The Nit-Picky Checklist

I don't know about you, but I catch a cleaning bug every once in a while. It's not just any cleaning bug; it's more like a rampant virus. I'll start dusting the living room and, before I know it, I'm washing windows, vacuuming curtains, and scrubbing tile grout with a toothbrush. And I had this bad habit of overwhelming my entire family with cleaning checklists, honey-do chores, and slave-driving behavior.

Well, I decided several months ago that I was tired of being overwhelmed {and tired of dragging my husband and kids along for the ride} with all the nit-picky cleaning and organizing tasks around my house. You know the ones I'm talking about: the dust bunnies under the couch, the accumulation of dust on the bathroom light fixtures, or the funny smell coming from the fridge. The every-day chores like vacuuming, sweeping, and laundry are easy. No one has to remind me to do those. It's those nit-picky ones that cause me to become the Wicked Witch of the West, when they all catch up to me.

I created this monthly checklist for myself. It has 30 tasks, one for each day of the month. If a month happens to have 31 days, then I get that 31st day "off" in a sense. February is the only tricky month. I simply try to double-up on tasks for two or three days to make sure everything gets done. My list is printed off and hangs on my fridge, right next to our dry-erase calendar, so I'm sure to see it everyday.

I wanted to share my checklist with you. And please, feel free to adapt it to your own home and family, if you find it useful. It's numbered and each number corresponds with that day of the month.

1. Clean microwave (sometimes I have to do this more than once a month).

2. Clean inside windows and windowsills.

3. Organize pantry.

4. Organize/inventory cleaning supplies.

5. Sweep front porch.

6. Vacuum/dust mop under my bed.

7. Straighten my closet.

8. Dust picture frames throughout the house.

9. Clean oven.

10. Check the linen cabinet.

11. Clean off washer and dryer.

12. Clean out fridge.

13. Go through the junk basket.

14. Straighten a child's closet.

15. Move and dust mop under couches.

16. Iron.

17. Organize/inventory craft closet.

18. Deep clean kitchen sink (I like to make a paste out of Borax and let it sit in the sink for a while, then scrub.)

19. Vacuum curtain tops (we don't have blinds.)

20. Change A/C filter.

21. Dust light fixtures and ceiling fans.

22. Straighten a child's closet.

23. Wipe down couches (we have leather, so I use special leather wipes).

24. Go through the deep freeze.

25. Organize/inventory spice cabinet.

26. Organize school shelves and baskets.

27. Clear and dust computer desk.

28. Straighten my husband's closet.

29. Clean out inside freezer.

30. Clear and dust nightstands.

We are family of four, so everyone's closet gets a good organizing once a month. We also have wood floors throughout our entire house, so there's lots of dust-mopping in our house. And, I should point out that my children are fairly young (5 1/2 and 7). As they get older, many of these tasks, such as straightening their closets, wiping down the couches, and dusting nightstands, will be passed along to them. In fact, my son swept the front porch by himself today, and did a fabulous job!

I share all that, not to make you feel overwhelmed, but hopefully to show how easy it can be to keep all those jobs done that can sometimes go neglected. Most of these tasks, with the exception of cleaning the windows, oven, and light fixtures, take 10 minutes or less. The only one I dread monthly is ironing, but alas, I can no longer ignore it. At least it's not piling up like it used to!

Again, please feel free to adapt this list to your specific needs, if you have found it helpful. 

Written and submitted by Lindsey @ Penny-wise