If you’re a busy mom, time is precious. Your priorities are feeding, caring for, and chauffeuring your children around town while taking care of your own tasks. Cleaning the house is sometimes the last item on the to-do list.
But there are systems that you can put in place to speed up the cleaning process and leave time for the important things. Here is a guide to cleaning a house quickly.
Time Your Cleaning
Identifying the high-traffic areas of the house, such as the living room, kitchen, and bathroom, and making them the priority is the first step.
Sofia Martinez, cleaning expert and owner of Sparkly Maid Austin, told The Epoch Times, “Dividing your home into manageable 15-minute cleaning sessions will be much easier and more effective than trying to dedicate the whole weekend to cleaning.”
She said to set the timer for 15 minutes. During that time, pick up toys, fluff pillows, wipe countertops, and vacuum high-traffic areas. You’ll move quickly because you’ll be working against the clock.
Clean Mama Routine Method
Another timed cleaning is the “clean mama routine.” Set aside 30 minutes daily to keep your home tidy. Focus on consistent small tasks rather than on weekend cleaning. Schedule daily tasks such as making beds, checking floors, and wiping counters. Then you’ll schedule daily tasks such as dusting on Monday, cleaning bathrooms on Tuesday, vacuuming on Wednesday, etc.
You’ll have everything done by the end of the week and be able to enjoy your weekend with your family.
FlyLady Routine
The FlyLady method is a low-stress cleaning system designed to eliminate clutter through small, consistent habits.
You break the house into five zones and 15-minute daily drills. You’ll start the week with Monday’s “home blessing.” This is a one-hour, seven-task checklist to maintain order. You then break the home into different zones. For example, the kitchen could be zone one on Tuesday, the bathroom could be zone two on Wednesday, the master bedroom could be zone three on Thursday, and so on. You then give each zone 15 minutes per day. But to keep from burning out, use a timer.
The FlyLady routine is aimed at creating manageable habits rather than perfection. It focuses on consistent, small efforts rather than massive cleaning days.
Use the 2-Minute Rule
Don’t just add to the pile; do it immediately if a task can be completed in less than two minutes. This includes wiping spills, disposing of trash, clearing mail, and putting away shoes.
“Procrastination results in clutter piling up into overwhelming messes,” Martinez said.
Work on Preventive Tasks
Clutter can slow down the cleaning process. Preventive tasks can help make cleaning go more quickly and smoothly.
For example, in the bathroom, keep the counter as clear as possible. That way, when you need to clean the sink and counter, it should take mere minutes instead of the time it takes to remove all the items and then clean it.
Preventing grime from building up through frequent cleaning is another preventive task. For example, take a few minutes at the end of each shower and give it a super quick scrub or squeegee. You’ll avoid spending 30 minutes or more every week or two scrubbing off accumulated grime.
Place Cleaning Caddies in Each Room
Martinez said you shouldn’t spend additional time going back and forth for cleaning supplies.
“Establish a portable cleaning caddy containing all-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths, hydrogen peroxide, disinfectant wipes, and place small versions in the kitchen and bathrooms,” she said.
The tools will be handy, and you won’t find excuses for delaying cleaning quick messes.
Optimize Multi-Use Products and Microfiber Cloths
“Using multi-purpose cleaners reduces the amount of time spent switching between products,” Martinez said.
Microfiber cloths don’t need much cleaning spray or water to remove dirt. The result is you use less product and have minimal application time.
Involve Everyone in the Household
Since everyone contributes to the mess, it’s only right that everyone cleans. Children will learn that as a family, everyone’s contribution is important.
Give children tasks that are age-appropriate. Young ones can pick up shoes as well as you can. Turn it into a game. Let children compete with you on how fast each room can be cleaned.
Once the house is clean, a treat or fun activity could be the reward.
Declutter on a Regular Basis
The most important part of keeping a clean house is keeping the clutter to a minimum.
“A cluttered home requires double the time to clean because you’re always moving clutter to reach surfaces,” Martinez said.
Schedule time each week to pick up clutter. This goes for the refrigerator as well. Take the time to discard expired items to free up space in the refrigerator.
Spread Your Cleaning Throughout the Week
The trick to keeping a house clean is to keep clutter down and break big cleaning jobs into smaller ones. By using a timer, you’ll encourage yourself to clean quickly. Doing a little bit every day will make large tasks seem small.
