With enough time, every home can look incredible after a proper cleaning. But what if you only have a small amount of time to do it? That's where it gets tricky. When time is scarce, you need a different approach to cleaning your home, and not everyone knows how to do it.
Whether you are fast cleaning your home to keep it in good shape through the week or to impress that soon-to-arrive visitor, these tips will help you to achieve a cleaner home in no time!
Tip #1. Be systematic about your chores
Always have a plan. Knowing what to do, what to tackle first, and what to prioritize always cuts any downtime—you'll jump from one chore to another without stopping to think about what's next!
Create a checklist that works for you, depending on your home peculiarities. The best way to make one is by carrying out a quick test cleaning to write down tasks, marking as priority those that don't take you too much time to finish.
Also, remember that the checklist is not set in stone. You can modify it to fit your needs through time. And be constant. Have you noticed how you take less time doing a certain activity after you've been doing it constantly? Practice makes perfect!
Tip #2. Throw away and relocate your stuff
Go through your home to identify and categorize stuff that needs to be placed back on a shelf, drawer, countertop, and the like. Also, check for things that you need to throw away, like empty bottles, wraps, plastic bags, and similar items.
You can use a plastic bin to collect the objects that need to be relocated and a trash bag for the things you're going to throw away. Another option is to form two piles with these items and take care of them once you finish.
Tip #3. Clean only the most visible rooms
Fast cleaning your home doesn't replace a good, complete cleaning session. However, the main point of fast cleaning is to make your home look clean without taking on the most time-consuming tasks.
With that said, you can focus only on the rooms that are in full view or the ones that people enter more frequently. Prioritize areas like your living room, bathroom, and kitchen to give the impression of a cleaner home—your home will, in fact, be cleaner, just not as a whole.
Tip #4. Turn off the cellphone
When you have little time to achieve a good cleaning, the worst thing that could happen is to have your attention stolen.
One of the biggest distractors we have is our cell phone due to how easy it is to grab it and go on social media or browse the internet—even more so with all the notifications beeping. Prevent those interruptions by shutting off your phone for the time it takes you to clean.
Tip #5. Assign a spot for cleaning products
Speed up your cleaning process by assigning a zone (could be a storage closet or under the sink) where you store your cleaning supplies. You can also distribute specific items throughout your home so they are near where you most need them, like a toilet cleaner in your bathroom.
Also, you can get wall hangers, wall-mounted shelves, organizing bins, and labels to give your storage some order and ensure everything is handy. That way, you won't waste time looking for supplies when you're in a hurry.
Tip #6. Use a container to carry tools around
Avoid going back to your cleaning storage every time you need a specific item by getting a container to bring your cleaning items with you—it's best if you get a caddy or any container with a handle.
To make the most out of your container, always keep the cleaning supplies you use more frequently inside it. Then, you'll only need to pick it up without worrying about filling it up with supplies.
Tip #7. Don't get stuck on lengthy tasks
As previously said, fast cleaning is not like your normal cleaning routine, so don't try to do chores the same way—you'll lose time and possibly get stressed.
For instance, instead of grabbing and dusting every item on a shelf, just do a light swiping with your duster over everything. If you're afraid of losing track of the time, you can set a 3-minute timer for any cleaning chore that would normally take much longer for you to finish.
Tip #8. Invest in quality cleaning tools
To get the best results in as little time as you have available, you can make use of quality tools. As they're better designed to fulfill their function (so, more effective), you'll spend less time and effort on any task at hand.
Keep in mind that you don't necessarily have to replace your whole cleaning kit. You can get items and supplies you use the most, like a broom, a mop, and specialized glass, kitchen, and bathroom cleaners.
Extra: Another great option that can save you time by anticipatedly doing the work for you is a robotic vacuum cleaner. Of course, it will depend on your particular needs, but if buying one was already in your plans, now is the time!
Tip #9. Keep track of your cleaning supplies
Imagine that you need to perform an emergency quick cleaning, and you find you're out of the product you need. A trip to the store will eat all your time! Prevent that by keeping tabs on the items you have available at all times.
Write down a list of all your essential cleaning products and run a check every week to see if you have everything you need or if you're close to running out of a product. Battered tools won't do their job as well as newer ones, so consider them, too.
Rain City Maids can take over the chores!
Trying to make your home look cleaner when you don't have much time can get stressful. That's why we want to help! We have recurring cleaning services that will ensure your home looks and feels clean for longer. You can choose the frequency that better fits your needs!
