleaning schedule: 1) Functional features; 2) durable construction; and 3) clear view front.
7) Get your family excited about the new cleaning schedule
Start with the small stuff. Colorful planner stickers and sparkly repositionable tabs make the work of organizing more enjoyable. It’s fun to express yourself and give your cleaning schedules a little personality, especially for kids. Then, find easy ways to reward cleaning superstars. For example, you might allow your kids to earn an extra hour of tablet time if they complete their cleaning checklist early. Finally, create positive associations with the family cleaning schedule by adding a fun activity to the checklist. For instance, perhaps you conclude Saturday’s checklist with pizza night, a matinee movie, or an afternoon at the park.
8) Teamwork makes the dream work—make it easy to share chores
One way to make chores easy to rotate between family members is to create a custom cleaning checklist for different areas, zones, or rooms. This is especially appealing for dividing work among teenagers; that way, no one feels trapped in an endless loop of tasks they dislike.
And while younger kids may not be able to handle a whole room by themselves, they may be able to team up to tackle a cleaning checklist together. Try making older kids the “captain” of a room. They could be in charge of helping siblings check everything off the corresponding list.
The Takeaway
In short, if you’re a busy parent wanting a home that feels good, try making a family cleaning schedule—it can really help. Furthermore, Brown University actually found that teaching kids to clean early is super important. So, having a daily plan for easy tasks like picking up toys or making the bed is a great way to build habits that last.
To keep things easy, use labels, tags, and checklists that you can personalize. Tools like Avery Design and Print Online (ADPO) make it simple. This way, you can organize things better and have more free time on weekends. Also, getting your kids involved in cleaning teaches them to be responsible and feel proud. When you use simple checklists and get creative, everyone in the family will feel good about keeping your home tidy.
For more home organization tips and tricks, follow us on Instagram and check out our Pinterest board for getting organized.
