What is Zone Cleaning?

Do you want to know the secret to motivating yourself to clean? Who doesn’t? Spending the whole day cleaning is not fun for anyone.  A popular way to spend a Saturday is cleaning your house. I use to clean on Saturday or a day that I had “off.” 

​Not only did this method of cleaning wear me out, but most of the time something would come up. Spending time with my family was a priority and when they were out having fun while I was cleaning…well, that’s just NOT fun! 

Something had to give! How could I balance the days meant for fun and keep my house clean? One day it dawned on me, a little at a time. Zone cleaning allows you to do a little every day and if you miss a day, it’s really not that big of a deal because you did the job last week.

The goal of zone cleaning is to set an intention for what you are going to do on a specific day and shoot for that goal. Always remember your family is more important than a clean house. Please snuggle with your child and skip bathroom day when you need to. The bathroom will be there for cleaning, I promise. 
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​Zone cleaning includes the more involved tasks such as, cleaning the bathrooms, dusting and vacuuming. I started the process of zone cleaning by putting cleaning essentials in each area that I would be cleaning.  That way I wasn’t running back and forth leaving something somewhere else, etc. There are several ways to set up your cleaning essentials. Use a caddie under the cabinet, use a basket on a shelf, or use a plastic container with a lid. 

For example, I have a caddie in my master bathroom, one in my linen closet near the hall bath, and one in my kitchen. My main goal here was convenience. I wanted to have everything I needed in easy to access areas, therefore making it more enjoyable and likely that I would clean.

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​Zone cleaning is not, and does not include the small daily chores that I include in my, Not Your Average AM and PM Routine.
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Next I decided to dedicate certain areas to specific days and not spend more than 25 minutes tops on each task for the day. I sat down and thought about my days. I thought about what extracurricular activities I had on certain days, what chores I found the least enjoyable, the different areas of my house and what attention they need weekly. 

For example, I do our two bathrooms on Monday. Bathrooms are not so fun to clean so I get it out of the way on Monday, leaving me with clean bathrooms for the start of the week. 

The key to zone cleaning is to set aside your days, set a timer and start. ​ I like to race the clock, it makes it more fun, and when that stopwatch dings, I STOP. What you don’t get done in 25 minutes you can get done next week. 

When you miss a day continue with the next day, just as planned, or substitute if you need to. You know best what needs to be done. Do a little every day. I find when I do a little every day, I am more encouraged to keep cleaning. ​

Below I listed my Day Of the Week Chores Checklist. Download and  use as an example or use it as your own. ​
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Day of Week Chore and Details of Chore

Monday-Baths & Trash
Sinks, Mirrors, Toliets, Floors, Counters, Shelving, Tidy, Refills, Empty All Trash Cans
End of Every Month: Wash Rugs, Trash Cans, Shower & Tub, Baseboards

Tuesday-Kitchen
Dishes, Wipe Down Counter Tops, Stove, Microwave, Trash Can, Vacuum Floors, Mop Dust Book Shelf, Clean Screen Door, Spot Clean Cabinets  End of Every Month: Rugs, Window Seals, Baseboards

Wednesday-Den & Foyer
Tidy, Dust, Vacuum Floors & Furniture
End of Every Month: Clean Mirrors, Baseboards & Mop

Thursday-Bedroom & Office
Tidy, Dust, Vacuum Floors
End of Every Month: Clean Mirrors, Baseboards & Mop

Friday-Catch Up Day
Complete Chore Days Missed, Take it Easy
End of Every Month: Complete a Monthly Chore

Saturday-Fridge & Freezer
Clean Out Fridge, Eat Leftovers,Throw Away Old Food, Make Note of Food to Use, Wipe Down Fridge & Assess Freezer End Of Every Month: Deep Freeze

Sunday-Towels & Sheets
Wash All Towels & Change Bed Linens & Comforter
Wash Dog Bed & Any Dog Toys
End of Every Month: Wash Matress Cover

Get inspired to clean and remember stay practical my friends. Life happens and sometimes you just don’t get it done. That’s okay, just try again next week!  ​

Would you like to know what’s in my cleaning caddie?