When to Clean What

I dislike cleaning, except in occasional bursts. But I dislike living in filth more, so I clean. Regularly, I wonder if there is a good rhythm or schedule I could follow for cleaning – particularly regarding the neglected areas of cleaning walls, windows, etc. So I went about searching for answers and found the following list on Yahoo Answers, posted by “Teri”… whoever she is, she’s fantastically organized. While I don’t know that I can maintain as rigorous of a schedule as she has, and have yet to see the point in making beds, I still think this is marvelously helpful and figured I should share with y’all.

As further helpful advice, she said, “I keep a calendar so that the 2x and 1x per year stuff does not slide and we don't end up doing it all on the same day.”

DAILY:
- Make beds
- Pick up and put things away
- Vacuum (may only need to do 1-2x per week if you do not have childen or animals)
- Clean kitchen after dinner
(mel's note - i would add sweep to this list, because we have a sheddy dog and a kitchen that doesn't take well to vacuuming)

ONCE A WEEK:
- Laundry
- Dusting- Clean Bathrooms
- Deep cleaning of one room every weekend (i.e. kitchen deep clean means I clean out refrigerator, cabinets, oven; a bedroom deep clean involves cleaning out drawers and closets and getting rid of stuff we don't use, etc.) (mel's note - yeah... that's going to be more like once-a-month for me, if i'm lucky)
- Polish/clean wood and tile floors
- Grocery shopping
- Clean/upkeep of swimming pool if you have one and it's in season
- Mow lawn
- Landscaping upkeep (trim bushes, pull weeds)

2x PER YER:
- Do a thorough spring-cleaning. Wash walls and windows, shampoo and vacuum carpeting, polish floors, etc.
- Paint/repaint any rooms that need touch-ups.
- Clean or replace the filter in your air conditioning system
- Deep clean swimming pools, ponds and/or fountains. Do repairs as needed.
- Repair or replace damaged window screens and weather-stripping.
- Caulk open joints around windows and doors.
- Inspect rain gutters for rusted and damaged areas.
- Repair or replace faulty gates, fence posts, landscape borders, etc.
- Clean decks, gazebos, fences and patio furniture. If your furniture or deck is made of wood, pour water on the surface; if it doesn't bead up, it needs to be refinished.
- Replace batteries in safety appliances, such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
- Lanscaping (plant flowers, etc.)

1x PER YEAR:
- Check the exterior walls of your home for cracks, peeling paint or other damage.
- Cut and remove branches around the roofline to keep squirrels and other pests away.
- Check outdoor faucets.
- Clean the water heater and check that it is functioning correctly.
- Inspect and clean the fireplace before lighting your first fire in the winter.
- Check the furnace filter and replace if necessary. (mel's note - what furnace filter?? do i even have a furnace??)
- Rid rain gutters of leaves and other debris that may get in the way of drainage and promote rusting.
- Inspect crawl space beneath the house (mel's note -yeah, that's going to be NOT my job)
- Inspect grout and caulking around sinks, tubs and showers.
- Remove and clean the drain plugs from sinks and tubs.
- Remove accumulated mineral deposits from showerheads by soaking or scrubbing them with white vinegar.
- Inspect your roof from the ground with binoculars. Look for loose, missing or damaged roofing materials.
- Clean the underside of range hood and clean or replace the filter.
- Inspect your washing machine and dryer. Remove lint that's accumulated from the dryer drum to where the air is vented outside.
- Inspect and clean kitchen appliances, including the stove, dishwasher, garbage disposal, exhaust fans, etc.

mel's note - what would you add/take away?