If you notice that typically four times during the year we have an extra week in our month.  The 5^th week.  Hmmmm, what can we tackle on that day  For myself, that is when I would do my extra annual cleaning.  I don’t like to have to take a week out of the year for my “spring” cleaning.  When springtime rolls around, I want to be outside enjoying the sunshine.  These are the chores that we have under our annual list:

• vacuum under and behind refrigerator
• wipe all walls from ceiling to floor
• clean out heater and cooling vents
• defrost freezer and wipe out
• clean behind washer and dryer
• carpet clean floors
• clean out basement
• clean out garage
• sort through and donate clothing
• sort through toys and donate
• sort through household things and donate
• clean off videos and bookshelves and donate
• clean out dryer vent
• clean out fireplace
• clean inside and outside of windows and sills
• flip mattresses
• test fire alarms/smoke detectors

I would divide up the number of chores that you have by four times per year.  Every time that extra week comes around, aim to get that set number of chores done.  If this list is on the wall along with your others, mark off the chores that are completed so that you don’t do them again in the coming months. If you keep it in your household binder, you can just check it off.

Maybe you just want to have that extra week to NOT have to do extra chores, that is fine.  You have to find whatever works for you.  The key is to have a list so that you know what you have to do each year.

Here is a free printable to help you with this task.

Annual jobs completed

Wow can you believe that you have organized all of your cleaning tasks into something tangible that you can actually use?  I know it may seem like a lot, but all you have to do is implement it into your life.  It will be okay if you forget to dust one day during the week.  Know that the following week you will get to it again.

This method or systematization takes time.  It takes time to sit and write everything out.  It takes time to learn to implement and see what works and doesn’t work. As with everything in life, time spent doing things that are important are well worth it in the end.  You want to be able to sit back and relax and enjoy your home don’t you? You want a smooth running home where your husband comes home and can sit at the table and have dinner with his family without all the clutter.  A home where you won’t be afraid if your friend just drops in for lunch. A home you won’t be embarrassed to entertain others in.  A place where your children know what is expected of them and they help contribute to it.  A place that they value and love because they work together to keep it nice.  All this starts with us and our willingness to make our homes a place of peace for our families.

She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness

Proverbs 31:27

It is our job to see how our household ways are run.  Why not make it a place that everyone enjoys being part of.

Have a blessed day!

Good morning, hope you are having a great start to your week. If you are looking around at your home this morning and getting overwhelmed by the mess everywhere, I encourage you to look back and start at part 1 of this series of how to set yourself up with a cleaning system.  If you are willing to sit and take a couple of hours to work through this, I promise it will change your life—as far as cleaning house goes.

We all like things to be easier.  It just sometimes takes some hard doing to get to that easier:)

Let’s keep working……………

Now that your daily and weekly chart is all done, it is time to work on our monthly chores.  These are the chores that you need to do only once per month.  In our family these chores consist of:

• washing the girls bedding
• washing the boys bedding
• washing our bedding
• washing the throw blankets
• organizing the freezers—to know what I have for meals
• wiping the dining room table legs and bench legs
• wiping the washer and dryer off
• spot wipe all high traffic areas on walls
• wipe switch plates
• wipe fan blades
• vacuum out air and heating vents-replace filters
• wipe down bathroom cabinets
• wipe and dust wall decorations
• vacuum behind/under/inside couches and chairs
• dust light fixtures
• clean oven

Typically you get 4 weeks out of the month to do these chores.  In our home, I divided up the chores by the number of weeks that I had.  I then made a list.

Week 1

• wash our bedding
• wipe the dining room table legs/benches
• wipe the fan blades
• dust light fixtures

Week 2

• wash girls bedding
• spot wipe all walls
• wipe switch plates
• wipe/dust wall decor

Week 3

• wash boys bedding
• vacuum out vents
• vacuum out couch/chair
• deodorize trash cans

Week 4

• wash throw blankets
• wiped down bathroom cabinets/walls/fixtures
• clean oven

Notice that I grouped similar chores together.  Instead of getting out the vacuum each week, I put all the “vacuuming” jobs on week 3.  When I was going to wipe all the walls, I decided to do all the extra chores that were similar to that chore for week 2.  We have a large family and I cannot do too much laundry, so I space out when I have to wash everyone’s bedding.

Now when do I get all these chores done?  Do I have a “set day?”  Not always.  Typically I will have my list all printed out and then on Monday, I will look at my list of what I have to do for the week.  If I get a few free minutes here or there, I will tackle a job.  Sometimes I wait and designate it all to be done on Saturday when I have extra time.  These jobs are good for children who don’t obeyJ   They are not much fun and work well if I have someone who has an attitude problem.  That isn’t always the case, so we just tackle them and get them done somewhere in between life.

You can also delegate who does that by placing their initial after the chore.  Do what is best for your family.

Here is your free printable to help you with this task.

monthly chores by week

Have a blessed day today as you strive to be the BEST women of the home!

Part 6