Saturdays - Clutter Reduction/Organization

Necessary tools:

* Trash bag specifically marked for Goodwill
* Trash bags, unmarked
* 2 boxes, fairly large. These can be cardboard boxes from a liquor or grocery store. Mark one Possible Giveaway and the other Wrong Room
* Laundry basket

Bring tissues or a handkerchief with you as this activity often kicks up some dust. Even if you're not allergic to dust, it's still an irritant.

There are a number of items which require specialized storage, e. g. books, and others which may require specialized storage, e. g. CDs. Since I don't know your specific organizational needs, I'll suggest items as we go along, rather than list them here. Also, if you really want to get into getting organized, you might want to use a spreadsheeting program. I think Excel is the best but Works has a fair spreadsheeting program and you're not going to be doing anything too fancy. Plus, Works comes with many PCs.

Fridays - The kitchen

Necessary tools:

* Paper towels or rags
* Sponges
* Sponges with a scrubber side
* Antibacterial cleaner (can be either ammonia-based on bleach-based. Personally, I prefer ammonia-based but that need not influence your selection)
* Furniture polish (preferably with a nice added aroma, such as orange, vanilla or lemon. Pledge makes this, but they're not the only such manufacturer out there)
* Glass cleaner, any variety (or go with plain white vinegar in a spray bottle if you wish to go greener)

Thursdays - Glass surfaces/Mopping

Necessary tools:

* Glass cleaner, any variety (or go with plain white vinegar in a spray bottle if you wish to go greener)
* Paper towels or rags
* Mop, preferably of the kind where you can replace the mop head. I find battery-operated mops kind of silly, and you're doing much of the work, anyway. One consideration, though is to get a light mop, as that will make this task easier
* Replacement mop head or cleaning cloths, depending on the type of mop you use
* Floor cleaner as recommended by your floor's manufacturer
* Wood cleaner for wooden floors. You can use wax on occasion, but it is slippery and you'll need a buffing machine to apply it smoothly. I've found that for my wooden floors I quite literally just spray Pledge on a mop head and use that
* Bucket

Wednesdays - Vacuuming

Necessary tools:

* Standard vacuum cleaner, with attachments. Can be canister or upright, whatever your preference. Go with the lightest, most powerful model you can afford - light because that will make this chore a lot easier and powerful for the same reason
* Small handheld vac, preferably of the wet/dry variety
* Vacuuming powder such as Love My Carpet, particularly if you have pets or a smoker at home

Tuesdays - Dusting

Necessary tools:

* Paper towels or rags
* Electrostatic cleaning cloth (like a chamois) to pick up dust
* Furniture polish (preferably with a nice added aroma, such as orange, vanilla or lemon. Pledge makes this, but they're not the only such manufacturer out there)

Carry tissues or a handkerchief with you in a pocket while you dust for, even if you're not allergic to dust, it is an irritant and you will sneeze if enough dust is kicked up.

Mondays - Bathrooms

Necessary tools (each is per floor where there are bathrooms):

* 1 toilet brush with holder
* 1 canister of scrubbing powder (like Bon Ami or Comet), if your tub's manufacturer says it's all right to use. If not, try Softscrub. If you want to go greener, use plain baking soda
* 1 bottle of window cleaner. If you want to go greener, use plain white vinegar in a spray bottle
* Paper towels or rags
* 1 scrub brush, preferably with a handle
* 1 bottle of bleach- or ammonia-based bathroom cleanser (decide to whether you want to go with bleach or ammonia, as they shouldn't be mixed. Personally, I go with bleach but that's my preference and it need not dictate your actions in this area)
* 1 squirt bottle of under-the-rim toilet cleanser or bleach- or ammonia-laden (see above) cleaning cloths which you can discard after use. I just purchased Scrubbing Bubbles' Flushable Toilet Wipes. I'll let you know how well they work
* 1 tablet of blue or clear cleanser to place in the toilet tank. I use blue because then I know when it's all used up. If you have curious pets, be sure to tell your entire family to put down not only the toilet seat after every use, but also the toilet lid
* Rubber/plastic gloves. These should be fairly substantial, not the kind you throw out after each use

Store materials under a sink in one bathroom per floor where there are bathrooms. If you have young children, invest in a lock for the cabinet. Do not store cleaning materials with towels, tissues or toilet paper as spillage can ruin these items. Check expiration dates every three months or so. Do not purchase more than you need for a six-month period.

Sundays - Trash day/Outdoor work

Necessary tools:

Trash -
* 1 trash barrel with tight-fitting lid per two people in household per week's worth of trash
* 1 trash can in every room. Can be lidless everywhere except the kitchen if you don't have curious pets. If you do, then keep 1 lidded can on every floor (preferably a fairly large can) and discard everything in there.
* 1 lidded trash can in the kitchen for wet garbage. All other cans will contain dry garbage (for our purposes, it's dry garbage even if you're throwing away a bunch of used tissues because someone's got a bad cold)
* Plastic trash bags to fit the lidded can
* Large black plastic trash bags for outside. Use the kind either with handles or a pull-through string. Don't use twist-ties; you'll never find them when you need them
* Regular supermarket plastic bags for the unlidded cans in every room.
* Paper supermarket bags for newspapers
* Recycling bin
* Composter or dispos-all
* Plastic zipper bags (can be generic)
* Stick-on air fresheners
* Spray air freshener

Outdoor Work -
* Standard gardening equipment (this isn't intended to be a gardening site but some of your outdoor work might be gardening. At minimum, you want a trowel, a metal fork [about the same size as the trowel], a larger shovel, a hard rake for soil, a wider [and softer plastic] rake for leaves and clippers. Also make sure you have a soft foam cushion for your knees and gardening gloves if you need to deal with roses or poison ivy. Add a bulb digger and a sharp weeder if needed. You can get fancy with other equipment, but those are the basics.
* Lawn mower of any type - ride, push or reel - whatever you prefer
* Hoses (1 in front, 1 in back)
* Snow shovel or snow blower if needed. If you're going to use shovels, make sure there's one per person and make sure the handle is bent. Those are better for your back
* Sponge
* Bucket
* Soap for car
* Window cleaner for car
* Wax for car (if desired)

If you don't have a yard or a car, keep some gardening tools for indoor plants. Then, all you need are the trowel, metal fork and gloves (if you have cacti or the like), and add various pots. Make sure planting pots have a hole at the bottom for drainage. Add a plate or pan underneath. If you have a pot you don't want to drill a hole in, you can put clean stones at the bottom of a pot, then add potting soil and then the plant. This will provide some drainage, but it's not as good as a hole in the bottom of a pot.