April 14, 2021
Vacuuming and washing floors is usually the most time consuming task of the week. If you follow the Clean Mama routine you will know that I vacuum the floors on Wednesdays and wash the floors on Thursdays. This division in particular can be confusing for readers and new followers, but it is intended to make it easier and more practical to clean the floors weekly. Do you need some tips and tricks to get started? Read on and don’t miss the new (and inexpensive) guide to a flexible routine in the shop!
DAILY MAINTENANCE
Every day of the week I do “soil check” as part of my routine. This means that after eating, we check the kitchen floor and sweep or vacuum as necessary. Whenever I see something on another floor in the house, I do a quick sweep or vacuum. This floor check is something I do, my husband does, and the kids will grab a broomstick and help out too. It’s not meant to be a full sweeping or vacuuming job, but rather a daily dirt cleanup. This is necessary with three children and two dogs. I will say that our dogs rarely / rarely shed, this is definitely helpful and they are quick to reach for spilled food when we are not quick enough.
WEDNESDAY IS VACUUM DAY
Why do I vacuum on Wednesdays? Because I have dust on Tuesdays. Dust settles down, and vacuuming is the best way to remove it from your home. Find a vacuum cleaner that is right for your budget and home. Regardless of which vacuum cleaner is picking up the dirt and keeping your floors clean, use it and put it in your weekly cleaning routine. I also like to use a broom or street sweeper between vacuums to keep the floors clean between weekly vacuums.
THURSDAY IS FLOOR WASHING DAY
I wash floors on Thursdays because all hard floors were thoroughly vacuumed the day before on Wednesday. I realize it would be even more thorough to vacuum and wash all of the floors in the same day, but it takes so long, don’t you agree? Years ago when I developed my cleaning routine, I split it up and vacuumed the floors on Wednesdays and washed the floors on Thursdays. Do I have to vacuum again on Thursdays? No. I check the floors before I wash the floor, but rarely do I have to vacuum again. Re-vacuuming is minimal and is usually done in the kitchen under the kitchen table or across the island. Curious how I wash floors? Check out this post.
IF THIS ISN’T WORKING FOR YOU, WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Definitely let my routine work for you. If you can’t get over the delay between vacuuming and washing the floor, here are some ideas on how to use it for your schedule and cleaning preferences.
- Vacuum late Wednesday evening and wash floors early Thursday
- Vacuum + wash the floors in one half of your home on Wednesday and the other half on Thursday (this can be split up by level or room).
- Vacuum and wash the bathroom floors on Monday (if you clean the bathrooms) and divide the rest up either by day or by room
Set up a cleaning routine that works with your schedule, not against it!
Tell me? Do you get used to the routine? What adjustments have you made? Share in the comments! New here? Here is my home page and my cleaning favorites page – welcome! And if you haven’t checked what’s in my cleaning closet, click here!
