Develop a list of all tasks that need to be done during the year and group them under frequency headings daily, weekly, monthly, semiannually, and annually. It may be possible to budget your time so that weekly chores are spread out over several days. For people with weekday responsibilities other than cleaning, house maintenance must be on a catch-as-catch-can basis. But even within the limits of available time, it's a good idea to plan to accomplish household tasks on a regular schedule.
What you clean and how often you clean depend upon your personal preferences and tolerances. The following schedule is meant as a guideline to suggest how a home can be cleaned with well-defined tasks. Divide responsibilities among all family members. Make certain that everyone knows who does what and when.
Daily.
Dishes should be washed, dried, and put away, and
kitchen counters wiped after each meal. Clean the kitchen sink and wipe the range surfaces (including the microwave oven) once a day or, even better, after each use. Picking up should become second nature.
Weekly.
Dust furniture and shelves; vacuum and, where applicable, brush upholstered furniture. Vacuum rugs and floors. Clean under furniture and behind it. Damp mop the kitchen floor. Empty wastebaskets. Wash bathroom basins, fixtures, and floors. Dust radiators, woodwork, pictures, and mirrors. Wipe
window sills, and brush shades and blinds. Clean kitchen range burners. Wipe the refrigerator and kitchen cabinet fronts. Polish bright metal surfaces.
Monthly.
Do one or more of the following special jobs in several rooms on the same day: vacuum and, where applicable, brush curtains and draperies. Wipe wood trim and, where needed, wipe walls and around doorknobs. Wash windows. Wash and, if necessary, wax the kitchen floor. Polish wood furniture and vacuum upholstered furniture, paying special attention to cleaning under cushions and in crevices between the back and the cushion support. To prolong their life, turn over mattresses, end to end
and side to side, which will help equalize their wear. In hot weather, clean air conditioner filters according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
Seasonally or semiannually.
Take inventory of the items in closet Seasonally and drawers that are no longer useful. (The more clutter, the harder it is to clean.) Rearrange clothes closets by season, hanging clothes by type for easy access. Weed out unused clothing that can be donated to appropriate agencies. Pack winter and summer clothing where it will remain clean and free from moth damage until needed again. (Dry-cleaning establishments commonly offer free storage for items you bring them for cleaning.) Pack wool clothing in cloth bags. This will allow the fiber to breathe and prevent moth damage. Wash mattress covers. Wash curtains and draperies or have them dry cleaned. Dust the coils behind or underneath the refrigerator.
Annually.
Have the furnace cleaned and tuned in late spring or
early fall. A central air-conditioning system and room air conditioners should be checked for proper operation before the onset of hot weather. Put power and hand gardening tools in good order--cleaned, oiled, and greased--before storing them for the winter. The same applies to snow removal equipment in the spring. Shampoo carpets and rugs or have them cleaned professionally every 12 to 18 months.
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