Weekly Chore Schedule

Heather says:

We have a lot of requests for a basic chore schedule. We added the post-it note to the main page and it will link to this more thorough description. Every family’s needs are different. This is a basic routine that can help inspire one that may work for you. The idea is to catch all of the major chores once a week and keep the house picked up the rest of the time. Each day has one main chore.  If I hit all of the main chores in a week, I consider it a success, even if nothing else gets done.

Monday -

This is laundry day.

I do laundry throughout the week, but Mondays are the day to tackle the big items such as sheets and bedding.  Sheets are done every Monday, and the first Monday of the month all blankets, mattress pads, and pillow casings are washed. This is also the day to put away all the laundry that seems to linger in the area set aside for folding. If there is any ironing, hand washing, or clothing repair needed, this is the day for it.

Tuesday-

Floors, this is the day for mopping and thorough vacuuming. During the week I sweep, spot mop spills, and vacuum the middles.  My household also has three kids and a dog running in and out, tracking in dirt. So, daily upkeep is a must. If you are single or have no children, your upkeep will be less strenuous.

A quick list of posts on cleaning different flooring:

• Laminate
• Linoleum
• Hardwood
• Carpet – pet stains, potty training accidents,

Since our grocery sales flyer arrives on Tuesday, I try to clean out the fridge and take stock of what we need.

Wednesday -

Errand day. This is the day to hit the post office, make doctor’s appointments, refill prescriptions, and grocery shop. Since I end up spending a lot of time in the car, I also clean that out, filing receipts and mileage, as necessary.

Thursday -

Bathrooms, ugh. Ivy has thoroughly explained how to clean the bathroom. If each bathroom gets a quick daily wipe for hair and yuck, the deep clean goes quickly. If your home has more than one bathroom, alternate which gets the deep clean, but make sure whatever bathroom guests use gets at least a quick cleaning.

Friday-

It’s time for a deep kitchen clean up as explained by Ivy. Remember though her post is on Spring cleaning in the kitchen, a weekly clean up doesn’t need to be THAT thorough. The kitchen stove, counters, and sink get a quick wipedown after each meal which helps Friday’s chore go quickly.

Since the kitchen goes fairly quickly, I also dust on Fridays.

Saturday-

Project day, this covers everything from yard maintenance to room painting. We don’t spend every Saturday doing these things, many Saturdays are family or friends days.

Sunday -

The big chore is preparing for the week ahead. Find all the library books or movies that need to be returned. Pack bookbags or briefcases, menu plan, find missing keys or shoes. Look at the calendar and get a sense of what’s coming this week.

Are there days that will be too busy to cook? Plan foods to grab and go.

Are there meetings or school pictures that require nice clothing? Figuring it out now prevents panic the night before -or worse the morning of.

Doing these things helps keep the budget on track and prevents Monday morning from being a big hassle.

Every day:

Set a timer and put things away for ten minutes. If you have kid, spouse, or roommate, get them involved.

Need help with dividing up chores? Here’s a suggestion for dividing the labor fairly.