There are many times in life when you will be constrained for long periods and keeping your home clean can become needlessly tireless and all-consuming. It can be due to personal illness, sick family members, job loss, inclement weather conditions, and other life struggles that limit you from leaving the confines of “home.” As we’ve all experienced lately, confinement comes due to a global pandemic.

When you and your family stay at home for long periods, you will need to rethink your approach to cleaning your home. You will need to strategize how you will keep it clean so that you’re not spending all of your free time, hard at work, cleaning. No one wants to be overwhelmed with such tasks.

These tips will help you keep your home cleaner in times when staying at home isn’t an option – it’s a requirement.

Create a task list

When the family is together for an extended period of time, it’s vital that cleaning your home takes priority. You don’t want to spread germs in close quarters, and you want a clean smelling, and functional home while you are required to stay in it. 

In order to make this happen, you should create a list of all the things you need to accomplish to keep your home clean and running smoothly, from wiping down the counters to doing load after a load of laundry. Every task is essential and must be completed. 

Create a schedule

Next, you will want to create a schedule of when to do these tasks. For example, you might schedule laundry to a specific day, based on how many outfits everyone must wear.

Scheduling a laundry day can be a family event. Have everyone sort their laundry and bring it to the laundry room at a specific time of day. If you don’t have separate baskets for each member, you can make do with boxes or other containers you may have in the home. 

If you have little children at home, give them a box to decorate with crayons and paint for their clothes. They can use the laundry box to transport their laundry to and from the laundry room. Letting them decorate this container makes it all that more special and customized to them.

Divide up the living spaces to clean

Unfortunately, for many of us, the kitchen is always going to need daily cleaning. One of the best ways to clean the kitchen is to get everyone in the family involved in some small part. 

Consider partnering everyone up and working in groups to cook a meal for the family and clean up afterward. Even kids can get involved in this task. They may not be able to use the stove or sharp knives, but they can find ingredients, measure, and create dishes that you can put into the oven for them.

These little tasks help give them a sense of accomplishment, and they feel better that they get to contribute and participate in family activities. It can also help when it comes to cleaning the bottom of your oven, as YOU can make sure the dishes are prepared and proportioned properly.

Other rooms, such as the living room and bathrooms, also need their cleaning schedules defined. These rooms are highly trafficked and must stay clean during this time.

For example, in the living room – everyone is touching surfaces, kids are romping around, playing games, and sometimes eating while watching television.

When it comes to the bathroom, it can be one of the dirtiest rooms in the home. For this room, in particular, you need disinfectant to kill and fight off the germs. It will help the household if there is a schedule posted that everyone can stick to from picking up the floor, picking up the toys, cleaning off the counters, restocking the toilet paper and paper towels, to scrubbing the sink, tub, and toilet. Every task must be accomplished to keep the bathroom clean and germ-free.

Wrapping it all up

When you must stay at home, you have a lot more to accomplish for your household to run smoothly. Start from the beginning with these organizing and scheduling tips and get everyone on track to maintaining a clean house throughout.