Don’t you just wish you can snap your fingers and then voila! Everything is neat and orderly.
Unfortunately that’s not how it goes in real life.
The chore of cleaning can take anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours each day — and that’s a whole lot of time you could be spending doing something else instead. Cleaning is one of the least liked household chores — in fact, an overwhelming number of households would rather do something else for 6 hours just to avoid cleaning.
Whether you like it or not, cleaning is something that you can’t ignore so here is a trick that can help this task become more doable and less unbearable.
Speed Cleaning
Speed cleaning doesn’t mean you’ll go around your home crazily cleaning every surface. The idea of speed cleaning is to be efficient. Speed cleaning is mostly done when you have an unexpected guest or you’re not in the mood to do a full-blown cleaning.
To begin speed cleaning, set your timer to 15 minutes (you can set it to as much as 20 minutes):
- Pick up any dishes, cups, and utensils that may be lying around and place them in the sink.
- Scrub out any food debris and place them in the dishwasher. Run the dishwasher.
- Next, check surface areas for stuff that don’t belong. Pick them up and return them to their proper places. If you have children, you may assign this task to them.
- With a damp rag, wipe down surfaces. Spritz surfaces with a gentle solution of mild hand soap and water. Wipe with dry rag. You may focus on surfaces in high traffic areas.
- In the living room, straighten the cushions and arrange decorations.
- Back in the kitchen, wipe down counter tops, the sink, and other surfaces that may have food stains.
You’re done!
Some Tips and Tricks
- Make it a point to speed clean a little bit everyday – Imagine doing 15-minute cleaning tasks each day, one in the morning and one in the evening. You’ll be amazed at how much you can clean with little time and effort.
- Don’t do it alone – asking family members to join in will make speed cleaning more effective. Plus, you can even turn it into a game!
- GAYG – Otherwise known as “Grab As You Go”. You don’t need a timer for this one. If you see a cup lying around, or a toy that’s left on the floor, cleaning them up as you go about your day will help make your home a little cleaner.
- Declutter – Set aside one afternoon to declutter. By getting rid of stuff you don’t need, you’ll find that there are less things to worry about. Only keep things that are necessary.
- Time yourself when you do chores – Try and see how long it will take you to do the laundry, for example. Once you realise that it will take less than 5 minutes to set up the washing machine, you’ll find it very hard to NOT do it. We sometimes have this notion that chores take up more time than it actually does, making the task, well, a chore to do.
Remember that speed cleaning is meant for days when your schedule is too full or you may have an unexpected guest. Nothing will beat doing a proper cleaning from top to bottom, which is essential in maintaining a happy and clean environment.
Pristine Home, Your Partner in Clean
When speed cleaning just won’t cut it, call the professionals. We have a team of awesome cleaners who know what to do to keep your house in tiptop shape. Contact us for $20 off on your first booking!
