The Secret Behind Checklists - How to Make Them Really Work

What is the secret behind checklists? Are you one of those people who keeps rolling "to-do's" over from day to day? Here's how to make checklists really work for you.
** THE SECRETS BEHIND CHECKLISTS CHAPTERS **
0:00 - Meet Angela Brown, the House Cleaning Guru
0:28 - What happens if I don't get my checklist done?
1:44 - What kind of lists would you make for cleaning?
1:54 - Is it the checklist or the routine behind the checklist that works?
2:09 - Does parenting take away from house cleaning?
2:30 - What priorities take away from cleaning?
3:05 - How to make a routine based on trash service?
3:43 - Should everyone in the house participate in daily activities?
4:06 - Does participation create appreciation?
4:24 - Discussion on chores and how the help keep the household clean
4:45 - How to create a routine for laundry
5:30 - How to create a routine for cleaning dishes after a meal
6:33 - What should I put on my checklist?
7:52 - Why is scheduling important?
RESOURCES -------------------------
BOOKS BY CLEANFLUENCER ANGELA BROWN
How to Start Your Own House Cleaning Company - amzn.to/3jHk4GL
The Ultimate Guide to Move In Move Out Cleaning - amzn.to/3zxfN0h
GOOD KARMA RESOURCES FROM THIS SHOW
Habit Stacking - amzn.to/3NrXBKe
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones - amzn.to/3grQhiN
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business - amzn.to/3orGWdI
Martha Stewart's Organizing: The Manual for Bringing Order to Your Life, Home & Routines - amzn.to/39U46pa
My Morning Routine: How Successful People Start Every Day Inspired - amzn.to/3oFIAsp
(When available, we use affiliate links, and as Amazon Associates, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases.)
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** CREDITS **
Show Produced by: Savvy Cleaner: savvycleaner.com
Show Host: Angela Brown
Show Editors: Kristin Ochsner & PJ Barnes
Show Producer: Jenifer V. Holland
#checklists
#organizationtips
#productivityhacks
#housecleaning
#cleaningchecklists
#TEDtalks
#taskmanagement
#planningandorganization
#lifeskills
#selfimprovement
#mindfulness
#successhabits
#timemanagement
#dailyroutine
#goalsetting

[@WordsPictures997]

" ... everyone should participate because everyone lives in that house .. " Sooooo good! This was such a GREAT and helpful episode. Thank you so much Angela!

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thanks for watching and for your kind words. :-)

[@itsacarolbthing5221]

This makes so much sense. All the checklists in the world won't help if you don't implement a routine behind the list to action the tasks. And one of the major things if you're doing a full clean is to build in regular breaks. Use a timer, or your watch, but make sure you're giving yourself time to rest and regroup.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thank you so much for sharing these tips. 😊

[@martifinan998]

You are so compassionate and nonjudgemental while giving concrete and specific guidance. Thank you from all of us that are too bogged down in the details!

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thank you so much for your kind words Marti! And thank you for taking the time to write this comment, I appreciate it! 🤗

[@darlenemeek2201]

When my 2 boys were young 30 minutes before bed time I started them putting up their toys etc so they knew bed time was close & toys were off the floor. My youngest son was a natural at this.... he even straightened the candy rack at the grocery store while I was checking out. He always had a neatness about him as he grew. He had his tools in order & his mind too! When he graduated & bought his first house you didn't find dust bunnies in his house! My first born was a total opposite. Everything was a mess & still is to this day. His redeeming quality is that he is an ace mechanic. His nick name around here is Mcguiver. He has the natural ability to quickly observe something & he can fix it! It's amazing the things I've seen him do. I'm proud of them both! The check list would have been a great thing for me when they were young & the house was a mess. Looking back all I really needed was a leaf blower to blow out all the stuff from under his bed & out of the closet of no 1 son. Ladies I'm not kidding. My table seats 6 & I got so tired of moving the chairs out & cleaning the floor under the table. It dawned on me one day when I was blowing the patio that I could use this in the house too! So now I blow the spider webs down & dust the walls & unless I need to mop the hardwood floors, I just blow thru all those chair legs and catch it on the other side with the vacuum. I blow under the China cabinet & dressers & chest of drawers & under beds. It might be kinda of tacky but it works great.Wish I had thought of this when the boys were young.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

LOL. I love your innovation. Using a leaf blower indoors. What a novel idea. Thanks for sharing. :-)

[@hopefoster8006]

Good ideas

[@annemonette6678]

I also blow under and behind stove, refrigerator, washer and dryer.

[@patballentine113]

You have solutions for more than housecleaning. It's often about living, lifestyle , and problem solving. This video helped me to view some housekeeping issues in a different way. As I age, I have to change what I do, and my problems often go unaddressed. I'm lucky enough to be 83 and in good health, but I have to change things--I've found a lot of good advice from your videos. The idea of viewing certain tasks as routine rather than on checklists is a good one--I'm sharing it online.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thanks Pat for your kind words and for your updates. It's so great to have you here. Thanks for sharing. :-)

[@darlenemeek2201]

Pat, I'm 69 today and if I were your neighbor I would do the harder house cleaning things for you. Your best defense is to clean as you go. That way it doesn't pile up on you.

[@logisepaka5208]

Angela Brown deep from the bottom of my heart just wanna say thank you. You are the best . Keep it let the world cleaning place.I let you know

[@mandersdaro8136]

Did this for years until a major depression. I had to clear out a piece of furniture today that was regularly cleaned and organized years ago but not the last 2, at least. I will tell you...two years has made a HUGE impact on my house. I have been feeling so guilty of the clutter and mess AND actual filth. I think it's time to go back to the routine. Monday, this room, Tuesday, that, Wednesday, so and so..

[@AskAngelaBrown]

It sounds like a good plan. Thanks for sharing. Keep me posted on your progress. I'm here rooting for you. :-)

[@amandasfreshstart534]

You have NO IDEA how this hit Home for me!!! Thank you, Angela! ❤

[@AskAngelaBrown]

You are so welcome!

[@duckodtcrafters]

I wish so much that I did this when my kids were younger! It would have saved my sanity and have less tantrums. Lesson learned - late.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

I appreciate you watching the show and leaving a comment.

[@l.baughman1445]

I love your coaching style! You’re a good instructor. Thanks to Brie for calling in with that GREAT question!! Happy holidays all!!

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thanks for watching and for your kind words. Happy Holidays to you as well. :-)

[@marilynmb.canada9680]

Wow, thank you so much Angela! I am 67 yrs and finding my energy and staying power is dwindling fast. I do keep a checklist of things "TO DO", because otherwise I forget about it, don't schedule it, and it doesn't get done. Also, there is just something satisfying about being able to cross items off as I get them done. I print out a 1 month calendar and pin it up beside my chair. On that calendar I have "scheduled" 1 room of the house for each day. Wednesday is kitchen, Saturday is back porch, Sunday is laundry, etc. I don't do just that room, but it gets me started! I schedule my bill payments, and other appointments, so that I don't forget. I also write on it what I did that day, so I can look at it throughout the month. This encourages me that YES! I am "getting something done" each day and it helps to motivate me and keep me on track! I would just like to suggest one more thing to those who are struggling with keeping up with their housework. If they are financially able, and their spouse is in agreement, they can hire someone to come in and clean. It is just an option that people can consider if they are finding that they have more than they can handle.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Hi Marilyn, thanks for the very helpful tips. I love the way you've split up your housework into doable chunks of effort and time and that you have them on a schedule so you can be preparing during the week mentally for what each task will include. I also love that you've added your laundry and bill payments to your list. You sound very organized. Super helpful. THANK YOU! 👏👏👏

[@judysbakeryandtestkitchen1654]

Fabulous post! We are about the same age and I find my energy problem also. I don’t clean more than 15 minutes a day, but it makes a difference. I highly recommend the FlyLady system of cleaning. You are close to it, but it’s great for smaller daily routines. Tuesday is “planning and pay bill”. Every day has another purpose. Some great channels are The Secret Slob, Diane in Denmark, and A Better Life with Kat. The daily routines and weekly home blessing hour (10 minutes per task) do a fair job of keeping my home nice. I’ve let go of perfect. The zones are 5 zones in your house and you do one zone a week-based on the week of month. I kept your hearing about FlyLady for about six months, until I checked it out. And now I’m glad I did And I do have to write everything down. My memory isn’t what it used to be, alas

[@natalienicole6486]

I agree with both ideas. Angela, you are so right about a routine. At the same time, I need a checklist so I don’t forget. So I combined the two ideas. :) I dedicated a room to a day of the week. Ex: I clean Bathrooms only on Saturdays. So on Saturday morning, I grab the Bathroom Cleaning checklist and clean the bathroom before anything else gets done that day.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

This is great!! Thanks for sharing!

[@judysbakeryandtestkitchen1654]

Great ideas! You are right about routines. If my routine is to swish and swipe my bathroom, it doesn’t feel like cleaning. The big problem with a list is inertia. It’s really hard to get motivated to do something - that’s the hardest part. If it’s just part of your routine to do something, like wash the dishes after eating right away, Lack of inertia doesn’t show up. Very good tips. I like your tip of not letting mail sit for more than two days. I just saw that in another video. I really pair down who I follow, and you are one of the ones I keep. I seem to crave your “new tape for a positive influence through the day

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thank you for watching the video, leaving a comment and being a part of the community : )

[@marginalized945]

Thanks for all your advice, Angela!! Have been a faithful follower for years!

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thanks so much. You just made my day. Happy New Year!

[@sstout7555]

Angela, what a game changer for me! Thank you, thank you. I've started the change today, not waiting for January 1.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Awesome. I'm so excited. Keep me posted on your progress. I'm here rooting for you. :-)

[@hedy_7084]

Maybe it’s the housecleaner in me, but we have a cleaning routine. Sheets and towels washed Saturday, dishes and dinner cleanup nightly, and the kids have their daily chores as part of their routine. They also have the choice of Saturday or Sunday to tidy their rooms, dust, vacuum, and reorganize any mess they made during the week. Just has to be done before the weekend is up.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Those are great systems. Thank you for sharing. 😊

[@LuanaOnMaui]

Excellent video!

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thank you. You just made my day. :-)

[@cindycox9496]

Hi! Angela. I had surgery on my foot sutures are out now i clean but have to take breaks. Im doing the 30 day miamalist challenge but Noone will do it with me so im doing it solo. Im writing on paper for the 30 days. IM happy im doing good!. So far i got rid of 6 items. Go Cindy! Lol.not bad for 68.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Good for you! We are with you! Are you part of our Facebook groups? You can find awesome support there as well!

[@violet2149]

Lessons learned- love your videos. I can listen to them over & over for motivation 💗 thank you 🙏

[@AskAngelaBrown]

That’s wonderful! I appreciate you leaving a comment to let me know. 👍

[@patriciagriffiths398]

Hi Angela just saw your post that you have you just done and I'm the first person to comment!!! I recently saw your channel about a month ago. I love your ideas and how you explain everything in detail. Ok Angela just a short message. Best wishes for this coming New Year. Kindest regards Patricia.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Oh thank you! I love it that you're the first to post. THANK YOU. And thanks for the good wishes. Happy New Year to you as well. I'm wishing for you a year of peace and prosperity!

[@Butterflybleu14]

You give such brilliant advice to everyday issues. Excellent content, as always!

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Glad you think so! I really appreciate that, thank you much!

[@donab1369]

Love your closing remark. Learning so much.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thank you so much! And thanks for watching!

[@eileenryan4687]

That was great information. Thank you.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Glad you think so! Thanks for the feedback and for watching the video, I appreciate it!

[@sheribondaruk1040]

Thank you!

[@AskAngelaBrown]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@sunflowerfields4409]

I love your videos. Routines are where it's at.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Routines do resolve a lot of decision making and procrastination.

[@cantsay]

Septic educator tip: if someone is on a the week to avoid overloading the system.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Great tip! Thanks for sharing!

[@paulanix7561]

Thank you

[@AskAngelaBrown]

You're welcome. The worksheets have so many uses they really are one of my favorite tools I've ever used in this business...and I love checklists. :-)

[@sandyhumissouri5131]

Okay I put on my running/camping headlamp and did a walkthrough of my own house! Dang! I used yours as a starting point. I'm going to put it in order of my house and put the monthly stuff/extras at the bottom. I'm going to time myself when I clean, wish me luck!

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Keep us posted. I'm eager to hear your updates. Thanks for sharing this and for the inspiration. :-)

[@sandyhumissouri5131]

Today I went through the FRONT page of my checklist. Laundry basket with cleaning cloths and sprays. .and a LADDER because I needed to reach stuff. Timed each room. I'm worn out but tomorrow is the rest of the house! I didn't include the garage or shop, thankfully I know about "special projects"!

[@pramwilson]

I would love a video about how to use those drill brush attachments properly (and other equipment you think is important to own). I got some recently and tried to clean my oven. Found it sprayed dirt around my kitchen and knew it must be user error. It didnt even clean my oven well. Elbow grease worked better...but that is what I hoped the brushes would help with.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

The key is to use the right tool for the right job. Using a drill brush to clean an oven would put the "splatter" right at or about face level spitting gunk and cleaning chemical back in your face. The drill brush needs to be used away from you, as in you extending your arms to hold it in front of you. This allows you to see what you are cleaning and manage the splatter.

[@meganburns6482]

Hello, I just found your channel and really appreciate your tips and tricks on cleaning. Sadly I am not a natural cleaner. I thank God my husband is. However I really appreciate a routine. Is there a book or website that has a helpful guide for daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly routine cleanings?

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Check out these videos: *How Often Should I Clean My House? DIY Habit Stacking - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJS7poamhNKIf7s (Also check out the show notes and you will find links and resources to other videos and books.) *Why is Cleaning So Hard? The Secret Behind Cleaning Routines - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHrVlop6apyth7c

[@teenabobina77]

Thank u

[@AskAngelaBrown]

You're welcome! And thank you for watching the video. 🙂

[@Carolmaizy]

My parents had 4 daughters. No way would we have been able to wash all our bedding and towels in one day, even if we stayed home every Saturday. Their solution was one load of laundry every day. We changed our linens on different days.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Thanks so much for sharing. 👍

[@AskAngelaBrown]

What a great idea. Thanks for sharing this. I love that you figured out a system that works well based on the family size.

[@kristinemurray6730]

I have a question! What do you do when your client doesn’t respond to how your doing? I leave check list when new cleaners are sent. I ask follow up questions? I get no response. They are great customers and are bi- weekly

[@AskAngelaBrown]

This is an excellent question and I'm going to make you a video about it.

[@NJ-xp4eb]

Angela would you have any routine tips for when you have certain days where you simply cannot clean? Due to work and family commitments weekend and Mondays are out for me and sadly my place then looks like a bomb hit it with the rest of the week I am trying to catch up. I have given up on Friday big clean as the place is super messy in three days again. No cleaners in my area at the moment and currently getting a lot of ad hoq work and family requests coming in constantly out of the blue so what would be the best way to organise my big clean and daily cleaning routine if it is only myself and times available constantly change? Thanks very much.

[@MyMaria1224]

Such a good question!! Love to know the answer too!

[@AskAngelaBrown]

NJ, I recorded you a video on this very topic yesterday. We are working a couple of weeks out so it will be released in a few weeks. The short version is to prioritize your life. Limit the ad hoc work and last minute family requests and take control of the most important things, and outsource the rest. We all only have 24 hours in a day and you will always have to say no to something.

[@NJ-xp4eb]

@@AskAngelaBrown you are an absolute star 🌟🌟🌟 thanks so much Angela very much appreciated.

[@MeutiPaka]

Wow thank you so much. I'm from Tuvalu island right in the middle of the Pacific.i just started teaching drop out kids. On how to become independent to find a job. Hopefully you can support me if I'm needed for your advice. Once again thank you so much. I really learned a lot.

[@AskAngelaBrown]

You are so welcome! There are many helpful videos on my channel. Good luck in your endeavor!👍

[@ritasmith9553]

Would you mind, Angela, sharing a 'routine' list? A list of what is 'routine', expected of (self and ) others to prepare for this? What you do in your household/when would be fine, but maybe a starting point? I have a few commitments like that, and I even have them in writing in a notebook of what to do when.... but I need more. Greatly appreciated! [I have the list also from another cleaning guru; and it is good, but I need more. I have extenuating circumstances.] YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, RIGHT?!?!?

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Hi Rita, thanks for your kind words. The challenge is that routine is specific to everyone's lifestyles, schedules and responsibilities. Every person in my house has a different morning and evening routine. I can give you a specific routine that says take the dogs out at 6:00am but if you don't have a dog, then that doesn't apply to you. Does that make sense?

[@cindycox9496]

Started challenge June 17th

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Yay! You've got this!!☺

[@logisepaka5208]

Angela I'm new in this but my boss asked me to train new staff .Once we open the new lodge. I'm going to train them .Hopefully you can help me. My name is Tebarae from Tuvalu island

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Tebarae, That’s great news that your boss sees you as someone that can train new employees. I’m routing for you. Keep me posted on how training goes.

[@martinboyanov4063]

Hey Angela how can I get sample of your worksheets?

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Martin any links mentioned can be found in the show notes description. Here's the link: savvycleaner.com/worksheets-and-checklists/

[@martinboyanov4063]

@@AskAngelaBrown I have the link. I have your book "how to set your own cleaning company" and saw the link for the worksheets, but I did find how download em' either purchase em'??

[@WriteDestination]

2 bedrooms in 600 sq ft???!!!

[@AskAngelaBrown]

Those are tiny rooms. 🙃