The beginning of the year is often the time more resolutions are set. One of the reasons many of those resolutions are forgotten by February is that they’re not realistic. Here’s how to set some realistic goals when it comes to cleaning.

• Make it manageable. Effective cleaning goals focus on reducing stress around the tiring but important chore.
• Keep it consistent. Building a daily routine can help make small cleaning tasks from becoming monumental monthly undertakings.
• Don’t skip decluttering. This is one of the most common resolutions that starts off with a lot of motivation but often gets buried under the daily grind (and junk). But done regularly, it can also help make your other cleaning tasks easier without all the stuff in the way.
• Schedule targeted tasks. Address certain sections of the home daily, weekly, and monthly.

Here are some schedule ideas:

Daily Maintenance

• Making the bed helps to set a productive tone for the day.
• Clear the kitchen counters to easily wipe surfaces and sink after meals.
• If you have a full household, run at least one load of laundry to prevent overflowing piles.
• Take 10-15 minutes to put stray items away.
• Tidy high-traffic areas to keep dirt and dust at bay.

Weekly Cleaning

To make it easier, you can pick one of these tasks to focus on each week, so by the end of the month, your whole house is clean.

• Vacuum and mop floors.
• Scrub toilets, showers, and sinks.
• Dust surfaces.
• Change and wash linens.
• Take out trash and recycling.

Monthly Deep Cleaning

• Go room by room to declutter unused items. Donate or toss these items sooner rather than later or they’ll just pile up again.
• Pick an appliance to focus on each month. Clean the oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher.
• Dust and wipe down overlooked areas like baseboards and blinds.
• Sanitize trash bins.

To make cleaning even easier, keep these tips in mind:

• Keep supplies together in a bucket or caddy to move room-to-room efficiently.
• Set a timer to help keep the task manageable at about 15 minutes.
• Assign cleaning themes to the day, week, or month; such as laundry Sundays, declutter toys every second week of the month, and deep clean the fridge in February. Keep track of your schedule in a calendar or set reminders.
• Ask for help. Enlist your family and assign chores. For deep cleaning, hire professionals to effectively and efficiently shampoo rugs, upholstery, power wash, and sanitize surfaces.

Setting a realistic schedule can help maximize your efforts so you can spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying your fresh space.