Rules of thumb that are useful
There are still guidelines that work as a starting point. They are not sacred, but they give you something to hold on to:
Kitchen
- Countertop and sink: every 1–3 days
- Cooker / hob: every 2–4 days
- Floor: 1–2 times a week
Bathroom and toilet
- Basin and tap: every 2–4 days
- Shower / bath: every 5–7 days
- Toilet: every 2–4 days
- Floor: 1–2 times a week
Living room and bedrooms
- Vacuuming: 1–2 times a week
- Mopping: every 1–2 weeks
- Dusting surfaces: every 1–2 weeks
Less visible things
- Skirting boards, radiators, lamps, decorations: once every 3–6 weeks
These frequencies are averages. In a busy student house they shift up. In a quiet one-person flat they can shift down.
The problem with rigid schedules
If you only stick to fixed days, two problems appear:
- You sometimes clean things that do not really need attention yet.
- You leave things that, by then, would make the most difference.
Both waste time and motivation. Cleaning then quickly feels like a duty instead of something that gives a noticeable result.
Better: look at what makes the most difference now
A more effective approach is to work with what is going on right now. What makes the most difference at this moment? What has the greatest effect on how fresh the home feels? Do those things first.
That is exactly how Tidyo works. The app keeps track, per item, of when it was last cleaned and combines that with how heavily that item counts. You do not get a rigid schedule, but a current priority list across every room.
That way you always know the best place to start, without having to guess or argue about it.
Read more about how those priorities are set on the method page.
