I have friends who are compulsive about cleaning. “I guess I don’t have to dust everyday,”one friend informed me, “but I want too!” Another friend shared her love of ironing everything, including underwear, because it relaxes her. My stunned expression when they shared this secrets made them realize I didn’t share in their obsession. Sure, I like a clean house, but I am constantly looking for anything to simplify my cleaning routine. These five tips I have adopted over the years keep clutter at bay and, while my house is not always -or usually- spotless, it passes the clean test so I don’t mind if people drop by unexpectedly. I’m sharing these “secrets” in hopes they’ll help reduce your cleaning time and enjoy more time doing the things you love, like blogging.
1. Clean as you go.
I used to begin an elaborate dinner and pile my dishes in the sink as I cooked. By the time our dinner was over I was exhausted and still faced with a mound of dishes needing to be washed. I solved this problem by cleaning as I go. I filled the sink with dishwater, opened the dishwasher and got busy. As soon as I finished with an item, it either went into the dishwater to soak or directly into the dishwasher. I placed a recycling bin and trash can by my counter and tossed my cans, paper and assorted paraphernalia into the correct bin. Once I saw how much this reduced my time in the kitchen, I began incorporating the same techniques into other rooms in my home.
2. Control clutter with a catch-all area.
One of our problem areas was paper. We would toss all the mail, appointment cards, prescriptions, notes, bills, etc. into one pile. Soon it was overflowing. Worse, we couldn’t find what we needed. I purchased a small bin and placed it on a counter in our kitchen. I instructed everyone to put any paper item necessary for us to keep in the bin. Now I can get my hands on it quickly. I go through the bin once a week and discard items that we no longer need. It saves money by preventing late fees and we never miss an appointment.
3. Use your bedtime prep time as bathroom cleaning time.
This is one of my favorites because it is such a time saver. While I am doing my daily bedtime prep, I give the sink, toilet and shower a quick wipe down. It keeps the bathroom sparkling, takes around five minutes and cuts down on deep cleaning time. I recently discovered Mr. Clean Liquid Muscle and keep a bottle of it in my cabinet to grab each night. I usually apply it to a sponge for quick clean ups but I also mix it into a bucket of water for deep cleaning, like the time my children decided to make a pie and splattered the batter all over my kitchen cabinets.
4. Pack a cleaning tote to carry around the house.
Have you ever noticed how much time it takes to clean? I used to start in the kitchen and realize, “Hey, I need to clean this window!” I’d dash off to the bathroom for cleaner and come back. “Hey, I need to dust!” I would think, and then back off I would go to fetch the dust rag and the polish. I spent more time racing back and forth to get supplies than cleaning. Now I pack a tote with all the cleaning supplies I need and carry it from room to room, saving me time and hassle.
5. Make a daily cleaning chore chart.
I keep a list of things to do on a daily basis and assign chores to the kids. “Guess who gets to do laundry?” (This is not a favorite suggestion.) By doing a quick clean up each day, I’ve cut down on the amount of time needed to do our extensive once a week deep clean.
Where does dirt and grime seem to live in your house? Do you have any tips to make house cleaning easier?
I need all the tips I can get to make house cleaning easier! I like the catch-all idea for important papers, that’s a terrific solution we need to adopt here.
I really like the idea of packing a cleaning tote. It helps make cleaning so much easier when you have everything you need in one area. I usually to end up stopping to go look for something. Ugh.
Since I can’t clean our house myself, I always have a little help. Great tips.
Sunday is my designated cleaning day. However, most Sundays I’m so busy that I’m lucky to get an hour of cleaning in. So I definitely clean as I go. If I didn’t, my house would be disgusting.
MY favorite tip from the list is clean as you go. It’s too bad my husband doesn’t understand this tip. Any time he makes dinner, he never cleans up his mess as he goes.
I love Mr. Clean products and they work really well in our home. Not only do they smell great, but they also keep everything spotless.
These are fantastic tips! I need to work on doing the dishes as I dirty them with dinner. I’m so tired after it all, I hardly ever ‘want’ to clean it up!
Controlling clutter is the biggest problem that we need to work on. We love Mr. Clean. It’s funny that we’ve used this brand since I was a child and still use it today. Love that they continually innovate their line too.
Awesome tips.. I love cleaning my house and Mr. Clean (Did you know we call him Mr. Propper in Germany..lol) has always been by my side.. I think it’s the power he has that has impressed me over the years.. SOoo can’t wait to try the new Liquid Muscle.. love the sponges ..thanks for sharing
Great tips! I am somewhat of a clean freak which in our family is inherited. It is what we do! All five of my siblings are the same way. Organization is the key and not letting anything go too long or procrastinating. Just get it done and you will be happy that you did.
Nothing makes cleaning easier for me, it is just not one of my strong points. But great tips here.
I was like you. I piled everything in the sink until I was done. I’ve now started cleaning as I go and I find out that it is so much easier to do. Thanks for all the great tips. I love Mr. Clean products!
Who are these crazy people who clean for relaxation? lol But really, your provide great tips to keep on top of cleaning. If I followed your tips my house would be so much cleaner!
I love all your tips. I think a tote to carry all the supplies around with you as you go is the best advice on the list. My mom taught me that and it definitely makes life easier!
Great ideas and I’d be dropping my ironing off to my friend if I were you. 🙂 I actually have a routine and do clean up after myself but have certain days for working on certain rooms. That helps me stay a head and I’m a Mr. Clean fan too.
Wonderful tips. Looking for that catch all area!
I don’t think we have this brand in our country, but I love the cleaning tips, they’re great.
All great tips! I always try to clean on the go.. I dont like a cluttered sink after cooking.. so I make it a priority to wash all the dishes after cooking and dinner.
I love Mr. Clean products especially the ones with febreze in them.
I found and printed a bunch of “15 minutes to clean” instructions, put them in a plastic sleeve and put them in the rooms that the instructions were for such as the bathroom, kitchen, entry way, etc. Then I assigned each of us, including the kids, a certain room per day. Everyone has a 15 minute chore plus they have to take care of their own spaces. Helped a lot!
Thanks for all the great tips! I’ll be implementing some of them this weekend 🙂
I’m having a problem with kitchen counter clutter. Well, I should say my family is because they are actually the source of the problem. A catch-all is a great idea. I’m going to try it!
I find that making a daily cleaning chart (as you mention) really does help a lot. I try to get as much as I can done during the week and on the weekend I get things like the bathroom and the folding done. Thanks for the great tips!
Great tips! I don’t have a cleaning tote, but after reading your post realize how much I need one! Right now I keep them in different closets all over the house and they’re hard to find when I’m looking for one.