There’s nothing quite as pleasing as a fresh, clean house, but many of us groan at the thought of having to vacuum, dust, mop and tidy up. There also seems never enough time in our busy lives for these mundane tasks. So the faster you can get stuck in, the sooner the pain is over and you can relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour.
Perhaps you have unexpected guests arriving in an hour and the place is a mess? You need to give the house a quick going over before the family gets home, or maybe it’s simply your regular cleaning day. No matter the reason, housework won’t do itself but the following tools, tricks and shortcuts can help you to get the job done quickly.
Where to Begin
The first thing to realise is that you need to focus. Then frogmarch yourself to your cleaning bucket, tools and products with your mind only on cleaning. So turn off your devices and TV so that Facebook or Twitter notifications don’t take you off-piste. Don’t get sucked in by the glossy magazines you’re tidying either.
Have your vacuum cleaner at the ready for carpet cleaning, products, mop, dusters, cleaning wipes, Ecovacs and everything you need in one place, either in a caddy or bucket, so you don’t have to interrupt a task to get something you need from another room.
In all the rooms you clean, start at the top and work your way down to the floor. If you started at the bottom to dust, for instance, the dust and dirt would fall back onto the cleaned areas, so it makes no sense.
1. What Needs Cleaning
Some chores don’t have to be done every week. Things like cleaning windows, waxing furniture, washing bath mats and floor rugs. But check them to see if they need a clean but if this is a fast clean, leave them for a special deep cleaning day or a day to only do those tasks.
2. Don’t Totally Clean One Room at a Time
You’ll waste too much time changing tasks, tools and products if you dust, vacuum, mop and tidy each room at a time. So start with tidying up each room, carry a bag for rubbish and a washing basket for clothes. Put toys back where they belong, hang up clothes, and put shoes in their rack. Toss out or donate? You decide.
3. Dust all the Rooms in the House
Take your cleaning products and bucket with you as you go through every room in the house dusting ceilings, fans, cobwebs from corners and any mould and dust on the walls behind bookcases and other furniture. When you come to the bathroom, use a microfibre cloth and window cleaner and wipe down all the mirrors.
4. Now it’s Time to Vacuum
Start in one corner and work your way across the room, making sure you change cleaner heads to get into corners, down under lounge cushions and in, around and between pieces of furniture. Change the vacuum head to flat floor mode when doing any areas that aren’t carpeted such as kitchen and bathroom floor tiles, or wood.
5. Wipe Down Hard Surfaces
Using a fresh microfibre cloth and a cleaning agent for the particular material, go through the house starting in the kitchen (assuming you’ve done the dishes) and wipe down all hard surfaces such as countertops, cupboards, cabinets, kitchen benches, and appliances.
Do the same in the bathroom and laundry. Use a disinfectant for areas that people touch such as light switches and doorknobs, refrigerator doors, taps etc. For a non-toxic disinfecting solution, mix half a cup of water with the same amount of apple cider vinegar.
6. Clean Sinks, Basins, Tubs and Toilets
Begin in the kitchen and spray cleaning agent on the sink then do the same in the laundry and bathroom – do basins, bathtub and toilet. Allow the cleaner to remain for a few minutes so it can dissolve grime and stains. Then go back to the kitchen and start scrubbing and don’t forget the inside of the microwave and fridge. Always scrub your toilet last.
7. Mop the Floors
If you have a steam mop make sure you put a clean pad on it and fill the water container. Start in the kitchen in one corner and move back towards the door so you don’t mop yourself in and have to walk over the cleaned area. Then move to the laundry and bathroom, changing the pad if it’s too dirty.
8. Don’t Forget to Wash the Cleaning Tools
To help maintain your cleaning tools it’s a good idea to clean them after every use. If your vacuum cleaner bag is full or you use a dirty mo or steam cleaner pad you can’t expect good results. You will also spend more time trying to clean the house and the results won’t be as satisfying.
9. Make Chores a Family Thing
Cleaning with a team of family members, friends or flatmates is the fastest way of getting the job done. If you can organize a day each week for cleaning and assign certain tasks to each person it can be lots of fun with happy music playing putting everyone in a good mood. Then celebrate with a delicious lunch or dinner! If you want any expert help then you should hire carpet steam cleaning professionals.
