I hate cleaning. Really, truly hate cleaning. This isn’t particularly convenient since I’m a work-at-home mom of two girls. It’s not unusual for me to kick aside a pile of shoes from in front of the door so I can get outside. But, despite by distaste for cleaning, a messy house drives me insane. Since I work here and take care of the kids here I don’t get much of a break from it. The clutter is a huge distraction when I’m trying to work and it makes our home feel claustrophobic.
So when it finally gets too much to bare (and believe me, I push the limits) there are a few go-to tricks I have that will help me spend as little time cleaning as possible. A few of these tricks also keep our house from getting much-much worse.
Here are Five Tips for Cleaning FAST
Delegate:
My husband does the dishes, the bathroom and takes out the garbage. They’re his chores and I love him for doing them. My kitchen is nearly almost always clean now because he does such a good job. Don’t be afraid to make the kids clean either. As the kids are getting older we’re understanding that the extra hands can make cleaning go faster. EMAB Cleaning Services is an excellent resource you can check also.
Speed clean:
Basically, clean really fast. It’s not a difficult concept to grasp and it’s also a great way to burn calories. I set a timer for 20 minutes and see how much I can clean before the timer goes off. I usually get my living room and dining areas picked up pretty quick, and since those are the areas I see most, it works. It’s a great way to break a huge project into chunks too.
Tackle one area at a time:
I have what’s known in the parenting world as “Cleaning ADD.” I’ll start cleaning the kitchen table off and then when I go to put away a book, I’ll start straightening up the book shelf, then I’ll notice the shoes are a mess so I’ll straighten those. Twenty minutes later the kitchen table still isn’t cleaned off. To tackle this I use a laundry basket and put everything that doesn’t belong in the room I’m cleaning in the basket. Once I’ve finished an area I take the basket with me, put anything away that belongs in my new area and put stuff that doesn’t belong in the new area in my basket. No more distracted cleaning.
Hide your junk:
In a pinch you can just hide your stuff. When we remember someone is coming over or we get a call asking if a friend can stop by in 20 minutes and our house is a disaster, our emergency plan goes into action. We do basic cleaning and hide everything else. The clutter goes in laundry baskets and then goes in our room behind closed doors. No one sees, no one cares.
Get rid of stuff:
Finally, when the clutter gets to be too much… junk it. Take a garbage bag and start throwing stuff out. You’ll be surprised at the junk you’ve kept piled up. Make a day of it and go through old clothes, toys and books to pare down. The less you have, the less you have to clean.
Do you have any different tips for cleaning fast?
Image: iStockPhoto
