I created the Adaptive Cleaning System because I was tired of expecting too much from myself and then failing. I would make to-do lists that were for my “ideal” self- the one who had tons of time and energy. I have chronic conditions and also live with times of depression and anxiety, so I was rarely having those “ideal” days. My house would get super overwhelming because I could never stick to my to-do lists. I’d finally get enough energy to at least attempt to make progress in my home, but I’d end up completely exhausted and feeling like I hadn’t accomplished much. It was a cycle that was beyond discouraging.
Once I began making to-do lists that matched my realistic time and energy, I saw slow but powerful shifts in my home. My low capacity lists enabled me to keep forward momentum in my home without totally exhausting me. My average capacity lists helped me prioritize on days when I had a bit more time and energy. I even began to have some higher capacity days, too, so I made a cleaning list for those times to be as effective as possible. I choose which capacity list to follow based on how I feel each day, and it has kept me consistent.
This plan addresses two types of cleaning: maintenance cleaning and deep cleaning. I’ll first show you an example of each of the formats and then I’ll tell you how I use them.
Maintenance Cleaning
Daily Cleaning Sheets
The first daily format can be used if you want the structure of suggested daily and weekly maintenance cleaning tasks. The sheet is divided into low, average, and high capacity sections. The four daily suggested tasks are based on maintenance cleaning of the bedroom, kitchen, laundry, and floors. These tasks are the same on all seven of the daily cleaning sheets. There is also a “weekly task” that is different each day. Lastly, there is a spot for the “monthly task,” which you can import from the deep cleaning sheets we’ll talk about in a moment.
Highlighter has been added to indicate the daily tasks (in blue), the weekly task (in purple), and an arrow to show where you can import the deep cleaning task. As you can see, the “low capacity” option offers simpler, less time-consuming tasks, while the “high capacity” option gives more extensive tasks. The “average capacity” tasks sit right in the middle.
I’ve also created a daily format that is more planner-style. This format has space at the top to write gratitude and what you want to do for meals that day. The next four boxes (circled in purple) offer tasks that help with preparation and stress-reduction. The tasks highlighted in pink are the cleaning tasks you saw in the first daily plan format. The last two boxes are to write out options for fun that day and to work towards a future goal.
The last daily format is exactly like the one above, but it uses color to designate the different aspects of the plan for people who want to use the plan digitally and respond better to color coding.
Weekly Cleaning Overview
I also have a weekly cleaning format that allows you to see the four daily cleaning tasks, as well as a full week of cleaning tasks that help with maintaining your home. The daily maintenance tasks are at the top, highlighted in blue. The weekly tasks give options for various maintenance tasks in your home.
Deep Cleaning Format Options
Monthly Deep Cleaning Sheets
The deep cleaning sheets are all organized by month, but I have two different formats for you to choose from. The first format has the deep cleaning tasks split up by capacity. With this format, you can select what capacity you feel you have access to, and then select the applicable month. I start all my deep cleaning months on the first Monday of the month. If there is a fifth Monday, there are decluttering tasks at the bottom of the sheet you can work on if you would like.
The second format has all the capacity options in the same monthly sheet. This benefits anyone who wants to look over all the options at one time. The low capacity tasks are “1,” and typically take about 10-15 minutes. The average capacity tasks are “2,” and take typically 15-20 minutes. The high capacity tasks are “3,” and take between 30-45 minutes, on average.
I personally use two sheets based on my preference. I like the weekly sheet for tackling maintenance tasks because it gives me the benefit of reviewing both daily and weekly tasks at once. As far as deep cleaning, I prefer the format that shows all the capacities together. I never know what I’ll have the capacity to do, so seeing all the options lets me decide based on the time and energy accessible to me.
If you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you! You can reach me at Sarah@adaptive-living.com.
Wishing you all the best!
Sarah
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