It’s a fact that nobody wants to spend the whole day cleaning their entire house. How would being able to get it clean in only a couple of hours sound?
We’ve consulted the experts and they’ve come up with nine fast and easy tips for cleaning your house in record time. Take a look below and let us know if you don’t agree that these ideas are a great idea to help you clean your house faster than you ever thought possible!
Step 1
The first thing to remember about this project is that you must be as efficient as possible, and you cannot do every single room at a time. For you to clean your entire house efficiently, you must combine all the tasks you need to undertake in several rooms and do them all at once.
Cleaning will be much more efficient if you dust, vacuum, mop, etc. all over the house as a single step instead of working and finishing the kitchen, and then doing the hallway, and then the dining room, etc.
When you combine tasks, you don’t start feeling like you’re in an endless cleaning cycle and doing the same thing over and over again.
Step 2
Combine all your cleaning tools in the same mobile location. Whether you walk around carrying a bucket, rolling a caddy, or use something else, when you have all your supplies together so they’re easy to reach, you won’t lose time when you walk into another room and find that you can’t locate the tools you need once you’re there.
Step 3
Clear out all the clutter before you begin cleaning. Walk through each room with one or two trash bags and grab everything that doesn’t belong there. From socks and sneakers to magazines and misplaced items that belong somewhere else, pick each item up and stuff it into a bag.
When each bag is full, take the trash bags outside for pickup. Bags with things that belong somewhere else should be emptied in their proper rooms. This is also a great time to combine anything you might want to donate. Set the bag aside for later when you have time to take it to your favorite donation center.
Step 4
Dust and vacuum all the rooms. Make sure to close the windows and turn off fans that can blow the dust while you’re cleaning. Remember to turn off ceiling fans and your HVAC system fan if possible, or set it at the lowest setting. The last thing you want is to have most of the dust you’re trying to clean from countertops blown into the air while you’re trying to get everything clean.
Dust all the furniture tops, underneath shelves, picture frames, handrails, knickknacks, monitors, and TV screens. Clean areas that are hard to reach by wrapping and tying a microfiber cloth around a broom or mop so you can get to those hard-to-reach areas. If you’re going to change the bedsheets, be sure to remember to change them before you vacuum.
Step 5
Wipe down all the windows, mirrors, and other glass surfaces with newspaper, if you have some, or if not, with a dampened microfiber cloth. A good substitute for using plain water when you wipe is to mix up a 50/50 solution of water and white vinegar. Even better, but flammable, is to mix a tablespoon or two of white vinegar into a 50/50 mix of water and rubbing alcohol. Shake it well before spraying. Use a second dry microfiber cloth to remove any moisture left on surfaces.
Step 6
Your next trip through the house should consist of wiping down all the hard surfaces with a non-toxic disinfecting solution. Mix up around a half cup of white vinegar and a cup of water in a small bucket. Use a clean microfiber cloth dipped into the solution and go over all the hard surfaces.
Walk through the house and wipe down all the countertops, doorknobs, light switches, cabinets, phones, and remote controls at the same time. These are surfaces that everybody touches al the time with their faces and fingers, so they need to be disinfected often. If you’ve run out of white vinegar, the apple cider version will work just fine and you might prefer the scent it leaves.
Step 7
Now it’s time to hit the sinks, tubs, & toilets. Using the same water and vinegar solution, add a little baking soda for a bit of scrubbing action and put it into a spray bottle. Shake thoroughly and then begin in the kitchen by spraying inside the kitchen sink and the inside of your microwave oven.
Use the spray and take care of the other sinks, tubs, and toilet surfaces throughout the rest of the house. Leave the spray on the surfaces for a few minutes so it will be absorbed. In the bathroom, sprinkle a package of Kool-Aid powder into the toilet bowl and leave it until you return (remember that idea from last summer?).
Now, go back to the kitchen, and before you scrub all the areas you’ve just sprayed, take a couple of seconds to add some lemon or lime rind and run it through your dish disposal. Flush with water and, if there’s still a bit of smell, pour in a half cup of baking soda and run some warm water through it again to clean it perfectly.
Use a dry towel or cloth and go through all the house once again, starting with the kitchen, and wipe each surface dry that you sprayed earlier. Visit the bathrooms last and wipe the toilet surface areas clean and scrub the bowl with your toilet brush.
Step 8
Sweep by beginning in the kitchen and then do the bathroom floors. Grab your mop and start from the furthest corner of each room. Move backward in each room toward each doorway so you when you leave you won’t be walking through a wet floor! Rinse the mop every time you have covered an area of about 3 or 4 square feet.
Step 9
When you vacuum, keep moving. Don’t fall into the trap of wasting valuable time trying to get into the crevices of every single corner of the house. You only need to make one pass over the floors and carpets to get them clean.
There you have it. Our 9 top tips from the experts on how to clean your entire house in only a few hours. Please let us know if these ideas have been helpful to you, and if you have any thoughts or suggestions about some other home cleaning subjects you’d like us to cover, please write us.
If you live in the Chicago metro area and are interested in learning more about our home cleaning services and how we can help you maintain a safe and healthy living environment, give us a call. Our number is 708-599-7000. Or, you can contact us online for a free house or office cleaning consultation.
