I hate cleaning the house. Hate it! Can I get a witness?
It just seems like a waste of time. I clean it, and it seems to get dirty again within 24 hours. Plus, I have way better things to do with my time than clean the house.
But it’s one of those things that has to be done, so CPS doesn’t come knocking on my door for child neglect.
So here are a few tips for cleaning our homes in as little time as possible.
- Get rid of stuff.
I’ll cover this more in another post, but less stuff sitting around means less stuff to clean. I have always been pretty anti-clutter, but even I could do better. If it doesn’t make me happy to look at, why do I keep it sitting around? And when it comes to toys, why am I holding on to items my little one hardly plays with? - Buy some quick cleaning supplies.
Disposable cleaning wipes are lifesavers in the kitchen and bathroom. Drop-in-the-tank toilet bowl cleaners keep our toilets cleaner in between deep cleans. And a cleaning service advised me once to always squeegee down my shower walls and leave the door open slightly to let the shower air out– all to cut down on soap scum and mildew. - Find a schedule that works for you.
There are several options: You can clean everything in one day, split the tasks up and do one small task a day, or use a to-do list like this one and choose a task based on what you feel like doing. But the only right way is the one you are most likely to do. - Clean one room at a time.
This is another trick from cleaning professionals. Don’t waste your time vacuuming the whole house, dusting the whole house, etc. Reduce your steps and clean one room from top to bottom before moving on to the next. - Take all your cleaning supplies into every room.
Put together a cleaning caddy or mobile cart that you can take into every room you are cleaning, so you don’t have to run back and forth grabbing different cleaners, brushes or cloths. - Buy a 50-foot extension cord.
With a long extension cord, you can plug your vacuum into one outlet and reach the entire floor or house. - Toss the broom.
My mother would be up in arms over this one. Let your vacuum do all the work by turning it to the hard floor setting and vacuuming your bare floors rather than sweeping.
Just putting this list together motivated me to make some changes (and to buy a cordless mini vac to make it easier to vacuum the kitchen floor daily). What tips do you use to cut your cleaning time?