Tips For Cleaning Your Home in a Hurry

The number one reason our residences are often less than tidy is time—notably, our perpetual lack thereof. Working mothers and fathers often leave housecleaning to the weekends, just to find themselves too exhausted to do it and sorely tempted to hire a housekeeper despite the cost. College students, already overwhelmed with work and all-night study sessions, are unlikely to make apartment cleaning a priority… And who can blame them?

Alas, justifiable or not, the failure to keep a clean home or apartment can have serious repercussions, such as pest outbreaks, illness, and injury as a result of too much clutter. Not to mention, the mess only gets bigger the longer it is left to fester.

So, how do we keep up? According to April Knox, a professional housecleaner based in Sandy, Utah, with Custom Cleaning Services, the key lies in mastering the art of “speed cleaning”. Ms. Knox offers the following tips for getting the better of mess before it gets the better of you:

• April recommends that you form a simple plan, multi-task, and don’t return to rooms—one round of cleaning is generally enough, as long as one does so regularly.

• Treat cleaning like a fine-tuned military operation—organised perfectly beforehand. “Organisation is the key,” says Ms. Knox, “Set yourself a time limit, have your products ready, and move from room to room swiftly.”

• Eschew perfectionism. April advises us to not get caught up in gleaming porcelain and flawless floors—the aim is simply to get the situation manageable.

• Avoid distractions. Yes, it may occur to you while working that the microwave could use a clean, or that the entire fridge needs emptying out—save it for another day. Cover the areas that really need to be cleaned, rather than jumping around trying to clean everything you would like to see cleaned.

• Use a timer. Giving yourself, for example, ten minutes per room, is a wonderful way to make sure your housecleaning activities stay within the amount of time you have to do them.

• Clear spaces prior to cleaning. Linen, towels, dishes, piles of dirty clothes—all these things will get in your way and slow you down while you are cleaning. Toss them in the wash immediately and work while they are being cleaned.

• Carry all the products you need with you. Designate a special bucket or basket for all your cleaning tools and products, and tote it with you from room to room—this will save you making unnecessary trips.

• Dust and vacuum everything. Don’t bother with the broom, recommends Ms. Knox; it leaves behind a great deal of material the vacuum will pick up. Simply dust and vacuum the entire house for an effective, speedy, refreshing clean.