The $16 App That Helped Me Get My Cleaning Schedule Back on Track

I am a firm believer in the power of a weekly cleaning schedule. Having a schedule — and sticking to it — can make you feel as if your house is self-cleaning. I admit, though, that my own personal cleaning schedule has taken a hit as of late. And I’ve been struggling to find a way to get back on track.

I tried daily tasks repeated weekly, saving all the chores for the weekend, cleaning the house one room at a time, and doing one task in every room. Nothing seemed to stick. I felt like my house was never really clean and I always felt behind.

That’s when I decided to give Sweepy, a dedicated cleaning app, a whirl.

To get started, you’ll tell Sweepy a bit about your goals (i.e. are you interested in general tidiness or complete spotlessness?) and how many rooms you’re dealing with. Next, you’ll plug in the chores you want done by room. There are plenty of pre-populated tasks to choose from (like clean the windows, vacuum the floors, dust the surfaces, etc.) and you can also create your own tasks.

Each task also has a slider that lets you set how dirty or clean it is. For example, if you’ve just cleaned the sink in your bathroom, you can set it all the way toward clean. If the sink is only sorta dirty, you’ll leave the slider in the middle. And if the sink is pretty gross, you’ll put it all the way toward dirty.

You can also adjust the frequency you want tasks to be done. The app suggests changing bed sheets every three weeks, for example — but you might decide you’d like to change them every two weeks. In the same settings module, you can also assign the level of effort a task requires. Is it easy, hard, or in the middle?

Based on your inputs, the app will create a daily schedule for you.

It takes a little investment to get Sweepy set up, but I’m happy to report that it has infused order back into my cleaning habits. I thrive on someone or something telling me what to do and I love the dopamine hit of crossing something off a list. This app hits both those marks and more.

Here a few ways Sweepy has given me back a “house that cleans itself”:

It eliminates decision fatigue, giving me more time to actually clean. I no longer have to waste precious time (and energy) deciding what I’m going to clean that day. Being able to glance at my phone or my watch and know what I need to take care of that day saves me from decision fatigue.

I know when I can stop. Using Sweepy has helped me know when I can stop cleaning. I no longer feel guilty when I’ve cleaned but there’s still more to clean. I know I’ll get to it soon because it’ll be popping up on the schedule.

It helps me to use my free minutes wisely. You know those little pockets of time when you’re waiting for the coffee to brew or the microwave to beep? I’ve found myself checking my Sweepy checklist and checking off a task or two in a just a few minutes. Rather than cleaning taking over my day, I’m able to fit most of my cleaning into my day.

A final note on cost: This app costs $3 per month if you sign up for just one month or $16 if you sign up for the year, which works out to a little over $1 per month. And for me, it’s been totally worth it.

This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: This $16 App Helped Me Get My Cleaning Schedule Back on Track