Last Updated on July 29, 2020 by Keri
Are you struggling to keep your house clean? Do you feel like you are just chasing your tail in circles because you don’t know where to start, and everything feels like it has begun to pile up?
I know exactly how you feel!
I used to spend a whole day cleaning my house. This would leave me feeling extremely tired and irritable. Sometimes, I would get myself worked up into such an angry state, that no one could talk to me without me snapping at them. Sometimes, it feels like all the housework falls on my shoulders, and I know you probably feel the exact same way!
When I started my Bullet Journal a few months ago, one of the first things I added to mine was different cleaning layouts. Determined to find a system that would work better than my current system, I played around with different layouts, and eliminated layouts I felt weren’t benefiting me.
Now, I am down to three very basic layouts, and they all serve a different purpose to me! Since implementing them, my house is more organized and cleaner, and I don’t have to spend full days cleaning!
If you are ready to change up your cleaning routine, then consider adding these spreads to your Bullet Journal!
Why do I like to keep a clean house?
I have yet to meet anyone who actually loves to clean their house. Most people I know do it because it is part of life! Someone has to do it! No matter how much I hate it, there is no denying that I love having a clean house. Sometimes, I like to remind myself of why I like my space to be clean as a way of motivating me!
1. It reduces my anxiety!
Many studies show that a clean environment can help reduce stress and anxiety, and I find this to be very true!
When I was fourteen, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and over the years, I have learned many different coping methods. The one thing that I have changed in my life where I have seen a serious improvement in my anxiety levels is how clean my environment is!
When I come home, everything is clean and organized, allowing me to come home and feel relaxed. I can cook Dinner knowing everything is clean, and in its place ready to be used.
2. Hosting excites me now!
Whenever my husband would come home and say, “so and so are coming over for dinner”, I would immediately panic! I expect my house to look a certain way for any company, and when my house did not meet that expectation, I would literally go into panic mode.
Since introducing the Bullet Journal into my life, and more specifically, my cleaning layouts, I no longer have this sense of panic. My house is almost always ready for company, and if it isn’t, it would only take fifteen minutes to get ready. Everything is just so streamlined for us now!
3. My house is organized!
Keeping a clean house has helped us stay more organized than we ever used to be! Plus, the more organized we are, the easier it is to keep the house clean!
Each year, we spend some time getting rid of stuff we no longer need, and the stuff we decide to keep has to have a home. By giving everything a home, tidying has become so easy, it is almost second nature to us!
The less clutter you have laying around, the cleaner your house will also feel. If you decide to keep something, perhaps finding a more permanent home for it would help.
4. Downtime can actually be enjoyed!
Have you ever sat down to watch the t.v show you recorded two weeks ago, but felt so guilty the second you sat down because your housework feels neglected?
I think we have all been there!
Since I started utilizing my Bullet Journal as a tool to help me stay on top of my housework, I feel like I can actually enjoy my downtime! On top of that, since I am more productive, I find I actually have more downtime than I did before!
5. Sense of accomplishment!
Since implementing these cleaning layouts, I feel so much more accomplished. I can actually go to bed with some peace of mind, knowing I am staying on top of my housework.
Having a solid cleaning plan will also help you be more productive. Instead of spending fifteen minutes deciding what needs to be cleaned, you can get straight to the tasks at hand for that day. This focus will allow you to accomplish more in less time, and will give you a sense of accomplishment once everything is complete!
What are my go-to cleaning layouts in my Bullet Journal?
When it comes to my Bullet Journal, I like to keep things fairly simple! For this reason, I have streamlined a cleaning routine with the use of three simple layouts! These layouts don’t take very long to set up, and don’t require that many supplies to get started! Let’s take a look!
Create your monthly cleaning tracker!
The way I have personally set up this tracker is to go along with each of my monthly layouts. This layout definitely takes the longest to set up, however, there are some steps you could skip to make this really fast to set up! (*The picture of the final layout is below the instructions!)
Step 1- The Header
Since I like to break my tracker up by each room of the house, it is a fairly long list. For this reason, I set up my tracker by turning my journal sideways (I personally go clockwise from the left).
Start by writing your header at the top of the page. I usually just call mine “cleaning tracker”.
Step 2- The Days Of The Month
Determine how many days of the month there are. Go to the far right side of the page, and write down the last day of the month. In this example, I am creating my February tracker, so I start at 28.
Work your way back towards the left side of the page until you reach 1.
Step 3- Use A Ruler To Create Your Chart Outline
Using a ruler, draw a straight line underneath your days of the month. The line should only go under your days of the month, not any further.
Next, draw a straight line down the length of your page behind the 1 from your days of the week.
Step 4- List Out Your Rooms and The Cleaning Tasks Associated With Each
You should have a large open space to the left of your chart. This is where you will record each room of the house and the general cleaning tasks associated with each. I only list out the tasks that I want to complete on a daily or weekly basis.
I leave all my semi-annual or annual tasks for another layout.
Step 5- Highlight Each Room (Optional)
This step is optional but easy to do! This will provide your tracker with some separation from the rooms, and the actual tasks.
Using a highlighter or marker, highlight the entire grid line across the page that your room is listed on.
Step 6- Make Your Dots Stand Out (Optional)
This is the step that makes the setup of this layout so time-consuming, and is definitely optional!
The dot grid is a very light grey color, which is perfect to avoid distraction on the layouts. However, in the case of this tracker, since I am going to be checking off those boxes, I want the dots to stand out more.
I take one of my black pens and holding it straight up and down, I add a dark black dot on top of the existing dot. I only do this inside the chart to help everything stand out!
How has this tracker helped me?
Often times, we get busy with everything going on in our lives. We have jobs, families, and friends. We have social functions, appointments and more! As a result of our day to day lives, sometimes our housework falls to the wayside.
The next time you have a spare hour to clean, you will oftentimes find yourself thinking, “when was the last time I cleaned _____?” or “has _______ been cleaned at all this month?” You end up spending so much time just trying to figure out what needs the most attention, that you waste the small amount of time you do have to get a task done!
The other pitfall and the one I definitely struggled the most with was the feeling of guilt. If I couldn’t remember the last time something had been done, I would often find myself in a rush to clean the entire house top to bottom out of frustration! This was making me extremely grumpy, and wasting my time.
Since implementing the tracker, I can see at a quick glance the last time I accomplished a certain task, and what needs my attention the most! This allows me to focus my time and energy on completing the task, instead of stressing about everything else.
It has also been extremely helpful in delegating tasks to my husband. When he asks what he can help me with, I can look at my tracker and give him a task right away before I lose his attention. Let’s face it, if I told him I would give him a task in 30 minutes, he will be completely distracted by the time I find a task for him! This has improved our teamwork, and our house is just staying so much cleaner as a result!
If you are going to implement any of these layouts, the monthly cleaning tracker is the one I would highly recommend!
10 Minute Tasks Layout
Do you find you have lots of small-time blocks of space that you don’t know what to do with? These times often pop up while I am cooking dinner, or right before I have to leave for work. What if you had a handy list of quick and easy 10-minute cleaning tasks that you could complete!
When I first created this layout, I honestly was not sure how often I would find myself referring back to it. I was a little worried this would become a forgotten spread. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find I actually used it quite often!
When I complete one of these small tasks, I feel so accomplished! Sure I could have sat on my phone for ten minutes, but instead, I did a small task that I won’t have to worry about later! Our home now feels much cleaner overall.
This layout is a basic list style format, but you could easily make your’s much fancier.
Step 1- Create Your Header
Pick your favorite pen or brush pen, and create your header! If you want to keep it basic, you can title it – 10 Minute Cleaning Tasks.
Step 2- Decide How You Are Going To List Everything
Personally, I decided to break my tasks up by each room of the house.
You could separate yours based on priority, or frequency that it needs to be completed!
Step 3- Create Your List
Get creative with your list! You can definitely list the tasks you like to complete on a daily or weekly basis, but try to take it even further by adding some tasks that you don’t normally do!
On my list, I included things like wiping the cabinet faces in a certain room or taking my car for a quick bath.
Step 4- Make Sure To Leave Enough Space Between Your Lists
Hopefully, you will come up with some other ideas, and you will want to come back and add to your list. Make sure you have left yourself enough room to be able to do that!
When Was The Last Time I…?
There are certain household tasks that don’t need to be completed very often. Things like washing walls and window sills only need to be done once or twice a year. For this reason, I find a When Was The Last Time I…? spread extremely useful!
Again, this layout is extremely simple, so it should take you no time to set up!
Step 1- Create Your Header
With your favorite pen or brush pen, write out the header at the top of your page!
Step 2- List Out The Tasks
Brainstorm what household tasks only need to be completed every few months, or even just once a year! Be sure to leave some space between each item!
Step 3- Draw Out Lines Below The Task
Using a ruler, draw out some lines below each task. This provides you the space to write out the date you complete the task!
How Have These Spreads Helped Me Stay On Track
Each of the layouts I have shown you offer something very unique, and when used in combination with each other can be extremely beneficial.
Since implementing these cleaning layouts, I find that I am much more productive with my cleaning time. I do not spend nearly as much time determining what needs to be done. The time can be spent “doing” instead!
These layouts also hold me accountable. If you are an avid list maker like myself, and you enjoy checking off completed tasks, you could find these extremely helpful.
Do you include cleaning layouts in your Bullet Journal? If so, what do you include, and how have they helped you stay more consistent with your housework?
Thanks for joining me today! I hope you feel inspired to create your cleaning layouts!
Until next time!
