The Most Effective Way to Clean Your Home

Unless you're wealthy and have a full time maid, you have to clean. It's a fact of life. But most of us take more time than necessary to do it! Here are the best tips for thoroughly cleaning your home with the least amount of energy and time!

1. Save Steps.

   The goal is to go in each room only twice- once to clean, and once for the floors. This means you will need to carry a bucket with your cleaning supplies - all purpose cleaners, wood cleaners, dusters, rags, window cleaner, paper towels and whatever else is in your arsenal with you. It might take some time to get used to doing this, but once you do, you will not be able to imagine cleaning any other way!

2. Don't waste time with special cleaning “gadgets”.

   A good cleaner and elbow grease will do a better job than some product that claims to clean your shower like 5 maids. A Good Sturdy toilet Brush works better than a fancy one you toss out after each use (not to mention, its more cost effective!)

3. Don't waste your money on special Cleaning Chemicals!

   A good Window Cleaner, Bleach, a Pine Cleaner and an All purpose spray cleaner is all you really need. Also, if you have wood tables or floors, you will want a special cleaner for them. There is no reason to have separate cleaners for the shower stall, bathtub, toilet, sink, counters, appliances, linoleum, tile and stainless steel. Unless of course, you want to haul all these cleaners around, and pay for them!

4. Start at the top of a room, and work down.

   Doesn't this make sense? You will be knocking down dust and dirt and crumbs when you dust shelves and wipe counters and tables. Where is it going to go? Down! No need to make double work for yourself by having to re clean everything two or three times!

5. If it's not dirty, why are you cleaning it?

   If you have a guest room that is rarely used, why bother to clean from top to bottom? Run a dust rag over the surfaces, and maybe push the vacuum around for a minute, but it's unnecessary to clean everything in the room! On windows and door frames, usually there's only a small area that gets dirty with fingerprints, just clean what is needed!

6. Always do the vacuuming or mopping last!

   Why? Because everything you cleaned - has fallen to the ground. All the crumbs off the table, dust from the shelves and minutes pieces of paper that come from nowhere inevitably end up on your floor. Why do the floors first, when you'll have to do them again? Save yourself that time! Remember the top to bottom rule!

7. Once it's clean - stop cleaning it!

   There's no point in continuing to wipe a counter that is already spotless, or a sink that is shining like the sun! Pillows can only be fluffed so much!

Once you get into these habits, you will find cleaning goes quicker and easier than ever before! Get into the habit of doing it this way each time, and you will not be able to imagine doing it any other way!