Cleaning
Modern Homemaking 101: All You Need To Know.
Things are very different for the modern homemaker these days, with an over-scheduled calendar, work, kids and family commitments; it’s hard to know how to master the skill of modern homemaking.
Modern homemakers do have an advantage over our predecessors in the way of washing machines, dishwashers, high-quality vacuum cleaners, steamers, a plethora of cleaning products and equipment designed to make lives easier.
Still, there is so much to think about and do, that it can feel overwhelming to keep an organised home.
In this post, I’m going to share my modern homemaking routine.
There’s no shame in being a homemaker; it’s nice to live in a clean, organised and tidy house. When your home is well-organised life runs a little bit smoother for everyone, and you have time to do the things you love, even if you have small children and a full-time job!
These days, being a good homemaker is not about having the cleanest doorstep or the biggest scones, it’s about getting the family where they should be and on time, it’s about providing comfort and love to those that you care about. A well-run home built on great routines is the key to being organized and prevents overwhelm, whether you work full time, part-time, work from home, are a stay at home mum or homemaker by choice.
With over 20 years of cleaning experience, I can help you get the results you deserve and you can get them without breaking your back!
If you are a working mom, I have created a simple little chart which will help you to pick out the quickest jobs to fit into your busy schedule, you can find it in this post.
When everyone was in lockdown due to COVID 19, I found it challenging to get motivated to do the simplest of tasks. However, I found a routine which was invaluable to help me implement some structure to the day and breeze through the jobs that needed doing, and I tweaked it a little bit to fit my home.
Modern homemaking 101: How to be a good homemaker.
First of all, you need to follow a good daily routine, below is the one I follow, but you can change it about to suit your own family needs or fit it around your working day.
When I worked full time, I would get up half an hour earlier to do some of the chores and then finish them off after the kids had gone to bed. It’s a struggle, but it makes life so much easier if you’re on top of things.
Who says you can’t work full time and be a homemaker!
Before we start, you might like to check out these 22 traditional homemaking skills you really should know, and these home management tips will help you find the quickest and most effective way to keep your house sparkling clean.
Homemaking 101
7.10 Get up, get showered and dressed.
7.30 Breakfast
8.00 Make a list of the days cleaning work, e.g.:
•Wash up
•Make beds
•Washing
•Ironing
•Clean bath, toilet and basin
•Mop bathroom floor
•Stairs
•Bedroom
•Hall
•Vacuum /mop and dust downstairs
•Clean kitchen
8.10 Wash breakfast dishes.
8.20 Do one load of laundry & put away any laundry from yesterday. Read this post if you are overwhelmed with laundry, it’s got plenty of tips to help you reduce that laundry mountain!
8.25 Make beds, read this post to see how to make a bed properly.
8.35 Clean toilet, basin and bath. Read this post to see how to clean a bathroom properly.
8.50 Vacuum stairs. Read this post to see how to clean the hall and stairs like a professional.
9.10 Prepare vegetables for the evening meal.
9.25 Hang out the washing.
9.40 Clean bedroom.
10.55 Elevenses!
11.10 Mop and dust downstairs rooms and hall.
12 Noon. Sweep dust and tidy kitchen.
12.45 Lunch break.
1.15 Prepare any dessert for dinner.
1.45 Prepare any meat ready for dinner and cook if possible.
1.50 Ironing.
2.20 You are now free until 5.45.
5.45 Set the table for the meal, cook any vegetables.
6.00 Cook potatoes.
6.30 Serve the meal.
Please note that you have a lengthy breakfast, a decent amount of time for your lunch and roughly three hours to yourself in the afternoon. You must take this time to recharge your batteries. As you probably know, most parents are still catching up on housework and clearing up until just before bedtime, which leaves very little time to sit down and recharge, so you must use this time wisely.
By following this routine, you should manage to get through tons of housework each day.
If you follow all these routines as best you can; you will find you do not need to do a huge big spring clean in March as our predecessors did, modern homemaking needn’t be a grind.
I discovered that before sticking to this method, I would usually grab something to eat on the go and carry on with my work or the chores. This schedule forces you to take regular rests throughout your day, which helps you feel refreshed and able to carry on.
You can also make your day easier and save money by learning the art of meal planning; you can read all about meal planning for beginners in this post!
In the afternoon’s free time, I manage to do any online work I need to do and find that this works quite well, however, if you’re a work-from-home mom you might need to adjust your schedule to fit around your working day.
So what are the modern homemaking skills that are so important for the modern homemaker?
Modern homemaking skills
- Great morning and evening routines.
Having a good routine will help you get into the habit of getting things done without even knowing you are doing them. Check out a great morning routine here.
- An efficient cleaning and laundry schedule.
I often found myself cleaning stuff that didn’t need cleaning and neglecting other areas of the house because I ran out of time. Try this cleaning routine which helps you rotate the jobs and use your time more efficiently.
- Having a good budget.
Staying within your budget and not spending more than you earn can take an immense amount of financial pressure off you and your family. Read this post to find out how you can stop spending money on stuff you don’t need!
- Creating a simple meal plan.
Learning how to meal plan was a game-changer for me and saved me a whole load of money and time. It’s such an easy thing to do and only takes a few minutes per week. It also makes grocery shopping so much easier. Read how to start meal planning here.
- Effective planning
I feel lost without my planner; I write everything down; otherwise, it doesn’t get done; I don’t use anything fancy just the calendar on my phone. Use the reminder to let you know when birthdays are due
I use a pad for listing my daily jobs and things to do each day, it’s as simple as that! You can print off my free daily and monthly planners here.
Frequently asked questions
You can learn how to be a great homemaker by reading some good books like this one, or reading through some of the posts in the cleaning and organizing sections on this blog.
The most important thing to do is to try to create some good habits and to follow a proper homemaker schedule that you repeat each day to ensure the work gets done.
The hardest part about being a homemaker is making sure all the needs of each family member are met without having a chaotic home and to still find time to juggle every other area of your life such as work, friends and family.
The best way to keep an organised home when you have a newborn is to prioritise the jobs that are essential to your home running well, for example:
• Dishes
• Laundry
• Clear floors
• Clean toilets
• Clean food prep areas.
Read this post to discover the quick and easy jobs you can do when you only have a minute or two to spare. But the most important thing to remember is to rest when you can and recharge your batteries try not to stress too much about jobs that can wait.
Homemaking shouldn’t be stressful and if it is becoming overwhelming, try enlisting some help from your kids and husband.
It is My 12-year old’s job to do the dishes after the evening meal, and my 8-year-old brings his laundry basket down when it gets full.
I’ve created a fantastic list of age-appropriate chores for kids and toddlers of all ages check it out in this post!
It depends on the man and depends on the woman involved! I know many women and men who don’t lift a finger around the house, their spouse gets burdened with all the work. I know some men and women who don’t work and still do nothing leaving their spouses to come home from working full time and start the chores and shopping.
I love to follow the Konmari technique, which helps you to declutter your home and get rid of anything you don’t want or use. Marie Kondo shows you how to declutter every area of your home by piling everything in the middle of your bed and only keeping the things you genuinely love. She also has some fantastic Youtube videos which show you how to fold your clothes the Japanese way to fold your clothes, so they stay neat and tidy and don’t take up as much room in your wardrobe. I started with this book which you can buy here, and it will help you go through all the areas of your home quickly and efficiently!
This is a tricky one as every individual has different standards as to how clean they like their home. Read this post to discover how small changes you make can encourage your spouse to help more around the house.
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Don’t forget to download your homemaker skills list here
If you want to read how to clean up before unexpected guests read this post.
Now you’ve learnt how to become a homemaker, read how to speed clean your home!
For more information on how to be a good homemaker, here are some amazing homemaking blogs I love to follow: Simple lionheart life and Flylady where you’ll find some fantastic modern homemaking skills lists to download.
Hi,I have subscribed in order to receive the housekeeping checklist but the link that I received just had a before school checklist? Wondering if I am missing something. Thank you x
Hi Laura, I hope you are well. Thank you for signing up to weekly updates, sorry you are having problems accessing the cleaning schedules. If you follow this link https://www.theorganizeruk.com/housework-checklists/ all the checklists are there in printable PDF form. If you have any more problems don’t hesitate to let me know and I’ll email the PDF to you. Thank you .