For many of us, however, finding a spare weekend to scrub, wash, and clean every nook and cranny in a house just isn’t practical, meaning our homes are sorely in need of a deep clean. This year, instead of trying to cram twelve months’ worth of cleaning into one weekend, use your springtime burst of energy to set up a cleaning system to keep your house in good working order throughout the year. Read on for ideas to get you started.

Make a Plan

The most important step is to set up expectations for cleaning your home. Think through what each room needs on a regular basis to keep it looking its best. Ask yourself, how often should each of these tasks be completed, and is that frequency manageable? Once you’ve created a basic list of what needs to be done and when, make a chart for each room containing the list of cleaning tasks specific to the room, the desired frequency of each task, and boxes to check each time the task is completed. Place the list with your cleaning supplies in each room so that you can keep track of, for instance, the last time you dusted baseboards in the dining room or washed windows in the guest room.

Stock Up on Supplies

Purchase your favorite cleaners in bulk to receive a better price per ounce while also reducing packaging. If you are looking to cut waste, switch from products such as cleaning wipes and Swiffer sheets to cloth rags that can be washed and reused. It is also helpful to keep recipes for homemade cleaning products on hand in case you run out of your cleaning staples. For instance, if you are low on Windex, you can make windows sparkle by combining eight parts water to one part white vinegar; just spray on the window and use newspaper to wipe down the glass.

Set Up Your System

Create a cleaning station in each room and keep small portions of basic cleaners in every area of the home. For instance, a drawer in your dining buffet can house wood polish and a few rags, while the cabinet under the bathroom sink is the perfect spot to stash a bucket of bathroom-specific disinfecting cleaners. These hubs in each room will help you to maximize extra pockets of time so that you can follow what we call The Five-Minute Rule (see sidebar). Daily spurts of cleaning will help you decrease the time you need to set aside each week—or month, depending on the size of your home and family—to accomplish the tasks on your cleaning checklist.

Each common room should also have an organization system tailored to the function of the room. For instance, the front entryway will stay neat and organized if you designate a spot—such as a large basket or cubby—for shoes, scarves, and hats. A smaller basket for mail will keep junk mail and important bills from being scattered. Take a similar approach for each room, creating systems that will keep the space tidy, which will make the cleaning process that much easier.

Enlist Help

Divvy up the household tasks to other family members, giving each person a task he or she can handle. Even the young ones can take on chores such as setting the dinner table or sweeping the hallway. Get them started on appreciating a clean home by teaching them the basics of cleaning their own bedrooms and play areas. If the rest of your family is on board with following the organization systems you set up, you will save yourself the time and frustration of picking up after them.

Dream Big

Once you’ve set up your system for day-to-day cleaning, draft a list of twelve large-scale cleaning projects you’d like to accomplish between now and next spring. Then, assign yourself one project per month for the next twelve months and program the tasks into your calendar. Portioning the tasks out will keep you from feeling overwhelmed but will also provide a framework for keeping your home sparkling year-round.