How to Stick to a Cleaning Schedule Even When You Don’t Have Time to Clean

When you're done with work, have your kids' business all handled, dinner is cleaned up, and you've finished up any of the other seemingly endless daily tasks, what's the last thing you probably want to do? For me—and likely you—it's cleaning. When all you want to do is sit down, finding the motivation to clean and sticking with a routine are hard, which is why there are so many books and techniques floating around out there, telling you how to do it. You can read all the best-sellers on the subject you want, but none of it matters unless you have a schedule and find a way to stick to it. That's really the key to keeping your small messes from turning into big ones—and you definitely don't have time to deal with that.

First step: Pick a cleaning approach

You have options when it comes to how you want to approach your cleaning. Select a pre-defined cleaning and/or decluttering method and commit to sticking to it. To get in the swing of scheduling daily cleaning time, I recommend micro-decluttering or the calendar method, as these already rely on a bit-by-bit methodology that lends itself perfectly to pre-planned cleaning sprees. With micro-decluttering, you select a small space, like a single drawer or nightstand, then spruce it up. That's really it. Instead of trying to tackle a whole room, you focus on something small, reap the motivational reward of getting something done even when you're tuckered out, and slowly work toward an overall cleaner space. The calendar method is similar, but you take a look at the date, then throw or put away the corresponding number of items. Since today is the 26th, I'd toss or put away 26 things. Toward the end of the month, it gets overwhelming, but those early-month days are a welcome respite before the number picks back up again.

Generally, sketch out a timeline for this. The first week of the month can be for your kitchen, the second week for the bathroom, the third week for the bedroom, and so on. Even just a very general guideline for what room you should be focusing on will help you out when cleaning time rolls around each day, so you're not overwhelmed trying to decide what to take on. Then, pick a time—and stick to it, to the best of your ability. If you get home from work every day at 5, make 5:45 your designated cleaning time. You won't always make it, but try to commit to cleaning a little every day. Even on days when I'm booked solid, I try to clean something small before I go to bed. Sometimes, all I can do is scrub out a sink or organize my kitchen table. Still, that's enough. I go to bed feeling like I did something, at least, and the feeling of accomplishment helps motivate me to do it again the next day, ideally a little more intensely.

Second step: Consider a planner or an app

There are quite a few apps out there that can help you clean up and stay on schedule. Most of them send push notifications and tell you exactly what to focus on for the day. If you need that kind of direction, try them out. Personally, I like to choose what I clean and when I clean it after a long day. That's why I like to use a planner or just keep a note in my phone.

Use a simple, inexpensive planner to mark out which rooms you'll take on in a given week and block out the time you set to do the cleaning. Set an alarm in your phone if you have to so you remember to clean every day at the same time.

Optional third step: Use a reward system

I am extremely motivated by rewards, which is why I am constantly downloading and recommending apps that give me something in exchange for using them. This is true in all aspects of my life, even my cleaning schedule. To me, there is no intrinsic reward for tidying up; some people feel good during or after cleaning, but I'm simply not one of them. If I'm toiling for the sake of toiling, I hate it. If I'm toiling in an effort to earn something, however, I'm the hardest worker you'll ever meet. The reward I give myself for staying on top of my cleaning schedule is hiring a professional cleaner to come in once a month. I work on my cleaning so the place is livable and nice, then allow myself the privilege of letting a true master put the deeper, finishing touches on my apartment. Plus, knowing a real neat freak is coming soon motivates me to clean more, so the pro won't be over-burdened or, frankly, judge me.

A professional cleaner might be a little spendy, depending where you live, or you might not need it if you clean hard enough on your own during your scheduled sprucing-up time. If that's the case, think of a different reward that works for you. If you clean your whole bedroom over the course of a week, for instance, maybe you earn a new throw pillow for the bed or a big ice cream cone. You can even use days off as a reward. Clean at the same time from Monday to Friday and take Saturday and Sunday off, but only if you stick to your schedule and make progress. This is where the planner comes in extra handy: Keep notes of what you do, when you do it, and how much progress you made every day, so you can look back at the end of the week and determine if you can get the throw pillow, the days off, or whatever floats your boat.

Overall, the goal here is to do this in manageable chunks. It really only takes 15 to 20 minutes per day to clean up one spot around the house and if you stick with that schedule, you won't feel overwhelmed the way you might if you were staring down a tremendous mess. Even if you are staring down a tremendous mess, rely on the schedule to tackle it bit by bit so you don't burn out. Over time, it will get done and you will stay more motivated to do it.