Home Cleaning: Putting Checklists to Work

Whether you decide to rely on an outside company to come in and do your home cleaning or you prefer to tackle it yourself, putting checklists to work for you can make all the difference in the world. Without them, it's easy to let things slip and it's easy to forget about little things that should be done on a regular basis. You won't forget to clean the kitchen or make the beds, but you may forget to dust your ceiling fan or wax the dining room floor. These kinds of tasks go neglected for too long, leaving you in the position of needing to do a major clean-a-thon one weekend, and no one likes to do that. Here's how checklists can make your life better.

The Entire House

What home cleaning tasks correlate to your house will be up to you, of course. Vacuuming or otherwise doing something with the floors is common to all houses, but polishing the trophy case may not be. Here are some of the things nearly everyone will find applicable to their situation: getting rid of cobwebs, vacuuming and/or mopping and/or waxing, tidying up belongings, dusting fans, lamps, televisions, and more, taking some glass cleaner to any surfaces that need it, taking out the trash, and changing the bed sheets. Put these tasks on a weekly checklist and they won't be neglected.

The Kitchen

The kitchen is a unique room in the house and it requires some unique attention. Obviously, some light scrubbing and tidying is necessary after every meal. Beyond that, here are some of the things you may choose to put on your weekly checklist: wiping down the cabinets, wiping down the countertops, soaping and rinsing the sink and the dish strainer, doing an oven clean (this can usually wait longer than a week in between treatments unless you haven't mastered pans), and throwing out old food items in your pantry and refrigerator.

The Bathroom

Even people who don't mind doing home cleaning chores tend to turn their nose up when it comes to scrubbing the bathroom. Not only is it potentially the most difficult room in the house, but it can also be the grossest. Nevertheless, the nastier the task, the more important it is to do. If you don't feel up to it, consider relegating it to another member of your family or strongly think about hiring a service. Here are some of the weekly chores your home cleaning checklist can't do without: getting the cabinets, counters, mirrors, and sinks clean; disinfecting the toilet and shower; and mopping the floor.