The SLT Cleaning Method ™ - Styling Life Today

Do you have a cleaning schedule or routine in your home? If you’re a busy mum then you know exactly how hard it is to have a functional cleaning routine and schedule that does not leave you cleaning for hours every day. With little children, a business, school runs, a home to take care of, dinner to cook etc there is very little time to do anything else. This is why I created The SLT Cleaning Method to make your life simpler and your home easier to clean.

The Backstory

I have always loved cleaning. Since I was a little girl and I tidied my toys and put things away in their places, I couldn’t (and still can’t) stand a mess! I also loved washing the dishes and hoovering. I needed everything cleaned around me. It was in my nature I guess and I hope to pass it onto my children too. Growing up my obsession with things being clean, tidy and organised just grew and grew.

When my then-fiance (my now husband) moved into our London studio apartment, we both worked full-time jobs and only had the weekends to spend together. Now cleaning a small studio apartment isn’t that hard and doesn’t take that much time you would think. The routine I ended up building over time was quite simple: keep the apartment tidy during the week and do a full clean on Saturdays. Sundays are family time and time for rest so cleaning had to be done on Saturdays.

What I did previously

Now the daily cleaning tasks were simple too – make sure the dishes are always done, laundry loads in, floors clean and everything away in its place. This worked because it ensured the flat stayed visually clean and didn’t stress me out much. Yes, I get stressed out when things are messy and disorganised. Why, don’t you?

The weekly cleaning method consisted of a full clean of the studio apartment starting at one end and making my way around. I did a full clean of the floors – so hoovered and washed. I scrubbed the bathrooms including sinks, shower screen, toilet and floors. Washed all the windows and mirrors. Organised the cupboards. Cleared and sterilised the countertops. Changed the bedding, towels and organised our clothes. Dusted and pretty much did everything you can possibly do in a studio apartment. This took me half a day give or take, and I did this every week during the 12 months we lived there. Without fail. And it worked for me. It was my routine and schedule and with no kids and just the two of us, it worked very well and didn’t tire me out.

The SLT Cleaning Method™

Now when it comes to a busy household with kids, businesses, jobs, husbands, pets, school runs and more, a different kind of cleaning method and schedule is needed. This is what sparked the creation of the SLT Cleaning Method™. I knew I needed a more in-depth plan for my cleaning when you add more people, a larger space and a busy life into the equation. And if you have read my previous posts, you will know that the secret to being productive is having a plan and a schedule. A pretty planner doesn’t hurt either eh!

Related Post: The SLT Organising Method

If you’re new here and you need to get a bit more familiar with my blog and what you can find at Styling Life Today, head over to “Start Here“. Now the SLT Cleaning Method™ consists of 4 main elements that make the whole schedule and method possible: the Daily Tasks, Weekly Tasks, Alternating Tasks and Monthly Tasks. I also create FREE monthly calendars that you can download and add to your planners to keep on top of your cleaning and organising routines.

Now let’s get into each of the elements of the SLT Cleaning Method™:

The Daily Tasks

The Daily Tasks, play a vital role in the SLT Cleaning Method™. These are the tasks that are supposed to take you no more then 15-30 minutes each day and is the magic ingredient behind having a tidy, sparkling and clutter-free home.

Make the beds
Load (and unload) the dishwasher
Do the laundry (wash and fold)
Sweep the floors
Wipe the countertops
Quick tidy around

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The Weekly Tasks

The Weekly Tasks help organise your cleaning schedule and routines cutting down the time it takes you to clean your home. I have put together these tasks to help you focus on each room during the week ensuring that the room is given your full attention and cleaned properly.

In addition to The Daily Tasks, you can focus on The Weekly Tasks, which are split out into areas of your home that you will tackle once a week. If you don’t finish a room you can pick it up the next week. For inspiration on what areas to clean on any day head over to my Instagram where I post daily suggestions and examples of what I have done both on my stories and feed:

Mondays: Kitchen
Tuesdays: Living Room
Wednesdays: Bedroom
Thursdays: Outdoor Space
Fridays: Alternating Tasks
Saturdays: Bathroom
Sundays: rest day (and planning day*)

* on planning day I take it easy with planning my week, looking over the week before and at the week ahead, scheduling in any appointments, and of course my free monthly cleaning calendar. I also like to spend Sunday’s meal planning (this sometimes includes grocery shopping and inventory taking).

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The Alternating Tasks

On Friday’s we like to tackle the Alternating Tasks of the SLT Cleaning Method™. These are tasks that can be rotated each week or adapted to suit your needs as you need it. Use your FREE Monthly Home Calendar to help you plan the alternating tasks in your planner.

The Alternating tasks include:

deep cleaning your appliances such as the oven, dishwasher, washing machine, hoover etc
decluttering and organising the kitchen cabinets, fridge and pantries
washing your windows, blinds and/or curtains (including window sills)
cleaning the walls, baseboards and skirtings

You are more than welcome to add, chop and change the alternating tasks each week. The beauty of the SLT Cleaning Method™, you are able to adapt the schedule to work with your routines and home.

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The Monthly Tasks

The Monthly Tasks have been created to help you tackle different projects on a monthly basis. This way you are focusing your attention on one thing at a time. This ensures you are as productive as possible instead of scrambling around trying to get everything done. I have added The Monthly Tasks into the FREE Monthly Home Calendar for you – changing things up each month. Be sure to sign up for my printable updates or monthly newsletters.

The Monthly Tasks are carried out alongside The Daily Tasks, The Weekly Tasks and The Alternating Tasks. Some areas we can focus on each month include:

Spring Cleaning
Decluttering
Organising
Digital Filing Systems
Office Organisation
Paperwork

Following this method will help you clean your home and put in a working cleaning method and routine. If you need more personalized help to organise your home and email us to set up your FREE consultation. We can discuss your requirements and exactly how we can help you style your life today and bring order back into your home and life!