Minimalist Cleaning Routine
Here, we embrace simplicity and minimalism. Gone are the days of spending endless hours cleaning and laundry. A minimalist lifestyle saves time and brings a sense of accomplishment from a clean, organized home. This minimalist cleaning routine takes me around 30 minutes per task per day. In addition, I do a 5-10 evening reset. Let’s dive into my daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and quarterly cleaning routine.
First and foremost, the key to a simplified cleaning routine is to own fewer items. The less we own, the less time we spend cleaning and moving things around. If you are overwhelmed with mess and clutter in your home, start with my 21-day declutter challenge. It will help you begin removing items you no longer use or love, making your cleaning routine even more efficient.
Every day looks the same, and I try to keep the same routine, so I do not spend much time cleaning daily or on the weekends. So, let’s start with my daily. 
Daily:
- If I left a few clean dishes from the night before, I put them away while my coffee brews.
- Wash dishes and let them dry on one side of the sink.
- Remove clutter and wipe down the kitchen counter.
- Wipe down the dining table.
- 10-minute reset before bed, which includes putting clean dishes away and doing a walk-through around the home tidying up.
As needed:
- Throw out the trash from the kitchen.
- Take out the recycle.
Mondays:
Two loads of laundry, one load of color tops, and one load of color bottoms. Wash, fold, and put away. (It takes 1 hour, but you don’t spend the hour because the washing machine and dryer do the work.) It takes less than 15 minutes to put it in the washer and dryer, fold it, and put it away.
We have a really simple wardrobe, and we declutter often and practice the one-in-one-out rule. We have eight loads of laundry for a family of three, including bed sheets and towels.
- One load of color tops
- One load of color bottoms
- One load of jeans
- One load of whites
- One load of towels and hand towels
- One load of bed sheets
- One load of baby clothes
- One load of microfiber cloths, kitchen hand towels, and restroom hand towels (every other week)
Tuesdays:
- Clean restroom, which includes sink and toilet. (no tub that is monthly) (15 minutes.)
- Throw out trash from restrooms.
Wednesday:
- One load of baby clothes. Wash, fold, and put away.
- Sweep and mop floors.
- Sweep and mop restroom floors. (Total of 30 minutes)
Thursday:
- Wash two loads of laundry, one load of jeans, and one load of white clothes. Fold and put away.
Friday:
- Vacuum upstairs and the stairs. (15 minutes)
Saturday:
- Sweep and mop. (25 min.) You are not sweeping or mopping the floor restrooms. You do not need to do this again if your house is not dirty. If you have kids or pets, then yes.
Sunday:
- Wash bed sheets and towels. The best way to end the weekend is with clean bed sheets.
Bi-weekly:
- Clean the refrigerator before I pick up the curbside. (Thursday or Friday)
- Wipe down the outside of the fridge and stove.
- Wash restroom floor mats. (Wednesday when I sweep and mop)
I spread the monthly and quarterly tasks out during the week, but you can do it all with a speed clean.
Monthly:
- Dust ceiling fans.
- Dust the headboard of our bed.
- Dust TV stand.
- Clean tub.
For quarterly, so you remember to do it as soon we start a new season.
Quarterly:
- Dust blinds.
- Dust or wash light fixtures.
- Wipe cabinets.
- Wipe doors.
- Baseboards.
- Clean the oven.
- Change the shower curtain.
You can also do the quarterly task when you have more time or prefer to do it more often.
Final thoughts
My minimalist cleaning routine can serve as a blueprint for creating your simple cleaning routine. Remember, you can always get ahead if you have the time or energy, but try not to miss more than one day. Depending on your family size and the age of your children, they can also contribute to the household chores, such as taking care of their rooms, washing their dishes, and putting away their clean clothes. I’d love to hear from you in the comments about how long it takes you to clean your home.