“I can’t go out – I have to clean all day.”
“Mom is here helping me clean.”
“I spent the whole weekend cleaning.”
If you’ve ever said or heard one of these statements, I’m feeling annoyed with you.
Sure, cleaning sucks. But when I hear my friends and family missing entire weekends of their life, I feel baffled. Cleaning has never – and should never – take this long.
So if you’re planning to spend the weekend cleaning: stop right there and put your hands up. You can do it in one hour, and I can prove it.
Here are all the tips and tricks you’ll ever need to clean a modest home (about 1,000 square feet and one bathroom for my first floor – I don’t clean the lower level as often since its not as used.)
To begin:
- Make sure you have the right tools in an easy-to-carry caddy.
- All-purpose cleaner (I prefer equal parts white vinegar and water)
- Toilet bowl cleaner
- Toilet bowl brush
- Windex
- Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap
- Mr. Clean Magic Erasers
- Swiffer dusters (with the long handle attachment)
- Cleaning cloths (microfiber = good) or old t-shirts
- Paper towel (for mirrors)
- If you normally let clutter build up until you can’t stand it, its time to change. Try spending 10 to 15 minutes putting things where they belong everyday.
- If you haven’t adopted a clutter control habit yet, you’ll need to tack on some extra time to do a clutter-sweep – focus only on clutter and get it picked up quickly. TIP: Have a donation bin and garbage handy for this!
Melissa’s 1-Hour Cleaning Method
This is a combination of tips from Real Simple, Apartment Therapy and Leo Babauta… all mixed into one foolproof cleaning routine.
1. Dust. Many of my cleaning products are Earth-friendly, but I can’t live without Swiffer dusters. They almost make dusting enjoyable. Work from top down, left to right around the rooms until every room is done. If you have wood floors, sneak under the furniture, including the bed. Don’t spend tons of time dusting – the key is to do a “good enough” job. (Perfect is the enemy of good.)
2. Shake rugs, throw pillows and blankets. These items trap tons of dust and dirt – a weekly shake will keep your home much cleaner.
3. Wipe down counters, furniture, fronts of cupboards and appliances. Since you’ll be vacuuming, feel free to swipe right onto the floor! I fill the bathroom sink with warm water and a few drops of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap. Since I have a dog that drools on my leather furniture, I have to wipe it down each week. If you don’t, you can mostly skip this step, or do a “good enough” job. Move quickly around the rooms. Switch it up week to week – wipe inside the microwave one week, the fridge, next week.
4. Spray cleaner on bathroom sink, toilet and shower, then squirt cleaner into toilet bowl. If there is a lot of grime (i.e. you haven’t been cleaning once per week), let the cleaner do some of the work for you – come back in 5 minutes and spray a second time before continuing. Starting at the sink, wipe each surface. When you get to the shower, wipe off soap scum with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Scrub toilet bowl. Finally, clean the mirror.
5. Empty garbages.
6. Vaccum. Don’t worry about being perfect – you can get spots you miss next week. A “good enough” vacuum job is all that’s needed.
7. Mop as needed. Again, don’t worry about being perfect – if you’re out of time, spot clean the “bad” areas instead.
8. Replace rugs.
I’d love to know what you think of my routine. Give it a try and leave a comment!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hm – How about YOU come over to MY house and clean it in an hour? I like that idea, better =)
love it! i agree with tracy.
you could substitue one thing though….try switching out your paper towels for a microfiber cloth to clean mirrors. saves money and better for the environment. the one i use is specially designed for windows and mirrors.
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=158934&catid=44910
they used to sell these at target – they probably still do. i bought two of them i always have a clean one, even if i didn’t wash the towels that week.
Awesome Lynn! I’ve tried all kinds of cloth but found they left annoying lint all over the mirrors and couldn’t stand it, so I reverted back to paper towel.
I will definitely check those out.