The periodic table of cleaning

10th January 2008

The periodic table of cleaning

posted in Links, Cleaning |

There are some cleaning tasks we always seem to keep up with, no matter how busy we get. Things like swishing the toilet or dusting a relatively clear flat surface only take a second, and because we notice they need to be done, we do them.

When was the last time you thought about cleaning your stove hood filter though? Yeah… me too. (Especially considering I’ve been renting for the last year and a half.) What about the floors and walls in your pantry? Have you washed your curtains lately?

Because these things need to be done, but only periodically, they are easy to overlook. That’s why I was so (strangely) excited when I found RealSimple’s “Elements of Cleaning.” (PDF) It’s in the style of a periodic table, because the items on it need to be done periodically. Each period of time is represented by a different color, and has two columns of household tasks that should be done during that time.

I printed mine out on card stock and plan to laminate it and put it on my refrigerator. Then, I’ll be able to use a vis-a-vis marker (wet-erase) to check off when I’ve done the things on the chart. For the longer periods of time (like refrigerator interiors need to be cleaned every 3-6 months, or drapes should be professionally cleaned every year or two) I can mark the date on it too.

How do you keep track of your periodic cleaning tasks?

If you didn’t have a good way to do it before, hopefully this will help!

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 10th, 2008 at 11:00 am and is filed under Links, Cleaning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 On January 10th, 2008, Marissa said:

What a smart idea. I’m so terrible of cleaning and then I get totally overwhelmed. I think I’m just going to take your idea of laminating the chart. Thanks!

posted on January 10th, 2008 at 12:05 pm

2 On January 10th, 2008, Wendy said:

This is such a cute idea!!!

My favorite idea is the 3 by 5 card box the the Sidetracked Home Executives book talked about. I love that idea… I’m just not great at checking the box yet!

posted on January 10th, 2008 at 1:03 pm

3 On January 10th, 2008, Melissa said:

So great… I just hung it up in my kitchen. But, as it said, lifestyle is a major determinant. I feel like I don’t clean enough as is, and with 4 dogs and 3 cats I already do a lot of these chores far more often than this list recommends.

posted on January 10th, 2008 at 9:33 pm

4 On January 11th, 2008, yayanana said:

Your Mother used to do the Sidetracked Home Executive thing - probably before you were born. (HOW TIME Flies!) I thought it was great…
This sounds good, though. And check out FlyLady.com, too.

posted on January 11th, 2008 at 9:57 am

5 On January 11th, 2008, Sylvia C. said: