A weekly cleaning schedule for a small Tokyo apartment

Daily: 20 minutes

Wipe the kitchen counter and stovetop after cooking, rinse the bath walls with cold water, and run the bathroom fan. Take out burnable rubbish on collection days so odours do not build in a small room.

Weekly: one longer session

Vacuum and wipe floors, clean toilet and basin, wash the bathroom floor and drain cover, change bedding, wipe door handles and switches. Doing the bathroom first lets surfaces dry while you move on.

Monthly

Clean the range hood exterior, wash the air-conditioner filters, descale taps, wipe the inside of the fridge and microwave, and vacuum under furniture.

Seasonal

Before the rainy season in June, treat mould-prone corners. Before winter, clean windows and balcony glass. Before summer, service the air conditioner.

When to bring in help

If the weekly session keeps slipping, a regular visit is cheaper than the stress of a growing backlog. A one-time Express clean is a good reset.

Why a schedule beats cleaning when you feel like it

Small Tokyo apartments show dirt quickly, because kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and entrance are only a few steps apart. When cleaning is left until it feels necessary, it tends to become a large, unpleasant job. A schedule spreads the work into small pieces that fit between work and life, and it means you are never the person who discovers a problem when guests arrive. The point is not perfection but a rhythm that you can keep up without effort.

A sample week for a one-person flat

Monday: wipe the kitchen and stovetop properly and empty the fridge shelf with the oldest food. Wednesday: clean the toilet and basin, and wipe the mirror. Friday: vacuum, wipe hard floors and clean the bathroom floor and drain cover. Saturday or Sunday: change bedding, wash the bath wall and run the washing. Each slot takes 20 to 40 minutes. If you share the flat, divide the days between you, and write the plan on the fridge so that no one has to remember.

Adjusting for rainy season and winter

In the rainy season, add a short extra check of the bathroom, wardrobe and shoe cupboard for damp and mould. Wipe condensation from windows and sills in winter, when heating meets cold glass. In spring, pollen gathers on balconies and window frames. Rather than adding tasks forever, drop something low-value for each one you add. A schedule works only if it stays small enough to follow.

When to add a professional

If a schedule feels impossible, because of long working hours, travel or a young family, a regular cleaner for part of it is a practical option. Many people keep a light daily routine and let a professional handle the weekly kitchen, bathroom and floors. Our regular plans are fixed price, with the same cleaner on the same day and time, and you can see them on the pricing page.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most common mistake is making the plan too ambitious. A list of ten daily tasks lasts a week. Another is cleaning in the wrong order, vacuuming before wiping surfaces so that dust falls back on the floor. A third is treating every week the same, when the bathroom needs more attention in the rainy season and the windows in winter. Finally, many people forget the supplies: if the cloth is in a cupboard across the room, the quick wipe does not happen. Make it easy to start.

Quick answers

How long should a weekly clean take? For a one-room flat, around an hour and a half in total, split over the week. Should I clean every day? Only the kitchen and bathroom wipe, which takes minutes. What if I miss a week? Do the kitchen and bathroom first and the floors next, and skip the rest until the following week. What if I share the flat? Write the plan down and divide the days.