A Housekeeping Question

A friend asked SwindleFun about keeping house.

Question: Which housekeeping tasks do you do every day?

Answer: Daily maintenance is the secret to keeping house. But you will notice in the lists below that I do not vacuum, dust, wash walls or windows, or do laundry every day unless there is a specific mess to clean up. These tasks are done several times a week, but not daily.

More time-consuming tasks, like serious kitchen cleaning, serious bathroom cleaning, serious organizing, and ironing are done weekly or every two weeks. Daily maintenance makes them easier. 

But our Friend wants to know about daily tasks. I have divided them into two lists.

These first items are done throughout the day, or once as noted. Each task takes between seven seconds (#4) and seven minutes (#7). I do some alone (#5), and the boys help with others (#3).


1. Make the bed first thing in the morning.

2. Tidy bedrooms.

3. All dirty laundry goes directly into hampers. Any stains are treated.

4. Towels are hung after use, in a way that allows them to dry.

5. Sort the mail as soon as it enters the house.

6. Return out-of-place items to their right homes. This includes shoes, jackets, backpacks, screwdrivers, telephones, keys, pencils, cameras, blankets, toys, books, movies, puzzles, laundry baskets, papers, flashlights, slippers, and helmets.

7. After each meal, clear dishes and either load into the dishwasher or, if the dishwasher is running, rinse and put in the left half of the sink. Put away food. Clean table and counters. Sweep floor and spot clean where necessary.

8. Clean boys' bathroom floor. Wipe down toilet. Wipe down sink and faucet.

9. Take out trash and recycling.

10. Vacuum or clean anything off the floor that (a) is food or (b) can be tracked around the house.

11. Keep family room presentable by periodically removing toys to the toy area.

12. Put all trash into trash cans.

13. Unload the dishwasher.

14. Start the dishwasher.

These next items are done at the end of the day. Some of them may take up to 20 minutes. Jeremy helps complete these. 

1. Final kitchen cleaning. Dishes, pots & pans, counters, table, stove, sink, floor.

2. Pick up toys. Sort into appropriate containers.

3. Fold family room blankets.

4. Fluff couch pillows.

5. Return out-of-place items to their right homes.

6. Take out trash.

7. Tidy bedrooms. Clear floors, hang clothes, put away books, etc.

8. Put away outside toys. Sweep tiny decorative rocks out of path to car. (Okay. This one is aspirational.)