You may currently be going at it solo regarding a daily cleaning routine schedule. And if you have a toddler in the get-into-everything stage. Join forces and save time by teaching your child to pick up and clean. We’ve compiled a list of 25 home cleaning tips for children ages two and up.
Sometimes the easiest form of home improvement is cleaning it. Whether you have a toddler or a teen, creating a list of daily cleaning routine ideas will be helpful for everyone and keep the home clean. Teaching kids to clean helps them build great habits, and let’s be honest, it may take a literal load off your hands. After all, who doesn’t love a clean home?
Daily Cleaning Routine Ideas (Ages 2-3)
1. Put toys where they belong.
This is undoubtedly one of the easiest daily cleaning checklist ideas for toddlers. Teaching your child to put toys away where they belong can be a fun game. Ask them, “where does this toy” go? And see their excitement when they know where to take it. Another fun clean-up game involves seeing how fast toys can be picked up. Set a timer and praise them for doing it fast! Ready, set, go!
2. Throw trash away.
Toddlers think it’s big-time fun when they can start doing things just like mommy and daddy. Throwing away trash might be one of those daily cleaning routines. If they don’t know that certain things must be thrown away or where they need to be thrown, show them where the trash can is and how to use it. They will enjoy running trash to the bin all by themselves. Say goodbye to all those fruit snack wrappers!
3. Wipe spills and messes.
If your little one makes a mess or accidentally spills water (or something easy to wipe up), hand them a paper towel or washcloth and encourage them to clean up their mess. You can also show them how to wipe their mouth if it gets dirty after eating and drinking. This is an easy but effective daily cleaning task!
4. Put dirty clothes in the hamper.
If your little one can walk, they can start picking their dirty clothes off the floor and putting these clothing pieces in the hamper. Likewise, two and three-year-olds can pick up bathroom washcloths and towels and take them to the laundry hamper. Before you know it, this daily cleaning idea could become a daily habit!
5. Dust with socks on their hands.
Sound funny? Kids will love this cleaning routine idea. Have your toddler put old socks on their hands and then start wiping down shelves and tables in the living room and other rooms. Your surfaces will be cleaner, and toddlers can watch their ‘sock hands’ get dirtier and dirtier.
Daily Cleaning Routine Ideas (Ages 4-5)
6. Wipe down the bathroom sink after washing your hands or brushing your teeth.
You may have noticed that your child tends to get the bathroom sink wet or dirty when they’re washing their hands, brushing their teeth, etc. This is an excellent opportunity to teach them another easy cleaning skill. Simply ask them to wipe down the sink whenever they see water on the counter. Then, place a roll of paper towels or wash clothes under the sink so they have easy access to products.
7. Help load or unload the dishwasher.
Your child probably isn’t old enough to do this alone, but they can significantly help you. For example, handing them dirty dishes to put in the dishwasher or cleaning dishes to put away is a great daily cleaning routine for kids. Start with plastic items and work on stoneware, glass, and other breakable items. You can also have them put away utensils like spoons and forks that are safe to handle.
8. Pull clean clothes out of the laundry basket.
Unless you have multiples, most children this age can tell which clothes are theirs and which aren’t. Ask them to pull their clean clothes from the laundry basket and put them in a pile. Sorting out their clothes as part of a daily cleaning routine (or weekly for some families) is something small that will help you save time. Since kids might not be reliable about folding their clothes at this age, they can help put them away. Even if they just follow you around and see where the clothes belong!
9. Make the bed.
Four- and five-year-olds should know the basics of making their bed, so this is a great cleaning routine idea. Have your kiddos straighten out their sheets, blankets, and pillows as part of their morning routine. Stuffed animals tend to get thrown around by morning, so they can also put them back where they belong.
10. Pick up dog and cat toys.
If you have a family pet, chances are there are cat or dog toys in random spots of the home. Having your child go around the house and pick up these toys is an easy, yet excellent when complete, daily cleaning idea. The fun part is seeing whether your pet gets the toys back out immediately after they have been picked up.
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- The Ultimate Deep House Cleaning Checklist
- 10 Tips for Keeping a Clean House With Kids
Daily Cleaning Routine Ideas (Ages 6-9)
11. Vacuum or sweep the floor and rugs.
Now that your child is older, they can sweep or vacuum the floor more easily. Some kids may even enjoy this cleaning task! Ask them to clean the floors after dinner or in the evening before bed. In addition to this becoming a daily cleaning routine, it could also become a weekly routine for their bedrooms!
12. Sort and fold their laundry.
Adding on to #8—after your child pulls their clothes from the laundry basket, have them fold their clothes. Again, don’t expect perfection here, but enjoy watching them learn this task as you fold the other clothes alongside them. Starting with washcloths and towels is an excellent way to ease them into folding more challenging shapes.
13. Organize books, games, etc.
Do you have a bookshelf or game closet that could quickly be more organized and cluttered? Have your kiddo straighten everything up and reorganize their books and games to avoid disarray. To make this daily cleaning idea fun, challenge them to organize their books by color, author, or topic.
14. Clean the windows and mirrors.
Now that your six to nine-year-old is taller, it may be easier for them to start cleaning the windows and mirrors around the house. Of course, a step stool can come into play when needed. You can even have them clean the outside of the windows on certain days.
15. Help clean up after meals.
When breakfast, lunch, or dinner is over, have your six to nine-year-old help clean up the dirty dishes and clear off the table. They can also return condiments in the fridge, pack leftovers, and wipe the table down so it’s nice and clean again.
Daily Cleaning Routine Ideas (10-15)
16. Wash and dry the laundry.
You can start teaching your child to do everything, including washing and drying the laundry, at this age. Remember to give them tips on sorting colors and how to use the machines (what water temperature to use, what speed, etc.). After all, you want them to help with the cleaning, but you do not want them to ruin everyone’s clothes, ha!
17. Empty trash bins and take trash bags out.
Have your child empty full trash bins from the kitchen, bathrooms, and other rooms into a larger trash bin if they can tie the trash bags up; great! If not, help teach them how to tie the bags and have your child take full bags to the trash bin outside. They can also take the garbage cans out to the curb on garbage day.
18. Clean the bathroom(s).
This one won’t excite many children at this age, but this daily task must be done! Choose something for your child to clean, whether the toilet, tub, or sink, or create a bathroom cleaning checklist. If you’re lucky, maybe they’ll appreciate the bathroom cleaning you do after they experience it themselves. And…it’s one of our favorite cleaning routine ideas, so you can get out of doing it yourself!! You’re welcome!
19. Wash bed sheets, blankets, and pillowcases.
Your preteen or teen probably won’t need to wash their entire bedding collection daily, but they can wash parts of their bed throughout the week. Pillowcases one day, sheets one day, the comforter another day, etc. This breaks down the cleaning process over multiple days to not bog down the washer and dryer at one time.
20. Clean off shower scum.
A daily wipe down of the shower and bath will help prevent scum and bacteria from forming on the walls. This is an easy cleaning routine idea for ten to fifteen-year-olds, plus you don’t have to break your back doing it yourself.
Daily Cleaning Routine for Ages 16+
21. Rake, sweep, shovel, or blow off outdoor areas.
This is one of those excellent cleaning routine ideas for kids because it also gets them outside breathing that fresh outdoor air (and off of their devices). Depending on the season, your teen can rake leaves, shovel snow, sweep the porch, and much more. The outdoor chores never seem to end!
22. Mop the floors.
Teach your teen to clean the hardwood or tile floors in your home. Depending on how much flooring there is to clean, you may want to spread out which rooms or floors are done on particular days so as not keep your teen manageable.
23. Clean appliances (stove, microwave, etc.).
How great are clean appliances in a clean kitchen?! At this age, you can provide your teen with weekly cleaning tasks written down or printed on a weekly cleaning schedule. This includes cleaning the fridge, microwave, stove, and whatever else you have that needs a wipe down.
24. Tidy up the yard and garage.
Often the yard and garage become cluttered with toys, tools, and more. Having your teen do a once-over on the yard space and inside the garage will help keep both areas clear of clutter throughout the week. They can also take a broom to the garage to keep it clear of dirt and dust.
25. Clean up pet waste.
Your teen can help clean up your pet’s waste, whether it’s clearing out the litter box or picking up after the dog once it has done its business in the yard. This is primarily a great daily routine idea for teens who own farm animals.
Teaching your child about cleaning routine ideas from a young age is vital. The best part? Most toddlers love to help clean! Plus, there is no need to hire a cleaning service when you have all hands on deck. Overall, creating a house cleaning schedule with daily cleaning routines will keep everyone on the same page and save time so you can spend more time hanging out as a family.
Do you prefer a daily, weekly, or monthly cleaning checklist for kids? Let us know below!
Morgan French is a wife, mom of two, writer & editor. After traveling for 3 years with her family, she now lives back in her hometown of Dayton, OH. She makes frequent stops for coffee, enjoys the outdoors, and loves board games.
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