3 Cleaning Chores You Should Do Every Week

We can get away with doing some chores a little less often than dishes and laundry, but they still need to be done on a regular basis. Depending on your home and family situation, waiting longer than a week for these chores could cause damage to surfaces, or leave you with a big mess to fix when you finally get around to it. Of course, your own circumstances will affect how often you need to do these chores: a single person will need to vacuum less frequently than the parent of five young children!

It's up to you how you divide up when to do these weekly chores. I know many people who like to tackle one or two weekly chores a day, while others prefer to devote a block of time one day a week to tackle all of their weekly tasks. The important thing is to have a system to remember when each chore needs to be done.

Vacuuming

Vacuuming your home on a weekly basis prevents the buildup of dust, which can trigger allergies and respiratory issues for your family and guests. While high traffic areas may need to be vacuumed on a daily basis, other areas of the home need a good once-over once a week. Vacuuming flooring adds years to the life of your floors.

Vacuuming tip:

• Be sure to make a few passes over each section of the carpeting to make sure you are truly getting all of the dirt. 

Don't forget to vacuum:

• Carpets
• Rugs

Dusting

Letting dust collect in your home can lead to breathing issues and dull looking surfaces. A good weekly dusting staves off the need for more intensive cleaning on a regular basis.

Dusting tips:

• Be sure to dust from top to bottom to prevent settling.
• Consider using a vacuum attachment to suck up the dust, or a good microfiber cloth to trap dust particles.

Don't forget to dust:

• Wall Coverings
• Hard to reach places

Spot Cleaning

There are some areas of our homes that receive such frequent use, they need to be tended to on a weekly basis. This preventative cleaning keeps these rooms and areas ready to be used and enjoyed. Here are some items that may need to be cleaned weekly in your home.

Don't forget to:

• Clean entry and patio doors
• Clean and shake outdoor mats
• Straighten bookshelves, books, and magazines
• Clean bathrooms
• Change linens in all rooms
• Clean the kitchen sink
• Clean the toaster
• Wipe down stovetops
• Wipe down kitchen appliances
• Clean the microwave (inside and out)
• Spot clean walls
• Clean leftovers from the fridge
• Gather and take out the trash

If something you cleaned last week is spotless, don't worry about it. If this happens on a regular basis, that chore may be comfortably moved to a monthly schedule. Because homes and families are so different, cleaning schedules must be modified to suit the needs of the individual.