Are you tired of the constant struggle to maintain a clean house, and are the thoughts of hiring a professional cleaner crossing your mind? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. We’ve been there too. But let me take you on a journey to the zone cleaning system that completely transformed our home and has the potential to do the same for yours! Trust me; it’s a game-changer!
Listen below for the entire episode on The Systemize Your Life Podcast
The Journey to Creating Our Zone Cleaning System
Our journey to the zone cleaning system we use today was not an easy one. Years ago, my husband and I found ourselves struggling to maintain a clean house. It reached a stage where we contemplated hiring a professional cleaner. However, this option seemed financially challenging.
Additionally, we had a strong desire to model essential cleaning skills to our children. I fondly recall my own mother teaching me how to clean when I was a little girl, even though it wasn’t my favorite activity back then. Now, as an adult, I am so incredibly grateful for those lessons.
When we discussed the possibility of hiring a cleaner with our daughter, she pleaded with us not to do so, expressing her love for cleaning with Mom! It was then we decided to put off hiring outside help for the time being. Though we stumbled a bit at first, we eventually crafted a system that has proven remarkably effective for our family, and I firmly believe it could work wonders for yours as well!
Zone Cleaning Made Simple: Our Zone System
We have implemented a five-zone system in our house. By breaking up our house into zones, it ensures every area is covered and cleaned efficiently. This allows us to maintain a consistently clean and organized home.
“By breaking up our house into zones, it ensures every area is covered and cleaned efficiently.”
This approach has proven to be incredibly effective for us. Admittedly, we encountered significant challenges and learned valuable lessons while trying to establish a manageable cleaning routine. Instead of attempting to tackle all tasks every weekend, we decided to create a zone-rotation schedule.
One essential component of this system is dedicating a 2-hour cleaning block each week. Having a designated time slot is crucial, but equally important is knowing precisely how to make the most of that allocated time.
Our Five Zones:
Kitchen and Living Room Zone: Combine cleaning tasks for the kitchen and living room, such as decluttering, dusting, and vacuuming, to optimize efficiency.
Bathroom Zone: Focus on cleaning and sanitizing bathrooms, including the sink, toilet, shower, and surfaces.
Bedroom Zone: Tackle tidying up and dusting in bedrooms, making the beds, and organizing personal belongings.
Bedding Zone: Launder and replace bedding, including sheets, pillowcases, and blankets, to maintain a fresh and cozy sleeping environment.
Backyard and Garage Zone: Extend the cleaning routine to outdoor spaces, sweeping porches, patios, or balconies, and organizing the garage. Any outdoor projects are also in this zone.
Tailoring Your Zone Cleaning Routine to Your Lifestyle
I’ve come up with two zone cleaning options to accommodate different cleaning preferences: one for those who prefer a more relaxed approach and another for those who take a more thorough approach. Before getting into the options, let’s discuss how you can divide your home into cleaning zones. I’ll begin with the zones I’ve outlined, but if you have a larger house, you might need to expand each zone accordingly.
For example, in my house, I find it convenient to combine the kitchen and living room into one zone. These areas are often adjacent or part of an open floor plan, and many of the cleaning supplies needed for both spaces are the same.
Organized for Efficiency: Cleaning Supplies
To further streamline the process, I keep the specific cleaning supplies required for each room within that room itself. For instance, if I’m in the bathrooms while my kids are bathing, I can easily clean the space while being present with them. Similarly, I keep all necessary kitchen cleaning supplies neatly organized in a designated basket, allowing me to know exactly where they are at all times.
Relaxed Zone Cleaning: Keeping Your Home Fresh
For the more relaxed version of this zone cleaning system, you clean one zone per week, completing all zones within a month. On the occasions when there’s a fifth week in a month, I reserve that time for a more extensive cleaning session of the backyard and garage. This goes beyond regular lawn maintenance, such as mowing the grass, which is done on a regular basis.
Instead, it involves organizing the garage and undertaking any major outdoor tasks. If you find that these larger tasks need more frequent attention, you can consider combining them with another zone to make sure they get done. This way, you’ll find a balance that suits your cleaning needs and keeps your house in top-notch condition each month!
In this more relaxed version of the zone cleaning system, you can choose to change your bedding once a month, though some may prefer to do it more frequently. For bathroom upkeep in between the deep clean weeks, I find using disinfectant wipes to be effective for maintaining a sanitized environment.
Customize Your Cleaning Frequency: Two Zones a Week
Now, the second zone cleaning option is designed for those who prefer cleaning each zone more frequently than once a month. In this approach, you can tackle two zones in a single week. For instance, you could clean Zone 1 (kitchen and living room) along with Zone 2 (all the bathrooms) in one week. The following week, you can move on to Zone 3 (bedrooms) and attend to Zone 4 (bedding).
This method proves to be efficient because while you’re in the bedroom, you can conveniently remove the bedding. By the time you finish vacuuming, dusting, and organizing the bedroom, the sheets can be ready to be put back on. With this schedule, you’ll be cleaning each zone twice a month, every single month.
Additionally, you can easily rotate Zone 5 into a week when you might not have many other commitments, making it a seamless part of your cleaning routine. This flexible approach allows you to maintain a consistently clean and organized home while adapting the cleaning frequency to your lifestyle and preferences.
Flexible Cleaning Approach: Doubling Up or Steady Progress
If we’re feeling motivated and have a lot of energy, our goal is to clean two zones in one week. However, our fallback option is to stick with the routine of doing one zone every week. This way, even if we can’t manage two zones in a week, we’ll still make steady progress by consistently tackling one zone at a time. It provides a more manageable and achievable alternative to fall back on when needed.
Cleaning Routine: From Nagging to Nailing It
Each week I add the zone cleaning block to our Google Calendar, specifying which zone needs attention during that block. This way, both Blaine and I know exactly what area we’re cleaning without the need for further discussion. We come together as a family during the designated time frame. With everyone’s help, we can complete the tasks in less than two hours! This organized approach transforms the cleaning process into a well-oiled machine. This zone cleaning method eliminates the annoyance and peskiness of cleaning that used to nag us constantly.
Teamwork for Tidiness: Enlisting Household Help
I understand that many, especially stay-at-home moms, take house cleaning and care very seriously. It’s common to feel overwhelmed and like you’re drowning in cleaning chores. If this resonates with you, don’t hesitate to seek help! You can openly talk to your husband about implementing a new cleaning system and ask him to help.
Negotiate a day of the week that works well for both of you. After that, you can divide the tasks within the zones together. It doesn’t have to be a complicated or lengthy process when asking for help! Be confident in the systems you’re creating to manage your home! Don’t feel the need to apologize for seeking support. Together, with a well-planned system in place, you’ll find cleaning becomes much more manageable and enjoyable.
Embrace the Zone Cleaning System: A Quick Recap
Let’s recap the key elements of the zone cleaning system to create a cleaner and more organized home:
- Create Zones: Divide your house into five distinct zones to efficiently cover every area. The five zones that work for my family are: Kitchen and Living Room, Bathroom, Bedroom, Bedding, and the Backyard and Garage.
- Schedule: Implement a zone-rotation schedule and dedicate a 2-hour cleaning block each week for effective cleaning. Remember, you can choose between a more relaxed approach or a more frequent one. You can choose to tackle one or two zones each week.
- Teamwork for Tidiness: Enlist household help and communicate with your family to make cleaning a collective effort!
By embracing this zone cleaning system, you’ll transform cleaning from a nagging chore into a seamless and well-planned routine. Remember, there’s no need to feel overwhelmed; you can choose the pace that suits your lifestyle and preferences best.
Looking to Learn More Cleaning Tips?
Looking for more information on my cleaning schedule and the natural products I use? Be sure to check out this blog post. Want to learn how to stay on top of the dreaded laundry, dishes, and toilets? Check out the blog post, 3 Simple Systems To Optimize Your Cleaning Routine.
If you ever need assistance or want to share your experiences, don’t hesitate to reach out. Feel free to join our FREE Systemize Your Life Facebook community to connect with others on this journey. If you’re eager to achieve a clean and organized home, explore my Systemize Your Life Complete Home Management System.
Embrace the zone cleaning system, and together, we’ll create homes that radiate cleanliness and comfort! I’m excited to hear from you and see the remarkable changes this system can bring to your home and family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have any resources to help with creating a schedule?
Absolutely! Discover the power of time blocking with my free workbook. It is designed to help you create effective time blocks for a successful day-to-day life. I incorporate fundamental needs into my weekly schedule, including essential tasks like cleaning. For a deeper understanding of your fundamental needs, begin your journey with this insightful workbook!
