You really can clean your house in half the time. No need to block off a full day for cleaning. Here are some tips that can help cleaning your house easier and faster.
1. Have a System
Speed-cleaning expert (and maid service owner) Debbie Sardone says that cutting your cleaning time in half starts with a system. That means cleaning the house in the same order every time: Working one room at a time, starting and finishing at the same spot in a room so that you don’t waste time running back and forth.
2. Clean Top to Bottom, Left to Right
Don’t start a room by wiping the coffee table, then clean the blinds, and seeing the dust from the blinds coat your newly clean coffee table. Sardone says to start at the top of the room, such as dusting a ceiling fan and work down to the floor to eliminate redundant work.
Likewise, cleaning left to right ensures that you cover the entire room instead of darting from place to place.
3. Squeegee Windows for a Streak-Free Finish
Place a drop of dish soap in a gallon of water, wipe it generously on the window with a cloth, then squeegee it off. If you don’t want to use a squeegee, you can use a glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth.
When wiping with the cloth, use horizontal strokes and move from top to bottom. Don’t clean a window by rubbing in circles, which can leave streaks, and avoid wiping the glass with newspaper or paper towels, which leave a residue.
4. Keep Proper Tools at the Ready
Having all the tools and cleaning house products you need at arm’s reach means you won’t waste time walking back and forth to the cabinet under the sink. This might be hard with several large bottles of cleaner, but you don’t need large bottles—pour the cleaners into small spray bottles that are easy to carry. You can also place your supplies in a caddy or a bucket to stay organized and save time.
5. Get Proactive
The best way to keep a clean home is to stop some problems before they begin. Using a shower cleaner for a trigger bottle, to prevent grime and scum buildup in the bath.
6. Dust Without Spraying
Feather dusters work great for cleaning blinds, pictures, nooks, and other areas. Sardone likes ostrich feather dusters. The duster works well for routine dusting, but for heavy buildup, you’ll need to vacuum or use a cloth, then use the duster every two weeks or so after that.
7. Cut Through Kitchen Grease
Grease inevitably ends up on kitchen cabinets, especially those above or next to the range. You can buy a cleaner with orange oil to wipe off the grease, or you can use a standard grease-cutting dishwashing detergent. The detergent will cut through the grease on the cabinets just like it does with dishes.
For tough stains or buildup that won’t come off with detergent, mix baking soda with water and lightly scrub the problem area with a cloth.
8. Lemon Cleaner
Rust stains on patios, porches, garage floors and driveways are eyesores, but you don’t need acid to remove them. Instead, use a lemon. The acid in the lemon juice will dissolve the rust. Cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice onto the stain and let it soak in for about 10 minutes. For stains that have been on the concrete for weeks, months, or longer, scrub with a hard bristle brush. Then rinse off the lemon juice and gunk with clean water.
9. Battle Bathroom Mold
Mold haunts bathrooms that aren’t well-ventilated because water remains on the walls after bathing. Use hydrogen peroxide in a trigger spray bottle to battle mold and mildew.
10. Defeat Mineral Deposits
If mineral deposits from hard water have stained your plumbing fixtures, don’t clean them with bristle brushes or pads. They can scratch the faucet. Instead, use white vinegar. Pour some on a clean cloth and wipe the faucets. It doesn’t take much effort to make them sparkle.
11. Keep Stainless-Steel Shining
Fingerprints, smudges, and watermarks are the enemies of stainless-steel sinks and surfaces. Mineral oil can help you beat them. Pour some mineral oil on a cloth and wipe it down once a week. This repeals the water. The mineral oil also helps keep toothpaste and other items from sticking to the sink, making it easier to wipe clean.
To keep mold from coming back, use a fan when showering. When you’re done, take a couple of minutes to squeegee the water off the tile walls and shower door.
12. Speed-Clean Regularly
If you really want to cut down your cleaning house time, Sardone says, then you really need to clean more often. Once you’ve deep-cleaned your house, give it a once-over every couple of weeks. It’ll keep the place looking nice and spare you the long, agonizing job of doing several months’ worth of cleaning at once.
