Spring cleaning: creating a predictable weekly routine

In addition to going through closets and dusting baseboards, a great way to spring clean your home is to establish smarter routines. It’s easy for everyday life to become chaotic, so having a plan to tackle the work can create more order and stability. One piece of the puzzle is establishing a predictable weekly routine. While daily upkeep attends to the work in front of you, weekly work keeps you organized behind the scenes. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Determine the foundational weekly responsibilities

Make a list of what jobs need to get done each week. In my house this includes laundry (kid, parent & linens), cleaning bathrooms, grocery shopping, and food prep. These responsibilities can be assigned to different members of the family, based on age and lifestyle.

Identify which days are best for each job

This has a lot to do with your personal schedule, constraints, or preference. Plan what works best for you. Instead of haphazardly hoping the work will get done, identify what days are best for each job.

I complete a single job each day. This divides up the work in smaller pieces and is more attainable for me. My schedule is kid laundry on Monday, parent laundry & linens on Tuesday, grocery shopping on Wednesday, food prep on Thursday, catch-up on Friday, and bathrooms on the weekend (plus other household cleaning, shared among the family).

Another approach is dividing up the work over the weekend if the work week is too busy. Create a routine that fits your lifestyle (there are no wrong answers!).

Make your routine a priority

It is incredibly easy to procrastinate undesirable work! Unfortunately, having sloppy boundaries only creates more work and disorder. Do your best to stick to your plan. This creates more predictability and in turn reduces family stress. (Tip: include a catch-up day to accommodate for unplanned events that disrupt your schedule).

Continue to adjust as needed

The schedule I share is after a few rounds of routines. I have made several adjustments so my routine can fit my lifestyle and be attainable (I am still making improvements). After some trial and error, you will find what works best.

Improving your everyday habits is a huge part of intentional living. In the case of weekly responsibilities, work smarter, not harder so you have time to enjoy other elements in your life.

What weekly routines have been successful for you and your family?

Favorite finds

Weekly work isn’t as painful with lovely and useful items.

Feature image by Oakstone Homes