Tips For Cleaning Your Home in a Hurry

The number one reason why our homes are often less than tidy is time—notably, our perpetual lack thereof. Working mothers and fathers often leave Sydney house cleaning for the weekends, only to find themselves too exhausted to do it, and sorely tempted to hire a housekeeper despite the cost. It’s no different with college students who are already overwhelmed with work and all-night study sessions; for them, making apartment cleaning a priority is the last thing on their minds… And who can blame them?

Alas, justifiable or not, the failure to keep a clean home or apartment can have serious repercussions like pest outbreaks, illness, and injury as a result of too much clutter. Not to mention, the mess only gets bigger the longer it is left to fester.

So, how do we keep up? According to Jane Hunt, a professional house cleaner based in Sydney, Australia, the key lies in mastering the art of “speed cleaning”. Ms Hunt offers the following tips for getting the better of a messy home before it gets the better of you.

Prepare for an Organised Clean

Treat cleaning like a fine-tuned military operation—organised perfectly beforehand. "Organisation is the key,” says Ms Hunt, “Set yourself a time limit, have your products ready, and move from room to room swiftly.” Don’t be afraid to be extreme with your preparations; after all, the more convenient you make things, the faster you can get tasks done. For example, if you’ve had a long day and know that you need to vacuum your bedroom or any other room in the house the next day, pull out the appliance, sit it next to an electrical outlet so that you can quickly plug it in and start vacuuming without wasting any time in the morning. 

Clear Before You Clean

Linen, towels, dishes, piles of dirty clothes—all these things will get in your way and slow you down while you are cleaning. Toss them in the wash first and carry on with other cleaning tasks while they are being cleaned. Similarly, decluttering surfaces before you clean will really speed up each task because there are no obstructions. This includes table tops, shelves, counters, and the floor. By maintaining a clutter-free home, cleaning your house will be quicker and easier than ever!

Use Microfibre Dusters and a Vacuum Cleaner

Don’t bother with the broom, recommends Ms Hunt; brooms are not nearly as effective as vacuum cleaners and microfibre cloths when it comes to removing dust and debris from surfaces. In fact, floors swept with a broom often leave behind a great deal of material that a vacuum cleaner can pick up in seconds. What’s more, there are many different attachment heads one can use with a vacuum which are targeted at cleaning various household surfaces including furniture and walls. So, as recommended by Ms Hunt, simply dust and vacuum the entire house for an effective and speedy clean.

Avoid Distractions

One of the most time-consuming parts of cleaning are those dreaded “distractions”! In fact, some of us go out of our way to look for distractions simply because we hate doing certain cleaning tasks. So, first things first; keep your phone out of reach, switch the TV off, and stay focused on the job at hand! As for other distractions, they may be in the form of cleaning tasks you haven’t done in a while. For example, while cleaning the furniture, it may occur to you that the microwave could use a clean, or that the entire fridge needs emptying out—save it for another day. Cover the areas that really need to be cleaned, rather than jumping around trying to clean everything you would like to see clean.

Set a Timer

This helps to stay focused and not give in to those tempting distractions! All you need to do is set aside a certain amount of time (as much as you can spare to clean your house) and then divide it between different tasks. For example, ten minutes per room is a wonderful way to make sure your house cleaning activities stay within the amount of time you have to do them.

Organize Cleaning Baskets

There are two ways to do this; you could either put all your cleaning essentials into one basket and carry them around with you from room to room, or separate them as per their use. For example, make a separate basket of cleaning tools and products you require to clean your bathroom while storing other items in another basket. This will eliminate time wasted in making unnecessary trips to and fro your cleaning cabinet.

Don’t Aim for Perfection

Jane advises us to not get caught up in gleaming porcelain and flawless floors—the aim is simply to get the situation manageable. Everyday home cleaning is more about keeping the house in a decent condition by maintaining neatness and covering the basics such as dusting and vacuuming. If you’re aiming for perfection, be realistic about the amount of time you can spare, and the approach you take to getting the job done in a thorough manner.

Stick to a Simple Plan/Schedule

Cleaning shouldn’t be complicated or a chaotic affair. Even on days when there is an overwhelming number of tasks to do, take a deep breath and, as Jane recommends, form a simple plan, multi-task when you can, and don't return to rooms—one round of cleaning is generally enough, as long as one does so regularly. In other words, clean one room at a time, follow a weekly schedule to ensure that different areas of your home are not being overlooked, and multi-task by running the dishwasher and/or doing a load of laundry while getting some manual work done too.

So, there you have it; a quick overview on cleaning your home in a hurry. Yes, it’s a lot simpler than you thought! If you’re interested in a more in-depth resource, check out our speed cleaning guide here.