Put Your Wallet Away
Keep It Together
If you have to head to three different locations to get your vacuum, duster and mop, you’re wasting valuable time. Keep it all in one spot. “Or just have all your cleaning products in a caddy and bring that caddy from room to room,” says Reichert.
Create Routines
If you know exactly what you’re doing, you can clean for just a few minutes a day during your spare time. “Make each day a different clean,” says Ford Berry. “Monday is laundry, Tuesday is bathrooms, Wednesday is dusting, and so on.”
Ditch Paper Towels
You’ve likely been using paper towels for years to clean your windows, but you’re actually creating more work and producing more waste. “Use microfiber cloths for cleaning glass and windows,” says Reichert. “These are smear-proof and much more efficient than paper towels.” Fewer smears means clearer glass, so you’ll have to clean less often.
Think in Circles
Do you have a haphazard method of attack, moving back and forth … and sweeping over parts of the room you’ve already covered while missing other key areas? “Work in a circle when you are cleaning a room,” says Reichert. “Pick a point to start, and work around the outside of the room in a circle. Then move to the center of the room to finish.”
Think Top to Bottom
Similarly, cleaning an item with no rhyme or reason will cause you to skip over areas without realizing it. So, when cleaning any item—vase, mirror, cabinet, doesn’t matter—always start at the top and work your way to the bottom. “Also work back to front,” says Reichert. “‘Top to bottom, back to front.’ This mantra will help you clean efficiently without missing a spot.”
The Quick Bathroom Clean
We know, we hate them too: bathrooms. But this tip will get ‘em clean as fast as possible. “Before cleaning a bathroom, always vacuum the hair out so you don’t have to battle it when it’s wet,” Reichert advises. Think about it: when dust and hair get wet, they also get seriously sticky. “Just vacuuming up hair and dust will save you lots of time,” says Reichert.
