Zone Cleaning: How to Deep Clean and Declutter Your Home
Do you feel like you are constantly cleaning but your home never seems to be clean? If so, zone cleaning may be the solution for you!
Zone cleaning is a method that has been popularized by the Fly Lady. This system involves breaking your home down into zones and focusing on deep cleaning and decluttering each zone.
The Fly Lady method of cleaning makes it easy to stay organized and keep your home clean. If you are struggling with managing the weekly chores, and you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s time to try zone cleaning!
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What Is Zone Cleaning?
Zone cleaning is a method of organizing and deep cleaning your home. You divide your home into zones, usually by rooms, and focus on one zone each week. The Fly Lady recommends breaking down your home into five zones. Each zone will have a list of cleaning tasks and you will spend 15 minutes a day tackling your list. Then you’ll move on to the next zone the following week. Once all zones are complete, you will continue to rotate through the zones.
For example, if zone 1 is your kitchen, you will make a list of deep cleaning tasks that you want to complete for that area. On Monday you might clean the stovetop and inside the oven. On Tuesday you could wipe down and organize your fridge. You’ll continue to work on zone 1 throughout the week until all of your tasks are complete.
This method of deep cleaning is designed to make you feel less overwhelmed and take away the anxiety you might feel about trying to clean your entire house. As you begin to rotate through the zones, you’ll notice more and more how clean your house is, and the need for a giant deep clean won’t be necessary anymore.
Most of us are used to ‘task cleaning’ instead of zone cleaning, so this new system might take some getting used to. Task cleaning is where you focus on one specific task, such as dusting, and then proceed to dust all the areas of your home. This is not a bad method, but if it’s not working for you, it’s time to switch things up.
You also need to remember that zone cleaning is in addition to your normal weekly chores, which is why it’s labeled as a ‘deep cleaning’ method. You will still need to keep a regular home maintenance list with tasks that need completed on a daily and weekly basis. This includes things such as, washing dishes, vacuuming, cleaning the toilet, etc.
How To Create Your Own Zone Cleaning System
ZONES
To start zone cleaning, you will need to break your home down into zones. You will want to make sure that each zone has at least seven days worth of tasks so that you don’t run out of things to do too quickly.
I will use my own schedule as an example, but just remember that every person’s list will look a little different, as we all don’t have the exact same areas in our home. What might make sense for my home, might not make sense for you.
Zone 1: Kitchen & Playroom
Zone 2: Laundry Room, Guest Bedroom, Living Room
Zone 3: Office, Guest Bathroom & Hall Closets
Zone 4: Ryan’s Bedroom & Reagan’s Bedroom
Zone 5: Master Bedroom, Master Bathroom & Outside
You can also get more ideas for how to create a schedule by visiting the Fly Lady’s Website. She updates her site with her zones for the current month, and provides some great tips as you get started.
TASK LIST
The next step is to create your task list for each zone. This list should include any deep cleaning tasks, NOT your routine weekly tasks that I mentioned above. It’s important to not overwhelm yourself when getting started. Simply list items you think could be completed each week, using 15 minutes per day. You can always adjust as needed.
Once again, I am giving my task list as an example, but you need to think about what cleaning tasks are important to you.
Kitchen: Detailed Cleaning List
- Clean microwave inside and out
- Wipe down entire fridge/freezer and organize
- Clean oven/stove
- Wipe down cabinets inside and out and organize
- Clean sink and under sink area
- Wipe down light fixtures
- Clean out toaster crumbs and keurig machine
- Clean baseboards
Playroom: Detailed Cleaning List
- Organize all toys
- Wipe down table and chairs
- Clean windows
- Clean baseboards
Laundry Room: Detailed Cleaning List
- Organize shelves and cabinets
- Vacuum and mop
- Wipe down appliances and sink
- Organize freezer
- Clean windows
- Clean baseboards
Guest Bedroom: Detailed Cleaning List
- Dust all furniture
- Clean windows
- Clean baseboards
Living Room: Detailed Cleaning List
- Take apart couch and vacuum all areas
- Clean windows
- Clean baseboards
Office: Detailed Cleaning List
- Dust all furniture
- Organize papers and drawers
- Clean windows
- Clean baseboards
Guest Bathroom: Detailed Cleaning List
- Wash rug
- Mop floor
- Organize drawers
- Deep clean bathtub
- Clean windows
- Clean baseboards
Hall Closets: Detailed Cleaning List
- Wipe down inside closets
- Organize
Ryan’s Bedroom: Detailed Cleaning List
- Organize all toys and supplies
- Vacuum and dust around all furniture
- Go through clothes and sort
- Clean windows
- Clean baseboards
Reagan’s Bedroom: Detailed Cleaning List
- Organize all toys and supplies
- Vacuum and dust around all furniture
- Go through clothes and sort
- Clean windows
- Clean baseboards
Master Bedroom: Detailed Cleaning List
- Vacuum and dust around all furniture
- Go through clothes and sort
- Flip mattress
- Clean windows
- Clean baseboards
Master Bathroom: Detailed Cleaning List
- Wash rug
- Mop floor
- Organize drawers
- Deep clean bathtub
- Clean windows
- Clean baseboards
Outside: Detailed Cleaning List (as needed depending on weather)
- Deep clean entire outside bathroom
- Vacuum gazebo
- Dust and wipe down all furniture
- Wipe off screens in gazebo
- Clean out pool house
- Wipe down outdoor furniture
- Clean out playhouse
- Wipe down bikes, scooters, car
- Wipe down pool toys
SCHEDULE
The next step is to create a schedule for yourself. You will want to start by deciding which day of the week you will begin each zone. This will most likely be Sunday or Monday, but pick whatever day works for you.
The next part will vary depending on your preference. You can choose to split up your task list into 7 days, or you can keep it as one giant list and just cross off however many items you completed in the 15 minutes that day. Totally up to you.
You can also choose to go against the Fly Lady method of 15 minutes a day, and combine all the tasks into one day each week. I personally think this takes away from the whole point of lowering anxiety and being overwhelmed, but you need to create a schedule that appeals to you.
Benefits of Zone Cleaning
There are a number of benefits to zone cleaning. The main benefit of zone cleaning is that it makes it easier to keep track of which areas have been cleaned and which still need attention. This helps to ensure that no area is overlooked during the cleaning process, thus ensuring a thorough job each time.
Zone cleaning helps you to concentrate on specific areas, making it easier to focus on everything that needs done in that area. If you are task cleaning, you might be going from room to room, forgetting certain areas.
This is a great system for families because you can clean together. Everyone has certain tasks to complete for just a short amount of time, making it less daunting than one giant weekend of spring cleaning.
Zone cleaning helps you maintain a clean and organized home throughout the year. This means that you will have less mess and be able to find things easier.
A Few More Tips For Cleaning Zones
- If you have seasonal tasks, make sure to include them when necessary. You might want to make a separate list and then switch up your zones and tasks as needed throughout the year.
- Make sure the size of each zone is realistic. This will help you maintain a good schedule and keep you from being frustrated at the amount of time you are cleaning.
- Plan ahead and set aside time each day or each week to zone clean. To stay on track, dedicate at least 15 minutes a day to zone cleaning your chosen zone.
- Before you begin cleaning the zone, make sure all of the clutter is out of the way. Take care of any items that need to be put away, stored, or thrown out. This will make your zone cleaning much easier and more efficient.
- Make sure you keep good inventory of cleaning products, so you can stay consistent, and aren’t getting behind due to lack of supplies.
- Maintain your zone by putting away items and wiping down surfaces as necessary. This will help keep the zone clean and organized for longer periods of time.
- If you still feel unsure about how to get started, try using a template. It’s always good to have a visual hanging somewhere for motivation and accountability.
Check out more Fly Lady templates here!
Zone cleaning is one of the best ways to deep clean and organize your house, especially if you struggle with keeping it tidy on a regular basis. You will be able to regularly focus on problem areas of your house, so they don’t get out of control. If you can stay consistent, zone cleaning might be the perfect solution for you!
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A Realistic Cleaning Schedule That Actually Works
15 Easy Chore Chart Ideas For The Whole Family
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