If you own your own home or even if you are renting long term, you will want to take care of your home as best you can. I personally use a weekly cleaning schedule for the normal household chores like cleaning the floors, cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, etc. For example, I clean my bathrooms on Thursdays and I vacuum on Mondays. However, there are certain home maintenance chores that take more than a few minutes and only have to be down periodically. For those jobs, I usually dedicate a weekend. Some should be done in certain seasons and others can be done anytime.

One such chore is carpet cleaning. If you are vacuuming correctly then you are running the machine once every week per member of your family. So if only two of you live in the household, you should vacuum twice a week. But even if you vacuum the appropriate amount and especially if you do not, then you need to shampoo your carpets periodically. If you are vacuuming enough, then once a year is probably alright. But if you do not get out the vacuum as much as you should or if you have small children or pets then at least twice a year is better. Shampoo machines are available to rent or to buy. Your choice depends on how often you will be completing this chore. Once the shampooing is complete and you rinse, you will need to leave between twelve and twenty four hours for the carpets to dry completely.

It is easy to keep the insides of your windows clean year round by adding window cleaning to your weekly chore list. The outside window glass, screens, and window frames are another matter. You can only do a good job cleaning these when the weather is warm. At least once a year, probably twice, you should clean the outside of your windows. The glass can be cleaned by spraying a hose on it, but a better choice would be to clean them with a window cleaning solution and a squeegee. Of course, you will also need a ladder so that you can reach the second or third story windows. The screens can be cleaned by spraying them with a hose. A soapy water mixture and a scrub brush will help get off any caked in dirt and grime. Power washers are also helpful in cleaning window frames, but be careful not to use them at full power or you could tear the screens apart.

My least favorite household chore, because I am afraid of heights is gutter cleaning. It doesn’t matter if it rains a lot near your home or not, everyone needs to have a functioning gutter system and in order for it to function properly, you need to make sure it is clear of debris at least once a year. Twice a year, once in late fall and once in early spring would be better. You clean them in late fall to clear out all the falling leave and twigs that accumulate there over the autumn. You clean them in early spring to make sure there is no left over ice blocking the system. Since gutter cleaning has to be done up on a ladder or scaffolding, it can be dangerous. That may be why many people hire professionals to clean them instead of doing it themselves.

Although cleaning the bathroom is usually on everyone’s weekly chore list, you will still need to do a periodic grout cleaning session. Grout, especially in the shower, builds up because the bathroom is the perfect environment for it to thrive – warm and moist. Even if you clean you clean your shower and floors regularly, there will still be some amount of buildup in your grout over time. This job requires that you get down on your hands and knees and scrub. It often takes a long time because you need to take frequent breaks to relieve your knees and back. That is why I like to leave a weekend for this cleaning project.

Kitchen organization is a problem for everyone, even if your house is remarkably clean. Since you spend a majority of your time in the kitchen, things tend to pile up. In addition, in the fast paced environment you create when you are cooking, you tend to put things back in the wrong place and it is very easy to get disorganized. Therefore, once a year you should empty every cabinet and every drawer and lay everything out on tabletops and counters. When you see everything you have, it is easy to reorganize it. Once you have piles organized, you can put things back nicely and you will know where everything is. However, before you put everything back, wipe down all the surfaces and replace the contact paper. Contact paper, is a great way to protect the bottoms of your drawers and cabinet shelves and keep them from getting too dirty. You will be amazed at what you can throw away or donate when you sort through everything in your kitchen.

A great way to keep your house clean and make a difference in the lives of people who are less fortunate is to clean out your closets and dresser drawers twice a year. At the end of the summer and at the end of the winter, you should go through all of your clothes, accessories, and shoes and set aside everything that you have not worn during the previous season. Of course, there are going to be some exceptions, but for the most part, if you have not worm it all year, chances are that you will not wear it again. Keeping your closets clear of extra clothes is a great way to stay organized and not be carried away when buying new clothes. It will be easier for you to know what you have and what you need. All the clothes that you set aside can be donated to people who really need them.

The projects I have talked about here are only a small portion of what is possible in terms of weekend home maintenance and cleaning activities. The joys of home ownership never end. Some other projects you might want to think about include cleaning your chimney, painting your house, landscaping, cleaning your siding, or resurfacing your deck.

This article is only one of many written by Shawn on home improvement tips. He takes good care of his home and enjoys passing on the information he has on things like grout cleaning and carpet shampoo.