With the arrival of the new year, there’s no better time to refresh your home and start afresh. Cleaning your home from top to bottom can set a positive tone for the year ahead. But it doesn’t have to be a massive one that would break you back. You can follow this cleaning schedule for the New Year and really divide up the chores based on your daily schedule.
New Year is a great time to get a head start on your spring cleaning and have little to no cleaning needed when the time comes because you already have a squeaky clean home!!! This schedule starts right after Thanksgiving and ends right before Christmas.
This is one of the few planners I love you use for my to-do lists.
Thanksgiving Weekend
Before you dive into deep cleaning take your sweet time to declutter all the spaces, making piles for items to keep, donate, or discard. Set achievable cleaning and organizing goals for the year.
Related Topic: Home Declutter Tips for New Year
Week 1: Kitchen
I usually give a whole week to myself to clean and organize the kitchen to start fresh in the new year. My kitchen is always the busiest with all kinds of stuff. These are the lists of tasks I focus on in week 1.
- Clean out the refrigerator and toss expired items.
- Organize pantry shelves and check for expired goods.
- Buy missing/wanted organizer bins for the kitchen.
- Stock up on food for the New Year
- Scrub the oven and stovetop.
- Clean kitchen cabinets inside and out.
- Scrub and sanitize countertops.
- Clean appliances like the microwave and dishwasher.
- Mop the kitchen floor.
Week 2: Bedroom and Bathrooms
I usually keep my bedroom fairly decluttered throughout the year because I don’t like to have a ton of stuff in a place where I relax and sleep. However, there are still things to freshen up for the New Year.
- Wash all bedding and curtains.
- Dust and wipe down all surfaces.
- Vacuum floors and carpets.
- Organize closets and donate or store unused items.
- Deep clean under the bed.
- Clean mirrors and windows.
- Rotate your mattress.
My least favorite space of all. Bathrooms!!!!
- Scrub and disinfect the toilet.
- Clean the shower and bathtub.
- Wipe down bathroom surfaces, including counters and sinks.
- Organize medicine cabinets and under-sink storage.
- Clean mirrors and windows.
- Wash bath mats and shower curtains.
- Mop the bathroom floor.
Week 3: Living Room and Playroom
This is my favorite part of the house to declutter and decorate for the New Year. Every year I like to change the living room decor a bit and to bring a new vibe to the space.
- Dust all surfaces and wipe down electronics.
- Vacuum and/or clean upholstery.
- Clean windows and blinds.
- Organize and declutter shelves and entertainment centers. Vacuum rugs and carpets.
- Clean and polish wood furniture.
- Refresh room decors
The New Year is the prime time when I do the biggest toy decluttering and a playroom full reset for both of my kids.
- Declutter old toys
- Sanitize toys
- wipe down surfaces and vacuum
- Rotate Toys
- Inspect for Wear and Tear
- Deep clean
Week 4: Garage
I dread this week every year because I give little to no attention to my garage throughout the year and it becomes the catch-all space for all our leftovers. So I always do it at last and spend some significant time to get it straight by following this list of tasks.
- Declutter
- Clean Surfaces
- Organize
- Clean and organize power tools and equipment
- Safely store chemicals and hazardous materials in a designated area
- Organize sporting equipment like bikes, balls, and outdoor gear
- Clean and organize gardening tools and supplies
- Store seasonal items such as holiday decorations neatly
- Trash and Recycle
- Sweep or vacuum the garage floor
