When I lived in my 875-square-foot condo, deep cleaning was a breeze. I could knock it out in just a few hours and feel like the whole place sparkled. Then during COVID, we upgraded to a 1,600-square-foot house with a backyard. It’s almost double the space, but funny enough—everyone who visits still says, “Wow, your house is always so clean!”
This post is dedicated to my bestie, who’s constantly asking how I manage it. The truth? I track my time and my tasks. Here’s the breakdown of what my cleaning routine really looks like.
My Approach
- I only count deep cleaning tasks here (things like scrubbing bathrooms, mopping floors, or gardening projects).
- I don’t include daily “pick up” items like doing dishes or folding blankets.
- I time everything so I know where my hours go.
- Bonus: I have a robot vacuum that runs 3x a week in the main areas and 2x a week in the bedrooms/hallway, which saves me a ton of time.
Monthly Breakdown
June (7.3 hours)
- Kitchen: 10 min
- Bathrooms: 45 min
- Floors: 45 min
- Windows: 30 min
- Dust/counters: 1 hr
- Garden projects: 4 hr 10 min
July (4.4 hours)
- Kitchen: 10 min
- Bathrooms: 1 hr
- Floors: 45 min
- Car wash: 1.5 hr
- Gardening: 1 hr
August (so far, 3.2 hours)
- Bathrooms: 55 min
- Floors: 1 hr
- Dog wash: 20 min
- Gardening: 55 min
What the Data Shows
Looking at the numbers, my pattern is pretty consistent:
- Bathrooms: 2x a month
- Floors (mop/baseboards): 1x a month
- Dog wash: 1x a month
- Car wash: 1x a month
- Gardening: ~1 hour a month (plus big projects)
- Windows: 1x a year
- Kitchen deep clean: ~15 min task once a month
- Dust/counters: every other month
Teamwork Makes It Easier
I’ll be honest—my husband helps too. He takes care of:
- Walking Messi (our dog) every day, about 40 minutes.
- Maintenance on our cars and bikes.
- Occasionally helping with the car wash and garden projects.
Meanwhile, I handle the bulk of house cleaning. When I add it up, I spend about 6 hours a month on deep cleaning—less than 1.5 hours a week. Considering he spends almost 20 hours a month walking Messi, I’d say the deal works out pretty well in my favor (let’s hope he doesn’t read this post, haha).
Final Thoughts
Keeping a bigger house clean doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By tracking my tasks and spreading them out, I know exactly how much time I really spend—and it’s way less than people think.
The secret?
- A robot vacuum.
- Consistency (a little each week adds up).
- Dividing chores in a way that works for both of us.
So yes, my house may look spotless, but behind the scenes it’s just a simple system that gives me the best return on my time.
Optimize with Jacqueline 
Leave a comment