How to Organize Your Time: Chore Schedules

Before I had kids, cleaning was quick and easy.

I would knock it out every Saturday morning and enjoy the rest of the week.

But after the twins, I was lucky to get a shower every day.

With my husband deployed during the first couple of months into motherhood, I realized I needed a schedule.

I needed something where I could check off tasks and reminders.

Eventually, I created a daily chore schedule and started using a planner.

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Weekly Vs. Daily Cleaning

After I had kids, my Saturday cleaning routine would take up most of my day.

It was hard to do hours of chores and not get interrupted.

This is when I decided to do my chores on a daily basis.

Blocking out 30-45 minutes a day not only cut disruptions during my chores but it totally freed up my Saturdays.

Now, I can spend my Saturdays going out and having fun with friends and family and not spend it cleaning toilets.

So, if you prefer having your Saturdays free and don’t mind blocking out a little time out of your daily schedule then read on as I help you create your daily chore schedule.

Daily Chore Schedule

List Your Rooms

The first thing you want to do is get out a sheet of paper and write down all the rooms in your home that you clean on a weekly basis.

In my home, this is what my list looks like:

• master bedroom
• master bathroom
• 2 kids’ bedrooms
• boys’ bathroom
• office/homeschool
• hallways/staircase
• kitchen
• half bathroom
• living room
• dining room

Main Chore Schedule Tasks

Now, write down all the tasks involved in each room.

This list will be long but you don’t want to leave anything out or it will throw off the next step.

This is what my list looks like for a couple of rooms:

• Master Bathroom
  • scrub shower stall
  • clean toilet
  • clean sink
  • sweep/mop floor
• Master Bedroom
  • change bed linen
  • dust surfaces
  • vacuum/mop floor

Estimate Your Time

Ok, now that you have all your tasks listed, try to estimate the time it would take you to complete each task.

This is what my estimated time looks like for my master bathroom and master bedroom:

• Master Bathroom (by the way, I have a small bathroom so your times may vary)
  • scrub shower stall—-> 15 minutes
  • clean toilet—->5 minutes
  • clean sink—–>5 minutes
  • sweep/mop floor—->5 minutes
• Master Bedroom
  • change bed linen—> 5 minutes
  • dust surfaces—->10 minutes
  • vacuum/mop—->15 minutes

So, according to my estimates, it should take me 30 minutes to clean each room.

However, if I do both rooms together, then I can bring that time down because I can combine the mopping tasks.

Chore Schedule Time Limits

Now that you have an idea of the time it will take to complete your chores, it is time to get out your planner/calendar and schedule your daily tasks.

If you don’t have a planner, you can click here for my free mini or regular-size planner pages.

For each day of the week, write down the amount of time you have for cleaning that day.

For example, if your Mondays are a bit freer, you may have 1 hour to give.

However, if your Tuesdays are hectic because of errands or other obligations, then either skip this day or write in a time limit that works even if it’s 15 minutes.

Now, go back to your task list and write in your planner those rooms/or tasks you can do for that day with the time you have given yourself.

Here is what my schedule looks like and has pretty much stayed the same these past few years.

• Mondays: Master Bathroom/Master Bedroom
• Tuesdays: Kids’ Rooms/Guest Bathroom
• Wednesdays: Office/Homeschool Room/Hallway/Staircase
• Thursdays: Kitchen
• Fridays: Half Bathroom/Living Room/Dining Room

By the way, you don’t have to list your chores by room.

You can list them by task as well.

It all depends on your list and time.

Test Drive Your Chore Schedule

Now that you have your chore schedule laid out, it’s time to put it to the test.

Before you start cleaning, I suggest setting a timer.

When you are done cleaning, mark down the actual time it took you to do your chores for that day.

Do this for the next couple of weeks so you can tweak your time and schedule.

You may fall into a routine that allows you to do more on that day or you may find that you overextended yourself and need to cut back on some of the chores and spread them out a bit.

Other Chores

Now, I haven’t included chores in my schedule such as washing windows, deep cleaning the fridge/freezer, or even cleaning the oven.

These tasks can take me well over a couple of hours to do.

Instead, I schedule these quarterly and/or semi-annually depending on the task.

When these items need to be done, I will schedule a Saturday to get them done.

I try to do these things on a Saturday when I have nothing else going on.

Or if money gets a little tight, it gives me the excuse to stay in that Saturday keeping me from shopping and spending money.

Helpful Suggestions

Delegate

If your tasks become overwhelming, enlist help from your partner and yes, the kids too.

My husband is always saying, “Happy wife, happy life.”

So when he sees that I’m flitting about trying to get things done he pitches in.

So don’t be afraid to ask ladies.

You will be surprised by how much they are capable of doing.

This can be said of the kids too.

While my kids don’t like chores, they do clean up after themselves and will do what I ask when I need something done.

They make their own breakfast and clean up after themselves. After, they make up their beds.

The same goes for their lunches. Usually, my husband and I will take care of dinner, but occasionally, we will ask them to make dinner.

And, no, they don’t mind this at all.

However, when it comes to tasks they really don’t like to do like dusting, I make it into a contest.

I give the boys each a Swiffer and tell them that the one who brings me back the dirtiest Swiffer gets a dollar.

They love it.

And I love how they try to find as much dust as possible.

It’s funny to watch and it gets the job done.

Chore Schedule for Kids

When it comes to very young kids, you can create a chore schedule/chart to help them keep up with their tasks and provide motivation.

I used to do this when my boys were young but now it has become so routine that they really don’t need it.

I suggest creating a chore chart for kids between 3 and 10 years old.

Check Pinterest for lots of free and creative ways to make a chore chart for kids.

Family Schedule Board

Because the boys are older now, a kid chore chart isn’t necessary however I do keep a whiteboard in our kitchen with all the tasks that need to be done that day.

As tasks get done, we erase them.

If the day is getting late and there are still lots of tasks, the boys and hubby will pitch in.

Our goal is to erase those tasks so we can all hang out together at night.

So, find yourself a ‘family central zone‘ and announce your chores.

A whiteboard is a great tool. You can even list tasks in different colors assigning a color for each member of the family.

Stay Organized

Finally, if there is one thing I can’t stress enough, it’s this: get organized and stay organized.

If I have to clean around clutter, it would take me much longer to clean my home.

Take Away

My hope is that by creating a daily chore schedule you will be able to free up your weekends and spend that time with friends and family.

So, let’s get working to clean your home.

Work on creating your schedule, post it where everyone can see and access it, and then delegate some chores to help you get done even faster.

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