Down-and-Dirty Ways to Speed Clean Your Home

It’s not always easy to find the time for a deep clean in your home, but when you do have the opportunity, it can be an amazing feeling. You feel lighter and more refreshed. The rooms are brighter and smell better. Your mood improves, too!

But there are times when no matter how much we try to keep up with our homes, they don’t seem to get any cleaner because of busy schedules or lack of motivation. That’s why today I’m going to share some quick tips that will help you speed clean your home without having to spend hours on end scrubbing away at every surface in sight!

You may use this method to clear clutter, get your house ready for visitors, and prepare for guests in a short amount of time. It’s also an excellent approach to do a general examination of your home every day to avoid overwhelm. Here’s how it works:

Visually assess the situation

Search the rooms that your visitors will be using. What obvious issues do you see? Attack these at once. In general, the biggest threats to a good first impression are clutter and dirt. Get rid of everything on surfaces that doesn’t belong there. This means magazines, mail, etc.

If you have room to spare in drawers or cabinets for these items, then go ahead and put them away temporarily. Otherwise, set a trash bag out on the counter. You can always re-sort later on when things calm down.

Clear the kitchen

Put items in the dishwasher. If you don’t have time to rinse and prep for the dishwasher, put the things in and go back and pre-rinse at a later time.

Clear the counters of clutter and make use of your junk drawer for temporary clutter control. Keep it tidy and put rarely used items into a box or drawer under the counter.

Gather items with efficiency

Start at one end of the home and gather things that must be cleared as you go. Use a basket, box, or other bin to collect the items and put them in one location — preferably behind a closed door or in the garage so you don’t see them as you work.

Then, grab another bin and continue your fast sweep through the home until everything is gone except for desired items.

Fold and fluff

Make sure that all the couch pillows are on straight, blankets are folded and laid accordingly, and there are no visible stains. If something is out of position, move it into place. This will help to make the appearance of your couch more attractive.

Keep a small vacuum cleaner, carpet sweeper, or dustbuster near you as you fold and fluff to quickly pick up any fallen pieces of paper, food crumbs, etc. that may have fallen onto the couch during folding and movement. This will help to make your couch appear cleaner and more appealing.

Close some doors

From rooms to cabinets, close doors to reduce the chaos and clutter. Make sure shower curtains are closed and the toilet lids are down, too. If you have animals, make sure their cages are closed. This will give the appearance that your house is clean and in order.

Rugs and towels

Gather mats and shake them outside to prevent them from shedding inside. Use a vacuum cleaner on the rugs to remove dirt.

Make sure there are ample towels in the bathroom and paper towels in the kitchen. The towels should be folded and stacked to allow for easy, efficient access.

The power of scent

If you use chemicals, pour some cleaner into the guest toilet, light a candle in the living area, and wash down the threshold of your front door with a clean rag dipped in the cleaner. This will make an impact when your guests enter your home.

Pop some cookie dough in the oven and brew a cup of coffee if you have time or want to. These easy procedures may be completed quickly, but the results are enormous.

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Speed cleaning your home is one way to get a lot done in a bit of time and your guests will appreciate your efforts to make them feel comfortable.

Doing a speed clean once a week will help you stay on top of your home cleaning. You can even use this time to focus on one room at a time, area by area around the house, or even floor by floor if you have a multilevel home. If you complete a speed clean regularly, it will not take you long during the week to keep your house clean and tidy.