My Simple and Minimal Weekly Cleaning Routine for a Dust-Free Home
Full disclosure: I enjoy cleaning. But I used to clean when things were dirty. I waited until there was a layer of dust. I waited until I had an overflowing laundry basket of towels to wash them. By the time I finally finished cleaning, I was exhausted. So I created cleaning schedules to keep me on track. I have a quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily cleaning schedule. Today, I’m going to share with you my weekly cleaning routine.
Is it a little extreme to have four cleaning schedules? To some people it might. But each schedule has specific chores that when separated never overwhelm me. And I know that by following these routines, my home is always going to be clean.
There are of course times when I skip cleaning. I might be away or have a lot of work. But I try not to skip routines more than once. Once isn’t going to make your home a mess. Consistent skips will.
Here is how I breakdown my weekly cleaning routine and what I focus on
Dusting
One of the things I focus on during my weekly cleaning routine is dusting. Dust accumulates quickly, especially in poorly ventilated rooms. This is because it has nowhere to go except on the nearest surfaces where it sticks and adds up.
Dust also accumulates in areas where there are a lot of electronics. Ever notice how fast your TV collects dust or the area where you keep your laptop? Electronic devices are magnets for dust and should be cleaned regularly. This keeps the dust from disrupting the interior workings of the machine.
Here are the surfaces I focus on dusting once a week:
TV + stand
Desk
Dresser
Bed frame
Filing cabinet
Side tables
Nightstands
Coffee table
I dust my filing cabinet once a week because my printer sits on top of it. And since my printer is an electronic device, my filing cabinet tends to get rather dusty.
Each of these surfaces varies on how much dust they collect in a week. When I dust my TV and its stand, I also dust the top of my cable box. I like dusting first so it knocks all the dust that doesn’t cling to my microfiber towel to the ground. You’ll see why below.
When dusting, it’s always good practice to go from top to bottom. This way you’re not having to dust more than once. For example, my nightstands sit beside my bed. I dust the bed frame first so if any dust falls on the nightstands, I collect it when I clean those next.
Wiping
After I finish dusting, I switch to wiping down certain surfaces. This is when I use my All Purpose cleaner. The areas that get wiped down with a few sprays of this cleaner include:
Mirrors
Bathroom counter
Sink basin + faucet
Exterior of toilet
Kitchen counters
Dining table
Outside of appliances (stove, dishwasher, microwave, fridge)
Again, I’m not scrubbing hard. I’m simply spraying the area, letting it sit for a few seconds, and then cleaning it up with a microfiber towel. And you don’t have to use different cleaners for different rooms. Invest in an All-Purpose cleaner or make one yourself with white distilled vinegar and water. I think we underestimate how powerful vinegar is. If you hate the smell, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to dilute the scent.
I use Young Living’s Thieves Household Cleaner. It’s non-toxic and cleans so many types of surfaces. One bottle lasts months and if I’m waiting for a new shipment, I use good old white vinegar and water in its place.
Sweeping + Vacuuming
The last thing I’ll do during my weekly cleaning routine is sweep, vacuum, and if need be, mop. Though mopping I usually save for my monthly cleaning routine. This is why I say dust first. The dust that doesn’t collect on the rag will fall to the floor, which you’ll get when you vacuum.
The areas I focus on sweeping include:
Kitchen
Dining area
Bathroom
If any of those floors are dirtier than usual, I’ll mop them. But again, I mop once a month. So unless I spilled a massive amount of stuff on the floors, I can hold off on mopping at this stage.
Then I’ll vacuum the:
Living room
Bedroom
If you don’t have carpet in your living room, give that a quick sweep. Or if you just have a rug, run the vacuum over it. I do recommend vacuuming when you do your weekly cleaning routine. Only because a lot of stuff falls and collects on your rugs and carpets. And if you walk on them with your shoes on, you’re bringing in a ton of dirt and bacteria from outside.
Honestly, the sweeping and vacuuming take me the longest to complete. If you have a lot of rooms to vacuum, break them up throughout the week. Vacuum the first-floor rooms on Monday and the second-floor rooms on Tuesday. Do what will be easiest for you.
I wanted to see how long all this took me and timed myself. Together, this weekly cleaning routine took me 42 minutes to complete. Less than an hour to a clean and dust-free home. Mind you, I’m a single person with a small living space. If you have a larger home and more rooms it might take a little longer. But still, your weekly cleaning routine shouldn’t take more than 90 minutes.
That’s why I love keeping to schedules. I don’t have to clean as hard because I know the surface is pretty clean already. And this makes the process of cleaning a lot faster and easier. This weekly cleaning routine has kept the dust at bay and my air clearer. I do want to note that sometimes I’ll do this routine every other week.
It depends on the time of year. During the winter and summer when the air and heat are on more often, I will dust weekly. But when the windows are open more in the fall and spring, every other week is sufficient enough.
What you put on your weekly cleaning routine may be different than mine. The key is not to put too much on this schedule. Focus on the areas and surfaces that get dusty the fastest. And if you miss a week, don’t beat yourself up. Simply make it a priority the following week.
Keeping your home consistently clean rather than cleaning when something is dirty will save you a ton of time and energy. So create as many different cleaning schedules and routines as you need to. Happy cleaning!
What’s your least favorite thing to clean? Do you follow a cleaning schedule or do you clean when things are dirty? Share your answers in the comments below.
