So, guests arrive, and you only have a few hours to clean your whole house before they do? Not to worry, as there are many tips you can utilize to your advantage and clean the whole place in half the time it would usually take you. No one really likes cleaning, it’s a tedious activity, but it’s something that has to be done to upkeep basic hygiene.
In today’s article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best tips you should definitely utilize if you want to clean your house quickly and efficiently.
Let’s get started!
1. Have a System
Many people clean rather chaotically, but it’s much better to clean your home room by room than an activity by activity. Experts suggest that if you firstly vacuum your whole home, then mop the whole place, and continue cleaning by activities rather than rooms, you’re actually going to spend more time for the same job.
So, it’s actually better to clean one room completely before moving on to the next, rather than cleaning the whole house in one go. Work one room at a time, starting and finishing at the same spot in a room. Develop a routine of cleaning.
2. Cover All Corners
Many people tend to overlook some parts of their room when they’re cleaning. They vacuum and mop the center, but they don’t even touch the corners. You should always start at the top of the room and then work your way down to the floor. The reasoning behind this lies in dust particles. Dust is always flowing down, meaning that it’s eventually going to drop to the floor. It makes very little sense to vacuum the whole room and clean the table, just for all of that to be covered in dust a few minutes later.
Always work the top first, and only later move on to the bottom.
Clean left to right, in an imaginary straight line, to ensure that you really cover everything. This applies to dusting, vacuuming, mopping, and all other activities. So, always work top to bottom first, and then left to right.
3. Buy a Window Squeegee
You definitely aren’t going to achieve amazing results with paper towels. When you’re cleaning your windows, you have to have a professional tool. These aren’t too expensive and they’re not going to damage your budget. However, they’re definitely going to ensure that your windows are squeaky clean every time you clean them.
All you need to do is put a drop of dish soap in a gallon of water and wipe it generously on the window with a cloth. Then, use the squeegee tool to get it off. You’ll notice that your window won’t have a single smudge on it.
If you’re in a rush and don’t have that sort of tool, there are other things you can use, such as a glass cleaner and a microfiber cloth. When you’re using a cloth, move from top to bottom in horizontal strokes, don’t ever clean your window by rubbing in circles – this leaves streaks while using newspapers or paper towels will leave a residue.
4. Solve the Problems Before They Arise
Many cleaning problems can actually be solved way before they even arise, experts say. For example, you can use a shower cleaner, which costs less than $4 for a trigger bottle, to prevent grime and scum buildup. This is a very simple tool that you just have to spray on after a shower and walk away, there’s no need to do anything else.
Things like mold and scales can be taken care of without extreme measures, and this will save you a lot of time, as you won’t have to clean it when you’re actually cleaning.
5. Dust It Dry
It’s better to use feather dusters, which are great for blinds, pictures, and nooks than to use dusting tools that require liquids. These dusters work well for routine dusting, but for heavy buildup, you’ll need to vacuum or use a cloth. Experts suggest that dry dusting is much better than spraying something on the area before you dust, and it’s also much quicker, so you don’t have to worry about time.
6. A Good Set of Tools Can Save You a Lot of Time
Cleaning with cleaning tools is not only more effective, but it’s also much quicker, as well. You don’t have to waste time walking back and forth to the cabinet under the sink, and you also won’t be improvising, so you’re going to get the job done much quicker.
Wear an apron, or even a carpenter’s tool belt to fit all the important things when you’re cleaning. Pour the liquids out of the larger bottles into small spray bottles that are easy to carry and you’ll be able to fit them into your belt.
Imagine that you had to turn your phone on every time you wanted to use it – that’s the equivalent of you walking back to the cabinet under the sink every time you needed to clean something new. Prepare for this in advance.
Also, having a good set of cleaning tools isn’t expensive, but it’s ensuring that you’re always cleaning well and that you don’t have to worry about any residue. It’s also much quicker to clean with tools, like the window squeegee, than improvise, for example: using newspapers to clean your windows.
7. You Can Cut Through Kitchen Grease
Grease is a big problem with any kitchen, and it’s not only going to end up on the stove and in the oven, but it’s also going to build upon countertops, as well. There are a few options with this, you can purchase a solution with orange oil, or use a standard grease-cutting dishwashing detergent.
This detergent will actually cut through the grease on the cabinet just like does with dishes, and you’ll be sure that there’s no grease in the kitchen. You should mix one tablespoon of liquid detergent with a gallon of water and wipe it on a clean sponge or cloth – this is only to make sure that it doesn’t damage or discolor the finish. Rinse that off with another clear sponge.
You can also add baking soda to water if the stain is particularly tough and won’t come off.
8. Use Lemon as a Cleaner
This can save you a lot of time, as you don’t need to run to the shop to buy acidic cleaners – you can just use the lemons from your fridge. Use this method to clean rust, as the acid in the lemon juice will dissolve the rust. Squeeze half of the lemon onto a rust stain and let it soak in it for 10 minutes. If the stain has been there for months, you’re also going to have to brush it vigorously with a hard bristle brush.
Then, clean it all off with clean water and you should be seeing that your rust stain is removed.
9. Use Hydrogen Peroxide
Using hydrogen peroxide is a quick way to get rid of mold buildups in the bathroom. These buildups happen because of bad ventilation in the bathroom, and the water that remains on the walls.
Simply spray hydrogen peroxide from a trigger-spray bottle and let it sit three to five minutes on the mold and mildew to kill all the fungus.
10. Mineral Deposits on Faucets
Hard water is always a problem, as it’s going to cause mineral deposits to form on your plumbing fixtures. You should avoid cleaning this with bristle brushes or pads as it can damage the faucet. Instead of that, try using white vinegar on a cloth.
11. Magic Erasers
Magic Erasers are Mr. Clean’s product that doesn’t cost more than $4 a pack, but they really are magical. These will take stains off places where no other cleaning tool will, and you should always keep a few around whenever you’re cleaning. This is ideal for cleaning virtually any surface – wood, laminate, etc.
12. Keep Doing It Regularly
Speed cleaning is a skill on its own, and if you want to get better at it (i.e. faster), you’re going to need some practice. You can deep-clean your home every few months and speed clean it once a week, that’s all it takes for your home to be perfectly clean, and you’re going to get much better and much faster with time.
You’ll also be learning new things and figuring stuff out on your own, so you’ll actually be able to add tips to this list!
