How to keep a clean house when you're busy

This is a niche and extremely tactical post, and I am writing it because I have looked for years for someone to write about this topic with more than general advice like “do one load of laundry each day.” A cleaning service absolutely may be your solution to keeping a clean house, and that is wonderful. I tried that for a couple of months, and my husband Dan and I decided that we would rather use the monthly cleaning service funds for regular massages. After a few years of trial and error, I have found a system that works for my household and is clean enough. My baseboards do not look perfect, and I may have a little dust on my light fixtures, but for the most part, my house feels and looks clean and tidy.

If you are interested in reading about the specifics of my routine (like I always am about others’ routines), here is what I do. Particulars change from year to year or semester to semester as my family’s schedule changes, and I make tweaks when I realize chores repeatedly are not g…