It’s also important to decide which areas aren’t priorities. For example, close off the bedroom doors if people won’t be going in them and you’re short on time.
For example, if you’re having company come over and you only have 1 hour to clean, set a timer for 15 minutes. Clean your living room in this time and set a timer for 30 minutes to clean the rest of your house. Give yourself another 15 minutes for dishes and floors.
Music can make clean up fun and less of a chore. Consider making a cleaning playlist when you have some time. This way you’ll have motivating music whenever you need it!
If your roommate can’t help, ask them what you want them to do with their things. They may not want you sorting through their clothes or clutter. For example, you could say, “Mom, could you vacuum while Sam cleans the counters?”
Tell yourself that you’re focusing on cleaning for a set amount of time and then you can use your phone, tv, and computer again.
If you have a lot of clutter that just needs to be thrown away, walk through with a trash bag too. If you’re cleaning a small home or apartment and don’t have space to store the basket of clutter, you may need to take the time to put everything away. Try to make it a race and see how quickly you can put it all away.
If you have the time, quickly sort the clothes and toss a load into the machine. The clothes will wash while you’re cleaning the rest of your home.
You can run the dishwasher if it’s full, but save washing the dishes in the sink for when you have a little more time.
For example, if you have dirty blinds, swipe a microfiber cloth over them before you dust the coffee table below it. Try to dust noticeable places like televisions, corners of rooms, blinds, and dark furniture.
For an even quicker clean, just take a soapy rag and run it over the counters and sinks.
If you don’t have a vacuum, you can still sweep the hard floor. Just ensure that the dirt isn’t swept up onto things you’ve already dusted.
If you don’t have time to quick mop your floors, just spray a little cleanser right on spots or stains. Use a towel to rub the area clean.
Wipe down the faucets with a dry cloth so they don’t get water spots as they dry.
If you have toys to put away, get your kids involved and have them put the toys away.
Avoid hand drying the dishes because this can take too long if you’re in a hurry.
If you don’t have a magic eraser sponge, use a soft cotton cloth or rag.
If you notice a lingering smell, open a few windows to get some fresh air.
Don’t forget to clean out your bathroom trash can! You can always dump it in your household garbage can to make things easier.
Make sure your cabinets in your kitchen and bathroom are tidy before you go to bed. Maintaining clean counters will help you keep your home neat and functional! If you tend to leave things out or have kids, set aside 15 minutes every evening for a quick pick up of clutter or toys. Set your timer and clean as much as you can during that window.
For example, you might clean your kitchen on Monday, your guest bathroom on Tuesday, your master bedroom on Wednesday, your master bathroom on Thursday, your living room on Friday, and the remaining bedrooms over the weekend.
