One of the most requested articles we get at Clean My Space is cleaning routines. Large spaces and small spaces warrant totally different cleaning routines. And then, there are differences between daily cleaning routines, weekly cleaning routines, and monthly cleaning routines. 

Today we’re getting into the ultimate guide to cleaning routines for small spaces. So if you live in a condo or apartment, this is for you. If you want specific cleaning routines for different rooms of your house, be sure to read My Easy Daily Bathroom Cleaning Routine! and 10 Minute Kitchen Cleaning Routine: 5 Cleaning Tips. But for a full run-down of a weekly cleaning routine for small spaces, keep reading. 

With small spaces, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room. You don’t have the luxury to throw a bunch of stuff into another room, close the door, and deal with it later. You can’t let your laundry pile up in a corner, or dirty clothes will quickly take over the whole room. Keeping your small space clean is paramount to keeping it functional. 

Some of the ideas in this article are great new habits you can establish. So don’t think of it as cleaning; think of it as changing the way you do things to incorporate cleaning into your routine. This will save you so much time and keep your small space looking great. Plus, I’m going to give you some bonus daily cleaning tips, so you can have a clean space every day! Let’s get into it!

The Kitchen 

When it comes to kitchen cleaning, you’re going to focus on the floors once a week. All our floors get dirty, but the kitchen bears the brunt of all those crumbs and spills that end up on the floor. So sweep and mop the floors once a week (and check out the Maker’s Mop for the best mop you’ll ever use!)

To keep everything spic and span, do your dishes and wipe your counters daily. I like to do this as I wait for my kettle to boil, so I feel like I’m multitasking. By the time I’m done, I have a cup of tea and clean counters. 

kitchen cleaning

Bathroom 

Once a week, do a load of bathroom laundry. That means all your dirty bathroom towels plus your bath mat and anything else you can chuck in the laundry. Then, before you go to bed, dump a cup of borax into the toilet bowl. This will work as you sleep, so you just have to give your bowl a quick scrub and flush in the morning when you wake up. Then wipe your toilet seats and sides with a disposable wipe. Finally, use your Maker’s Mop to give your bathroom floors a quick mop every week. 

To keep your bathroom clean in between weekly cleanings, squeegee your shower after each use. This will prevent you from having to scrub your shower walls. Always keep a microfiber cloth and spray bottle under your bathroom sink, so you can clean up counter and sink messes as they happen. This will lessen your cleaning load later. 

Bedroom 

The bedroom can become a cluttered mess if you don’t stay on top of it. At least once a week, organize all the surfaces in your bedroom. Throw out anything you don’t need, and relocate items to their proper places. Launder your linens every other week (that’s only twice a month, score!). 

Every day, make your bed! It might seem like a hassle, but your bedroom will look so much better with a freshly made bed. And put clothing away as soon as it comes off your body, either in a hamper or in its proper storage space. Not throwing clothing on the floor is a habit we all need to break, and it’s (almost) effortless to just put items away instead.

Melissa fluffing a pillow

General Living Spaces

Give yourself 10 minutes a week to dust and vacuum. I like to do this while I wait for dinner to cook. Sometimes I can’t get it all done at once, but over the course of a day, I’ll squeeze it in. Focus on horizontal surfaces and carry a spray bottle with all-purpose cleaner to wipe any prints, spills, or marks.

And every day, while I wait for my microwave popcorn to pop or my zoom call to start, I’ll do a quick sweep of each room and relocate items that are out of place. 

Weekly Cleaning Routine for Small Spaces

Of course, this quick routine is not exhaustive. And if you do only this, your home will eventually get dirty. But establishing these great cleaning habits means that your small space will feel clean and cozy, not disheveled and dirty. The important part of a cleaning routine is to be smart and efficient. So putting things back where they belong each time you use them and being considerate of your future self means that a quick clean-up each week will make for a much easier small space maintenance routine. Then, when it comes time to do a full, thorough cleaning, read My Secret System to Cleaning Fast and Effectively!

We just released our fantastic E-Book Bundle! Check it out for more secrets, tips, and tricks for all your cleaning needs!

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Melissa Maker is an entrepreneur, cleaning expert, founder of Toronto’s most popular boutique cleaning service, and star of the Clean My Space channel on YouTube (but she still hates to clean!). Every week, Melissa delivers new videos dishing expert advice on cleaning products, tools, DIY substitutes, and practical, timesaving solutions to everyday problems. Melissa has appeared on the Today Show, and has been featured in InStyle, Real Simple, and Better Homes and Gardens.

16 COMMENTS

  1. Thanks for the tips. I do clean my spaces, but I’m not what you’d call “organized” about it. Seeing a method laid out like this helps me to think about how I might streamline my cleaning routine (or lack thereof).
    One suggestion, though: The phrase, “Not throwing clothing on the floor is a habit we all need to break,” needs revising. Maybe consider dropping, “Not,” or replacing, “break,” with, ” make,” or, “cultivate” – otherwise the tip given is to throw clothing on the floor!
    Thanks again for sharing this! It’s (mostly) very helpful.

  2. IN view of Covid 19, you should update your Small Spaces: Weekly Cleaning Routine dated June 30, 2015. For example: you advise to put away your clothes as soon as you take them off………………….that’s not a sanitary thing to do in the best of times, much less during Covid 19.

  3. Once again
    Your videos are a tremendous help to me and enjoyable to watch … you do such a good job … I do have one problem that I don’t know how to take care of… And that would be a toilet that doesn’t get used often it’s my guestroom bathroom … I know when you don’t use a toilet often that the water evaporates but my problem is how to clean it

  4. I love watching your tips but theres one thing i can´t clean…i always clean my exhauster fan but i tried to clean the part that sucks the fumes from the stove …bad mistake i ended with the ventilation part and a lot of eletrical wires on my hands.Put it back together ,(it works) but that part is never really clean is it??it´s clean only on the outside…guess that will have to do.

  5. Love love love your videos! I would like to see more videos about cleaning areas with with lime and hard water stains and soap scum buildup in showers tubs sinks and laundry areas.

  6. I’m am a clean freak and like to put things away as soon as I am done using them. I try to be good about making time once a week so clean, but these are all good tips on how to incorporate it into your daily schedule. Thanks for sharing!

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