One benefit to living a minimalist lifestyle is the ease of having a clean and tidy home. A minimalist cleaning routine is not necessarily about cleaning less often but rather in less time.
You still have things to do each day, but due to things having a home and having less to clean around quickens up your routine.
A daily, weekly, and monthly routine will guarantee you always have a clean home, as well as not stress about guests who pop over unannounced.
Minimalist Cleaning Routine
As I mentioned above, you need to have a daily, weekly, and monthly routine to keep a tidy home. The daily routine takes up to 30 minutes at most per day, so it is easy to maintain.
The weekly and monthly routines consist of a few different tasks that do not take up too much time either! The best part is that when you work this routine long enough, it becomes second nature to maintain.
Take the 5-Day Tidy Home Challenge to get a jumpstart on your minimalist cleaning routine!
Daily Cleaning Routine
Clean out your car daily //
When you get home from work, take everything out of your car that does not belong. Doing this each day will help you maintain a cleaner car for longer.
Sort mail/paperwork as soon as they come in the door //
Sort any mail or paperwork you bring into your home. If you do this daily, you will not dread piles of paperwork accumulating that take hours to sort.
Dealing with it daily ensures that it only takes a minute of your time and helps keep countertops clear of clutter.
Do the dishes //
Did you know that it is cheaper to run your dishwasher during the nighttime? The electricity used to run your dishwasher is at a cheaper price due to it not being prime time [5 pm-9 pm when everyone else is using the electricity in town].
Load your dishwasher before bed and set it to run at a later time. [Our dishwasher has a 4-hour delay option.] You can empty it in the morning or right when you finish sorting your mail when you get home after work.
Clean the countertops //
Wiping down all kitchen countertops, dining tables, and bathroom countertops at the end of the day helps your mind relax better.
Wash one load of laundry //
Stay on top of your laundry pile by washing at least one load of laundry a day. You never know; you may get caught up and be able to skip a day or two!
Sweep or vacuum the floor //
Dust and dirt accumulate quickly. Keep all of that down by keeping your floors swept and vacuumed!
Daily House Keeping Tasks //
- Clean up as you go
- Only touch it once!
Both of these make everything much easier. Cleaning up as you cook makes cleaning up after eating a meal much quicker, especially if the dishwasher is already empty.
The dishes won’t be piling up in the sink but rather be put in the dishwasher, ready to be cleaned.
Touching it once ensures that if you need scissors for a moment, they will not be left out to create unnecessary clutter.
Related Post: How to Cut Cleaning Time in Half
Weekly Minimalist Cleaning Routine
Wash bedding //
The bedding should be washed at least weekly. Nasty things accumulate in our bedding, including dead skin cells, drool, and dust mites. The idea of it is just gross! So please wash your bedding!
Dust all furniture //
Dust accumulates quickly on all surfaces. Take the time to really dust your home with cleaner and not just a dry cloth or Swiffer duster.
Mop the floors //
Even if you sweep your hard surface floors, they still need to be thoroughly cleaned by mopping. Sweeping only does so much, and mopping at least weekly cleans the floors well.
Look at this as the difference between a quick dusting and a thorough dusting of your home.
Clean out the refrigerator//
The night before your trash service runs, clean out all old leftovers. Leftovers are only good for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator, so doing this at least once a week will ensure that you do not eat spoiled food.
Wipe down all surfaces once the leftovers are culled. You may also want to check the expiration dates of anything else to be sure all the food left is still good.
Clean all blinds and windows //
While this should go with dusting, you need to pay extra attention to your blinds. They can accumulate dust quickly, and if in a humid space, it could be difficult to clean.
Windows also need a good cleaning to ensure all the natural light can shine through your home. UVA and UVB rays are not good for you, but Vitamin C & D is! Do not let dirty windows keep out the Vitamin C & D you need!
Clean throw pillows and blankets //
Both accumulate dust and need to be cleaned weekly. You can clean pillows by vacuuming or tossing them in the washing machine. Be sure to read the instructions on the label before cleaning.
The blankets being used need to be cleaned in the washing machine.
Monthly Minimalist Cleaning Routine
Curtains //
Wash curtains at least monthly. They accumulate dust the same way your blinds do.
Just be careful and read directions before you clean them. Some can be tossed in the washing machine and dryer, while others need to be wiped with a damp cloth.
Clean your carpet //
Washing the carpet ensures all the gross things are cleaned out of it.
If you cannot wash your carpet, sprinkle some borax and baking soda [equal parts] over your carpet and let sit for 2-3 hours. Then vacuum it up and enjoy your refreshed carpet!
Having a minimalist cleaning routine keeps your home clean and tidy, which is more inviting and comfortable. It is also nothing to have guests over at a moment’s notice because your home is always ready.
Want to take setting up your cleaning routine a step further? Check out my workbook, A Simple Cleaning Routine!
I walk you step-by-step through setting up a cleaning routine that works for your life, and the best part is that you’ll have a clean and tidy home in 30 minutes or less each day!
I pride myself on not spending hours on a Saturday or every day of the week trying to keep up with my home and being able to teach you how to do the same!
You deserve more time doing things that make you happy and fulfilled and less time worrying about how clean your home is!
Get my workbook so that you can reduce time cleaning and increase time living the way you see fit!

Nice cleaning tips and I agree that carpets should be clean regularly.
Thank you!
You’re so inspiring. Thank you. Great!
Aww! Thank you, Tanya! You’re so sweet!
I’ve been holding on to things because I paid so much for them. Now I’m only keeping what I really love and ready to let the rest go. It’s liberating and I am sleeping much better for it!
I’m so happy to hear that, Rhea! I bet you are sleeping better at night! Keep up the great work!
I really like your cleaning tip. Every people should clean. Your cleaning tip is really beautiful and helpful. Thank you for shear a great information.
I am glad you enjoyed it, David!
Thank you for reply ERIN
Love this cleaning routine! I’m definitely trying to be better about staying on top of things on a daily basis like laundry and dishes instead of putting them off until it becomes overwhelming. And clean as you go has always been my Mom’s motto in life and she definitely passed that one down to me! Happy Wednesday, Erin! 🙂
Happy Wednesday, Cara! It has taken a while to put into practice, but doing a little each day makes me feel like I am never really cleaning. I guess because it does not become overwhelming, like it used to do. Glad you enjoyed this routine!