The Easiest Weekly Cleaning Schedule to Keep Your Home Spotless

In the kitchen, it pays to get the hardest jobs out of the way first. To keep your kitchen sparkling clean, stay up-to-date with weekly tasks like mopping the floor and cleaning the exteriors of appliances. Wipe down the counters and cabinet doors to clean any spills or splatters; then scour and polish the sink.

Use trash day as your cue to do a fridge check. After taking the trash bag out of the can, head straight to the fridge before tying it up. Dispose of or compost expired items, leftovers that are past their prime, or food you know won't be eaten.

When cleaning your bathroom, take time to give your fixtures a little TLC. Use general-purpose spray cleaners or mix vinegar and water to scrub your sink, toilet exterior, tub, and faucets. An antibacterial cleaner is best for heavy-duty disinfecting in the toilet bowl, and baking soda paste works well on tough grime. Take care not to use abrasives on scratchable surfaces.

By eliminating dust, you'll protect your furniture and improve your home's air quality. Easily remove accumulated dust from furniture and other surfaces using soft, non-scratching cloths that pick up and hold dirt. For fine wood furniture, use dusting cloths in place of silicone sprays.

Keep large area rugs in tip-top shape by caring for them as you would wall-to-wall carpet. For small rugs that are difficult to vacuum, take them outside and shake them vigorously, or hang them over a clothesline and beat with a broom to remove dust and dirt. Consult care labels on small rugs to determine whether they should be dry cleaned, spot cleaned, or laundered.

Vacuuming your living areas once a week helps control the accumulation of dust and debris. Before you vacuum, pick up large debris, scraps of paper, buttons, and objects that may damage your vacuum belts and hoses. Try vacuuming steadily and evenly in overlapping parallel patterns.

When it comes to weekly cleaning, mopping is one of the easiest and most effective ways to keep your floors clean. Wet mops are used for scrubbing and for applying sanitizing solutions to kitchen and bathroom floors. They work when pressed firmly to the floor and moved in long, overlapping strokes. When mopping, make sure to wipe up excess liquid because standing water can damage wood surfaces.

Get in the habit of changing and laundering your bedsheets and pillowcases once a week. For best results, wash your sheets in warm water and use non-chlorine bleach when needed. To avoid shrinkage, wash all-cotton spreads, blankets, and coverlets in cold water. For even wear, rotate your sheets, storing fresh sheets at the bottom of the stack in your linen closet.

Don't forget to give your entryways a little attention every week. Try using a utility broom to clean large areas that require heavy-duty sweeping such as decks, patios, and driveways. Use a classic, natural-bristle brush for general sweeping with a dustpan. Choose the best-quality broom to avoid bristles that shed when you sweep.