Zone cleaning was popularized by Marla Cilley, who is also known as the Flylady, and is a method of cleaning where you separate your home into five different zones. You declutter and deep-clean one zone for 15 minutes a day for one week. It’s a highly adaptable method, and I’ve easily tailored it to suit my lifestyle.
My main zone cleaning routine is this: I declutter and thoroughly clean the current zone every Monday – Friday for about 15 to 60 minutes a day, depending on my mood and/or circumstances, as a part of my morning cleaning routine. In some seasons in life, I’ve focused on one zone per week-day; in other seasons of life, I’ve focused on one zone per weekend. But, I’ve been doing this for so long (about six years) that, regardless of the schedule I use, I have memorized lists of what needs to be cleaned in what order for every zone.
Here’s an overview of my monthly zone cleaning schedule, my zones being only slightly different than the Flylady’s:
Zone 1: Entryway, Hallway, Laundry, & Patio – first few days of the month until the next Sunday
Zone 2: Kitchen – first full week in each month
Zone 3: Bathrooms (2) – second full week of the month
Zone 4: Bedrooms (3) – third full week of the month
Zone 5: Home Office, Living Room, & Dining Room – last few days of the month from Monday until the first of the next month
Once you start zone cleaning, slowly but surely the chaos in your home will be replaced with peace!
