While my kids were growing up, keeping the house clean and free of germs was no easy feat. It was a lesson in learning what was important to clean and what wasn’t. So, I developed a cleaning system to help me and my kids clean my entire home during the week so that the weekend would be free to relax and spend time with family. In this post, I will share ways kids can get involved with the cleaning chores system and an example of my customizable daily cleaning checklist (affiliate).
Jump to:
- How I Made My Customized Daily Cleaning Checklist
- Chores by Age Groups
- Kids Cleaning Chores by Age Video
- Kids Cleaning Chores by Age Group Image
- How to Create a Daily Cleaning Checklist
- Monday is Bathroom Cleaning day.
- Tuesday is Living Room/Family Room/Dining Room Cleaning day.
- Wednesday is Kitchen Cleaning Day.
- Thursday is Bedroom Cleaning Day.
- Friday is Random Cleaning Day.
How I Made My Customized Daily Cleaning Checklist
First, I determined our home's priorities. Not everything needed cleaning every day, but a few areas, like the carpets and area rugs (affiliate) in the main living rooms, needed to be cleaned a few times a week. For example, Wednesdays and Fridays were the days I had to vacuum (affiliate) the main living area. If it wasn't already on the daily cleaning checklist (affiliate), I added this 5-minute task to my daily cleaning tasks.
Then, I identified the quickest tasks for each room. Were the counters easy for me to clean? Was the dining area quick and clean after dinner? Did straightening up the playroom area help keep the area clean for the family?
Now, I decided which day of the week was the busiest and calmest. I adjusted my cleaning schedule depending on whether I had a lot or little outside-of-the-house work to do on those days.
If you have other family members living in your home and need help, this is an excellent opportunity to get them involved in age-appropriate chores. Below is a brief list of tasks for each age group.
Chores by Age Groups
Remember, these chores are just suggestions; you will be the only one to determine what your child can do at their age. Visit my post, How to Encourage Your Kids to Do Household Chores, for more details and helpful hacks.
3-5 Years Old Daily Tasks: Toddler
| Make bed |
| Take clothes to the laundry basket (affiliate) |
| Put toys away |
| Clean up toys in the playroom |
| Match Socks (affiliate) |
| Feed pets |
| Clear place after meals |
6-9 Years Old Daily Tasks: Elementary Schoolers
| Empty and load dishwasher |
| Set the table |
| Water plants |
| Clean up their room |
| Sweep Floor |
| Sort laundry |
| Wipe counter |
10-14 Years Old Daily Tasks: Middle schoolers
| Do laundry |
| Mow the lawn/pull weeds |
| Cook a meal |
| Wash a dish |
| Clean the bathroom |
| Clean floors |
15-18 years Old Daily Tasks: High schoolers
| Fold and put away laundry |
| Make lunch |
| Cook dinner |
| Take out the garbage |
| Iron their own clothes |
| Clean kitchen |
That’s not too bad. You can easily teach them how to do each chore and ask them to do it on specific days during the week. Leaving it up to them when it should get done may be suitable for some kids but ineffective for others. Give the child a deadline. And tell them that you expect it to be completed by that day every week. You will need to remind them of the tasks a few times initially.
Kids Cleaning Chores by Age Video
Kids Cleaning Chores by Age Group Image
How to Create a Daily Cleaning Checklist
Now that you have decided on some tasks for your kids. It’s time to make your own schedule during the week. You may have additional tasks to add to your Daily Cleaning Checklist (affiliate). It is best to create your customized version. Use a piece of paper or a to-do app and write down the tasks you want to cover daily.
Review your tasks
Then, review the tasks and take a run at your daily cleaning schedule for one week. Jot down notes and tasks you may have forgotten to add to the daily tasks. After a few weeks of using your daily cleaning checklist (affiliate), you will find it easier to do the tasks quickly. It may need to be revised over the years, so keep that in mind.
Cleaning during the week
Limit scheduling cleaning on the weekend to free up time for family.
Now, it's time to decide what you will clean each day. Designate an area each day similar to the ones below. I would do this to keep the house clean and orderly so that we can all be together during the weekend and not have to do as much cleaning.
Do tasks during weekdays or weekday evenings
Doing these tasks on weekdays or weekday evenings will free up your weekend time. One hour daily is usually enough to complete most of these tasks.
If you find that some tasks take more time, schedule them for a time when you can do something else. For example, if you have to do laundry, you must pay the bills simultaneously near where you do laundry. This will remind you to continue doing laundry between billing tasks.
Feel free to modify the tasks to suit your needs and priorities, taking into account your specific home and cleaning areas.
Remember, these chores can be done throughout the day when the kids nap or do something else. You do not need to block out a chunk of time to do all the tasks simultaneously if you don’t want to.
Below are my cleaning chores for each day of the week.
Monday is Bathroom Cleaning day.
Bathrooms get messy very quickly because we use them every day. So, inform everyone involved that they must pick up after themselves and put things in their rightful home so there is little clutter in your way when you are ready to clean the bathroom. Below is a list of things you need to do on this day.
Cleaning counters
Clean mirrors
Wipe toilets
Clean the shower and tub
Clean doorknobs and handles
Sweep and mop floors
Clean vanity cabinet doors
Empty Trash cans (affiliate)
Wash towels, robes, and area rugs (affiliate)
Tip: Keep all the bathroom cleaning supplies in the bathrooms. Each bathroom should have their cleaning supplies.
Another option. Below are some other examples of Monday chores I did when my kids were little.
Tuesday is Living Room/Family Room/Dining Room Cleaning day.
Since these rooms are usually near each other, cleaning them on the same day will save you time. These common areas are easier to clean when there is little clutter. The night before, ask everyone to help put stuff away so the next day will be easy for you. Below are the areas that should be cleaned on this day.
Wipe tables down.
Dust furniture (affiliate).
Sweep, mop, and vacuum (affiliate).
Straighten items.
Return items and toys to their home.
Cleaning the windows.
Clean under the couch and chairs.
Wipe down baseboards.
Tip: Use large bins with lids so to store items efficiently, and you can gather the mess quickly.
Here's another example of Tuesday chores I did when my kids were little.
Now, you are already in the middle of the week. The week is going fast.
Wednesday is Kitchen Cleaning Day.
The kitchen will likely be messy by this day of the week, so it's a perfect time to clean it. Below are the areas that should be cleaned on this day.
Clean counters.
Clean the front of appliances to remove handprints.
Wipe down cabinets and doorknobs.
Straighten pantry (affiliate).
Deep clean refrigerator by tossing old expired food products.
Clean sink, table, chairs, and stove.
Vacuum (affiliate) area rugs (affiliate) and clean tile floors.
Clean small appliances (affiliate) inside and out (for example, microwaves and toasters).
Tip: Clear out the pantry (affiliate) every month of items that have expired. Move them to an area to use first to remind you that they need to be used.
Below are some other examples of chores I did on Wednesdays.
Thursday is Bedroom Cleaning Day.
If possible, this should include all the bedrooms. If your child has a messy room, ask them to straighten it up on Wednesday night so you will not waste time the next day. Below are the areas to clean on this day.
Vacuum (affiliate) rugs (affiliate).
Put away the things that are left out.
Dust the furniture (affiliate).
Straighten the closet and dresser drawers.
Dust and wipe down nightstands (affiliate).
Clean under the bed (affiliate).
Wipe down windows.
Dust curtains.
Clean ceiling fan blades.
Tip: Some tasks do not need to be completed each week. Make a note of the week you did the job, so you know when you need to do them again.
And here are some more examples of chores I did on Thursdays.
Friday is Random Cleaning Day.
This day will include all the other areas you need to fill in yourself. Some places you could add are straightening up the garage (affiliate), doing laundry, doing yard work, cleaning out the car, sorting mail, cleaning sheets, playroom, home office, or organizing areas of your home.
Tip: Pick tasks that can be done within one hour of returning home to free up your Friday to spend with family.
Here are some additional examples of chores I did on Friday when my kids were little.
Below is a FREE shareable Daily Cleaning Checklist (affiliate) for you to keep and share!
I hope this post inspires you to create your daily cleaning checklist for you and your children. Please leave a comment below on how you made your cleaning checklist. We would love to hear from you. Please share with your family and friends so they, too, can learn.
Visit these online posts that offer additional tips on creating a cleaning checklist.
The Ultimate Cleaning Checklist
The Ultimate Cleaning Schedule for Your Day, Week, Month, and Year
Sheila says
This is a great idea, not cuz I am a busy parent anymore but because I am older and have a lot of arthritis and doing the whole house in one day is just not possible for my body anymore. Thank you.
Sabrina Quairoli says
I'm glad it helps, Sheila. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. =) I really appreciate it.
Janet Schiesl says
When my kids were young I had a cleaning schedule. My plan helped me to not get over whelmed, thinking I had to be cleaning all the time. Bathrooms were cleaned on a certain day and I didn't worry about them the rest of the time. When my boys got into middle school I started teaching them how to do laundry and cook. That age worked great for me, because they still were at home more, before they had jobs and could drive. My challenge was giving them responsibility and then not stepping in to fix things.
Linda Samuels says
When we can involve our kids in helping with household chores, not only does it help the parents, but it teaches the kids important skills. Eventually they will be on their own, and if they didn't learn how to do some of these basics, it makes it harder for them to launch. I love how you broke down the chores by age group!
Julie Stobbe says
I like the schedules you suggested for the children and then the schedule for the adults. For me that is the keys. You can tell children to clean but if they don't see the adults doing their part too the children are usually less cooperative. In our house if worked best for all of us to clean the houses together on Saturday morning. Then the rest of the weekend was for fun. The children had their daily and weekly chores too.
Sheri Steed says
I like your emphasis on saving the weekend for family time. I think a lot of people tend to put off chores until the weekend, and then there isn't much time to relax. Breaking the cleaning up by area and day makes it easy to manage and stay on top of.
Ronni Eisenberg says
Breaking cleaning tasks and chores down by age is so smart. It also encourages children to be more self-sufficient and feel like they’re part of the family team.
Do you have some simple cleaning products that you love to use? Like white vinegar, an all purpose cleaner.
I really liked your tip, ”Keep all the bathroom cleaning supplies in the bathrooms. Each bathroom should have their cleaning supplies.” It really saves so much time. Especially, when all we want to do is a quick wipe up.
Melanie says
I LOVE your suggestions by age. My oldest will be 3 next August and I'm always thinking about ways to involve my kids in home keep up. She already helps me unload the dishwasher and wipes up spills on the floor.
Great post! I love you checklist too.
Diane N. Quintana says
Sabrina, I love the way you broke tasks down by the day of the week. I agree it's so much easier to keep a home tidy and have time to do other fun things if you do a little cleaning and tidying up each day. Also, many hands make light work!
Seana Turner says
I did pretty well with this when my children were small and had plenty of time, but it got harder as they got older. We have a pretty intense high school, and by the time my girls were there, I was doing more because I wanted them to get more sleep! It's great to see what chores are appropriate for which ages.