Is it possible to skip daily cleaning routines? I suppose if you live alone there would be days you could pass on cleaning, but if you have a spouse or children, I don’t see how you could avoid cleaning at least a little each day, especially when it comes to dishes and laundry.
There are many days when I wish that I could ditch the dishes or the laundry (OH!MY!WORD! the laundry!), but I don’t see how it would be possible to do so. After all, we only have so many forks and spoons… and pairs of underwear, so going more than 24 to 36 hours without cleaning something would likely have catastrophic results.
One of my best friends is a stay-at-home mom to three young kids and she is constantly badgering me to create a daily chore list. I maintain that my daily chore list is permanently etched in my brain and is amended at will depending on the day. She argues that you can get more accomplished if you have something in writing and can manually check off the tasks as they are completed. She has a point, but I still haven’t been motivated to convert to her method. Which is not to say that I don’t think it’s worth sharing.
So, without further ado, here is my friend’s daily cleaning list:
Dishes: Wash dishes by hand or load and unload them from dishwasher, and put them away.
Laundry: Depending on need and amount, complete at least one load of colors and one load of whites. Wash, dry, fold and put away clean laundry.
Surface clean: Use Clorox Disinfecting Wipes or other all-purpose commercial cleaner for hard surfaces on bathroom and kitchen counters. If you don’t have name brand cleaners, use vinegar or tea tree oil.
Vacuum: Vacuum carpets in high traffic areas, especially if you have a pet. If you have hardwood floors, then be sure to sweep or wipe floors with a dry dust cloths, such as those made by Swiffer.