This Cleaning Tip from My Grandma Has Finally Given Me My Weekends Back

After a long work week, the last thing you want to think about is cleaning. But if you’re someone that can’t relax until your home is spotless, it’s a task that must be undertaken. A recent study of 2,000 U.S. residents revealed that Saturday was the most popular day to get cleaning, and up until recently, I too was in that camp — but not anymore. 

Growing up, I spent a lot of time at my Grandma Gigi’s house, and not once did it occur to me that she didn’t clean on Saturday. When I first moved into my apartment, my cleaning schedule was automatically set to the weekend. Recently, while complaining to my grandma that not only was half my Saturday gone, but I was also completely exhausted, she responded with, “That’s why I clean on Friday.“

My grandma is retired and has been for over 28 years, so while she does not need to have her weekends free in a traditional sense, she has a set schedule. “My weekends are mine,” she said. “When the work week ends, cleaning is probably the last thing you want to do, but by committing to the task, you work quickly through it. You don’t have all day Saturday to get it done, so you power through and go to sleep happy. By the next morning, you wake up and the weekend is yours to rest and enjoy. And trust me, you will never regret waking up to a clean home.”

I enjoy cleaning the majority of the time, but when that first cleaning Friday date rolled around, I struggled to pick myself off of the couch, but my grandma was right. After I put on my cleaning playlist and got going, not only did I have a clean place before bedtime, but I worked faster and slept better. It was a little late-night workout with its own form of melatonin. The best part was I got to rest and have a full weekend that set me up for a better week. 

And it doesn’t necessarily have to be done on a Friday either. My mom chooses Wednesday. Her great tip is, “Choose the day that aligns with your garbage night — that way, all the dust, grime, etc., isn’t lingering around the vacuum cleaner or in the bin. Rather, it goes completely out of your home on the same day.”

I’ve been implementing this weekday schedule for a few months now and it’s genuinely changed my life. Cleaning is non-negotiable and has to be done, but planning out how and when you do it allows you to rest and enjoy your weekends.

What’s your cleaning schedule like? Share it with us in the comments.