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Are You Still Trying To Clean Your Home Without Using House Cleaning Checklists? (Then You're Slowing Yourself Down And Wasting Time)
House cleaning checklists are magical!
Although just having them doesn't mean you can just wave a magic wand - shout...
Expelliarmus!
Dirt and grime doesn't disappear from your home like that - unfortunately. No - the checklist is just the start.
Remember, the goal of this website is to help you to create a home that is quick and easy to clean. Having house cleaning checklists is the foundation of that goal. So, to help you get started, we have a tool you can use to make your own checklists...
In this article, we also provide 3 examples of checklists below to help you get started.
The idea of having checklists came to me intuitively. Back in 2011 I forgot my phone in a public bathroom. Of-course, on return to retrieve forgotten phone - it was gone. There was some bad language and some crying then frenzied online password changes for online banking and emails.
From that day on, I've had a mental checklist running through my head anytime I leave a space. Especially a bathroom.
It goes like this...
- Cards,
- Keys,
- Phone.
Cards for money, and drivers license. Keys so I don't get locked out, and my poor phone which I had the tendency to leave in the weirdest places.
The idea of checklists was further cemented by Atul Gawande's book The Checklist Manifesto. His book shows that as the jobs of professionals become more complex, mistakes are inevitable.
Based on his research with pilots and people who build skyscrapers, Gawande adopted checklists in his area of expertise - surgery. It was extremely successful.
Why am I telling you all this?
To tell you what I know for sure. If you want to do something right every time you need a checklist. My mental checklist keeps me from forgetting things. Having house cleaning checklists reminds me to not forget those overlooked spaces in my home, which collect dust.
House cleaning checklists keeps you on track, you don't have to wonder if you vacuumed yesterday. It makes sure that everything is covered and can serve as a how to for cleaning.
For example, you can have a checklist of all the things that need to be done to make sure the refrigerator gets cleaned the way you want it. Or a checklist to clean and disinfect frequently touched spaces and items.
So to clean house you need multiple house cleaning checklists. A list for daily household chores. Another for weekly chores and others for every room in the house. Even a cleaning checklist for cleaning the toilet will be helpful.
Here's another example of a cleaning checklist for your bedroom.
Look - I know that lists upon lists sounds a bit overwhelming, but there is a way to keep all of this under control. Simply think of yourself as a project manager rather than a stuff manager when it comes to your house cleaning checklists. Also use the tools in a project manager's toolkit to get yourself sorted.
Before I end this article, here is sample version of a kitchen cleaning checklist in a pdf format.
Keep It Clean!
In the ebook, How to Keep it Clean! An Action Guide for Cleaning and Organizing Your Home, you will find comprehensive house cleaning checklists like the ones in this article.
Also, remember that you can make your own house cleaning checklists here. Be sure to read the instructions. One caveat though: this works best with Chrome web browser so if you are using any other browser your result will look different.
You may also be interested in...
Agile House Cleaning Project Management Tools
How To Use David Allen's 2-Minute Productivity Rule To Get Your House Cleaning Done
Follow this Tutorial to Make Your Own High-Touch Surfaces Cleaning Checklist.
Home : House Cleaning Checklists
