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The 30-Day Cleaning Challenge
Welcome to the 30-day house cleaning challenge, crafted for those who are not fond of cleaning yet long for a spick-and-span home. Sound contradictory, right? I think my biggest issue with cleaning is that we often let clutter get so bad that it often seems overwhelming to even start cleaning.
As advised by my mother, tackling one small task at a time can lead to substantial progress. With this wisdom in mind, the idea of breaking down house cleaning into manageable, day-to-day tasks sparked. Why not make it exciting and transform it into a 30-day cleaning challenge that even friends will be eager to join?
The 30-day house cleaning challenge is a simple and effective way to deep clean every room in your home, as well as those little places that you often neglect, like baseboards and air vents. The challenge consists of doing one or two small tasks every day for an entire month.
Now, depending on your home size, 30 days might be excessive. Perhaps, you just need 30 minutes. This challenge isn’t designed to stretch your cleaning chores over a month only to find your home in disarray by the end of it. Rather, the aim is to alleviate the pressure of knowing where to start.
Thus, I’ve segmented the 30-day cleaning tasks into a checklist. If you want to speed up or start elsewhere then, by all means, go for it! No matter how you end up with a clean home, you win the challenge!
The Benefits of the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge
Consider how it would feel to wrap up each day in a tidy home, even amidst a hectic lifestyle. Picture a kitchen devoid of dirty dishes and a laundry room free of guilt-inducing piles. This is the vision our 30-day cleaning challenge aims to actualize. This unique method dissects the intimidating task of deep cleaning your entire house into feasible daily missions. Today, you may find yourself wiping down ceiling fans; tomorrow, you may be scrubbing the bathtub. By the time you conclude the challenge, every corner – even overlooked spaces such as the interior of your washing machine or hard-to-access air vents – would have been addressed.
Joining this challenge also comes with several more benefits:
- Saving Time & Money: Discover how natural, homemade cleaning products can be both safe and effective.
- Improved Health: Reduce dust, allergens, bacteria, and odors in your home.
- Boost Mood & Productivity: Revel in a pleasant and inviting environment that boosts your mood and productivity.
- Increased Home Enjoyment: Say goodbye to clutter, stains, grime, and dirt that make your home look dull and you’ll be less stressed.
Getting Started: Necessary Supplies
Before starting, you’ll need to gather some cleaning supplies. While some items, like a vacuum cleaner and paper towels, are likely already in your home, others, like a magic eraser, might need to be added to your arsenal. These are some of my favorite tools for cleaning that I think you’ll love, and you might almost look forward to using them!
- Disinfectant Wipes
- Baking Soda
- White Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Scrub Brush
- O’Cedar Mop and Bucket System – The genius part of this system is the spinner that drains soapy water off of the mop. You can decide just how wet you need the mop to be depending on the floor and how dirty it is. I use diluted All Purpose cleaner (like Lysol or Mrs. Meyers) on my non-wood floors and Murphy Oil Soap on the wood floors.
- Microfiber Cloths – You can grab a dozen of these from Amazon and they are great for pretty much anything, but especially for cleaning your appliances and windows. No streaks! Use them wet for cleaning and dry for dusting.
- Cordless Vacuum for Hard Floors and Thin Rugs– I’ve used this cordless vacuum in my home for YEARS and I love it. It’s quiet, the charge lasts more than long enough for me to do all my laminate floors and it picks up nearly everything (except kitty litter, but if you just pop off the extension, you can get it!). This also works PERFECTLY on my thinner Ruggable rug.
- Vacuum for Plush Rugs & Carpet – On the more plush rugs and carpets in my home, I use this canister vacuum made by Dyson, an old model. It’s pricey but I’ve always loved it.
- Reusable Spray Bottles – I always buy multi-purpose cleaners that need to be diluted with water. I love Lysol Multi-Purpose cleaner and I’ve also used Mrs. Meyers (I love the Geranium scent!).
- Magic Erasers – You can’t beat a Magic Eraser for cleaning the tub. Sorry, but you just can’t. And there are a million other things you can use these for, too.
- Murphy Oil Soap – I use this, diluted, on a microfiber cloth on wood furniture.
The 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Schedule
Day 1: Ceiling Fans
Use a vacuum cleaner attachment to remove loose dust, then a damp cloth for the remaining dirt.
Day 2: Light Fixtures
Clean with a soft, clean cloth and warm water. For stainless steel fixtures, polish them with a dry cloth after cleaning.
Day 3: Window Sills and Blinds
Dust off with a dry cloth first, then use a damp microfiber cloth to remove any remaining dirt.
Day 4: Door Handles and Light Switches
Use disinfectant wipes or a cloth soaked in a mixture of warm water and vinegar.
Day 5: Kitchen Cabinet
Get rid of expired food. Wipe down the cupboards with a clean cloth and warm water mixed with a little soap.
Day 6: Linen Closet
Remove everything, clean the shelves, then put back only what you need. Donate or discard unused items.
Day 7: Wash Bedding and Medicine Cabinet
Check the care label on each piece of bedding. Don’t forget to fluff the pillows after drying! Clean and organize medicine cabinet. Throw out expired medicines.
Day 8: Clean microwave and stove top
Clean microwave, stove top and oven, including knobs. Remove grates and knobs to clean separately. Scrub the surface with a mixture of baking soda and warm water.
Day 9: Baseboards
Dust them off first, then wipe them with a damp cloth. For stubborn dirt and grime, a little dish soap mixed in warm water can be helpful.
Day 10: Laundry Room
Focus on cleaning the inside and outside of the washing machine, dryer, and lint trap.
Day 11: Dust
All around the house, dust furniture, shelves, picture frames, books, and knickknacks, and clean TV and electronics.
Day 12: Clean Fridge and Freezer
Scrub down the fridge and clean out the freezer. Toss expired food, then organize.
Day 13: Toilets
Thoroughly clean the inside and outside of the toilet using a bathroom cleaner. Don’t forget to wipe down the toilet seat and handle.
Day 14: Trash Cans and Garbage Can
Clean inside and out with a scrub brush and a mixture of warm water and baking soda.
Day 15: Clean Walls
Use a damp cloth to clean. Test a spot to make sure you won’t hurt the paint first. I’ve tried the cleaning hack of cleaning walls with fabric softener diluted with water and it works!
Day 16: Clean Living Room
In the living room, wash cushions, upholstery, and sofa covers, clean throw blankets, rugs, chairs, and tables.
Day 17: Shower & Bathtub
Scrub the shower walls and bathtub with a bathroom cleaner. For stubborn grime, baking soda and warm water can be effective. Clean the shower head with a bag of white vinegar tied around it, leave overnight, then scrub with a brush in the morning.
Day 18: Shower Curtain & Countertops
Check the care label. Some can be washed in the washing machine, while others can be cleaned with a damp cloth and a mild cleaner. While that is in the washer, clean all your bathroom’s counters and clear clutter.
Day 19: Clean Kitchen Sink and Garbage Disposal
Scrub with a paste of baking soda and warm water. For garbage disposal, run with a cup of ice and a half cup of rock salt, then with cold water and a lemon half.
Day 20: Clean Carpets
Vacuum thoroughly. Spot-clean any stains from spills with a carpet cleaner.
Day 21: Air Vents
Vacuum loose dust, then clean with a damp microfiber cloth.
Day 22: Windows
Clean windows with a mixture of white vinegar and warm water. For a streak-free shine, wipe dry with a soft, clean cloth or a newspaper.
Day 23: Keep Up Curb Appeal
Clean front and back patio or porch. Sweep off leaves, discard dead plants, set out new planters if you want.
Day 24: Clean Mattress
Deep-clean mattress, wash pillows, linens, and comforter.
Day 25: Check Air Filter and Smoke Detectors
Check your air filter to see if it needs to be replaced with a clean one or mark the calendar for when its due. Dust off and test smoke detector batteries to make sure they’re working.
Day 26: Clean Floor
Sweep, then mop or steam clean tile grout, if necessary.
Day 27: Clean Towels
Wash in warm water, then dry thoroughly.
Day 28: Wash Clothes
Be sure to sort by color and material.
Day 29: Wash Curtains
Check the care label. Some can be machine-washed, while others need professional cleaning.
Day 30: Clean Dishes
Run the dishwasher, or wash by hand in warm soapy water.
How often should you do the 30-day cleaning challenge?
As the challenge is designed to tackle deep cleaning tasks, it’s probably considered too intense to conduct every month.
Typically, deep cleaning tasks don’t need to be done as frequently as regular cleaning. So, you might consider doing the “30-day spring cleaning challenge”, doing it twice a year, or once each season. This way, you maintain the cleanliness of your home effectively without turning cleaning into an overwhelming chore.
Of course, you should adjust the frequency according to your lifestyle, the size of your home, your personal cleanliness standards, and the number of people (and pets) in your home. For regular upkeep between challenges, you can develop a weekly or daily cleaning routine that covers the essentials.
In conclusion, our innovative 30-day house cleaning challenge provides a manageable and engaging solution to keeping your entire home clean, regardless of your lifestyle’s pace. By breaking down a giant chore list into digestible daily activities, this challenge ensures no corner of your home is overlooked. Whether it’s the dust off your ceiling fans or those hard-to-reach air vents, each day brings a new task to keep your home fresh and tidy. So, step into this transformative journey of cleanliness, and witness how the 30-day house cleaning challenge can change your perspective on maintaining a clean and organized home.
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